Early Theories Of Motivation

2 Pages 413 Words

In the early theories of motivation there are three theories: Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs, McGregor’s Theories X and Y, and Herzberg’s Motivation-Hygiene Theory. Although explanation of motivation has changed over the years, you should be familiar with these early theories for two reasons. The first reason is they represent the foundation from which contemporary motivation theories were developed. Secondly, practicing mangers continue to regularly use these theories and their terminology in explaining employee motivation. One of the early theories of motivation is the Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs Theory which is the best known theory of motivation. Abraham Maslow was a humanistic psychologist who proposed that within every person is a hierarchy of five needs. These five needs consist of physiological, safety, social, esteem, self-actualization needs explanation as follows: A physiological need is food, drink, shelter, sexual satisfaction and other physical requirements, Safety needs: security and protection from physical and emotional harm, as well as, assurance that physical needs will continue to be met, Social needs: affection, belongingness, acceptance, and friendship, Esteem needs: internal esteem factors such as self-respect autonomy, and achievement and external esteem factors such as status, recognition and attention, Self-actualization needs: growth, achieving ones potential and self-fulfillment, the drive to become what their capable of becoming. Maslow argued in terms of motivation that each level in the hierarchy must be substantially satisfied before the next is activated and that once a need is satisfied if no longer motivate behavior. Therefore, as each need is substantially satisfied, the next need becomes dominant. Understand from a viewpoint of motivation Maslow’s Theory proposed that although no need is ever fully satisfied. A substantially satisfied need will no longer motivate an individual. Accordin...