The Motivation Process

Photo courtesy of EntrepreneurOpens in new window In order to understand the motivation process, we need to consider various job-related factors. These include general factors, such as the organizational environment and the rewards or punishments provided for particular behaviors. It also includes factors that are unique to each employee: individual perceptions, the personal importance of different needs, personal traits, the ability to perform different types of work, and the amount of effort the employee is willing to expend.

The following provides a detailed explanation of the motivation process. The process begins with the identification of a need.

Money, status, recognition, and promotion are typical job-related needs. For example, let’s follow an employee who wants to be promoted. The same steps and rationale explored below would apply to many identified needs.

Once the employee wants a promotion, the satisfaction of that desire is subject to Steps 2, 3, and 4. In step 2, the employee assesses the degree of importance attached to being promoted.

• Is the employee willing to make the necessary sacrifices to meet this goal?
• Is the promotion so important that the employee is willing to put aside other activities in favor of seeking it?

For example, if the promotion is based on superior performance, is the employee willing to commit the extra time and effort necessary to perform in a superior manner? If not, the process terminates at this stage. If the employee is willing to make the commitment, the process proceeds to the third step.

In Step 3, pre-evaluation, the employee attempts to determine the availability of a promotion. The process is likely to terminate at this stage if no higher position is available. However, it is conceivable that the employee will continue with the evaluation although the promotion is not available, with the intention of securing a promotion in another organization.

Assuming a promotion is available, the employee must consider any environmental constraints to securing it. The employee might ask:

• Have I been here long enough?
• What does the job require?
• Do I have the necessary education?
• Do I have the necessary training and skills?
• Am I capable?
• Am I likely to get it?
• Is the boss’s son or daughter standing in my way?

Again, a negative answer to one or more of these questions is likely to end the process.

If the responses to the questions raised in Step 3 are encouraging, Step 4 is initiated. In this step, the employee puts forth the effort necessary to cause the desired outcome. The employee makes a self-assessment to determine if he or she is meeting the employer’s standards.

In step 5, the employee evaluates the outcome, asking: “Did I get my reward?” Step 6 analyzes the outcomes of Step 5. Were the employee’s efforts justified? If not, the long-term implications (Step 7) could be serious; but if so, the long-term implications could be positive, giving the employee the self-confidence to tackle the process of satisfying new needs.

Leaders must recognize that some employees may be motivated by a bonus or the opportunity for a pay increase and may be willing to work harder to get it. For today’s leader to be successful in motivating employees, it pays to understand the process of motivation.