Managers of companies should make themselves knowledgeable on the many work motivation theories that have been available for years. The newer theories will of course have the benefit of drawing upon the earlier works of such people as Sigmund Freud, Douglas McGregor and Abraham Maslow. Motivation and emotion cannot be separated, as most theories generalize and each person has a different background, emotional make up, and mental abilities.

One of the oldest workplace motivational theories around is one that was developed by Sigmund Freud. This theory basically states that humans are weak and lazy and will do anything to avoid work. While we know now that this generalization is only applicable to some individuals, it has its uses in acknowledging that some people need to be motivated to work, through rewards and bribes. A basic motivation technique following this theory would be to offer extra payment for extra work. Workers need to get something in order to be productive.

Douglas McGregor offered the complete opposite theory regarding work motivation. He believed that it was the satisfaction of a job well done that drove people forward, and that the payment and reward of completing duties was purely secondary. This motivation theory suffers from the same problems as the previous theory, in that it is too general to apply to everyone. It is true that some people can be self motivated to do more at work in order to gain satisfaction from completing tasks, but a lot of people need more than that in order to go the extra mile at work.

A third theory on work motivation is Abraham Maslow’s hierarchy of needs. This theory is based upon certain needs that must be obtained in order to advance to the next stage. Physiological needs such as air, food, water, shelter and sleep are the first priorities of any human being. Next there is the safety or security of the person, employment, resources and the family. Then love and belonging are necessary followed by self-esteem. Self-actualization with such things as creativity, problem solving and acceptance of facts is the one to be achieved from his theory. A manager who becomes a motivation coach will be aware of his/her employees needs and will therefore be able to help them move forward at their own rate.

These theories of work motivation plus many other theories are available for the managers if they are searching for motivational exercises or techniques in order to improve their workers’ ability to perform on the job. As pointed out, one theory will work for one person, but another type of person will be encouraged by different means. Thus, each manager needs to look at the individual and assess which motivational tactic will work best.

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