Week 2: Motivation

In this week’s lecture we studied several content theories of motivation. One which I feel particularly relates to me and my personal motivation is Maslow’s hierarchy of needs; a theory which may not apply to all however in my perspective is a feasible approach to motivation for many.

Maslow believed that we’re all motivated by needs and that our most basic of needs are instinctive. We must satisfy our most essential and basic needs first and foremost, as without these fundamental requirements one cannot achieve higher needs such as personal development and self-actualisation.

The above diagram illustrates the five levels of human needs as defined by Maslow. The most basic needs are Biological and Physiological which are located at the bottom of the hierarchy, the higher the level, the more significant and complex the persons needs. Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs believes that the most basic of needs such as food, drink and shelter must be fulfilled first, in order for the individual to show concern for more complex needs, such as safety, belongingness, esteem and self-actualisation, which encourage personal development and fulfilment. This ideology can be applied in the business environment in many ways. For example, if an employee’s basic needs are met by things such as feeling safe at work; clear communication, and are offered opportunities for progression by their company, their incentives are likely to increase, thus resulting in improved performance and fulfilment of self-actualisation. As a result, organisations with employees whose needs are not fulfilled are likely to possess a de-motivated workforce. This is not beneficial for organisations as it would have a direct negative impact on overall performance. People who achieve self-actualisation tend to be independent, compassionate workers who perceive problems as challenges that require a solution, instead of seeing a problem as an excuse for failure.
In conclusion I would have to agree with Maslow’s belief that an individual who is lacking their basic needs will find it impossible to concentrate on the more complex needs in life, thus having negative implications for their motivation and performance.

The reason I feel motivated to begin a degree course is because I believe that higher education is one of the most suitable ways to gain a complete understanding and develop my own personal skills and understanding, which would hopefully support me in achieving my aspirations of one day starting my own business. I’ve been motivated by this ambition since I was in high school however in the last year or so I feel that I am significantly more enthusiastic and devoted, therefore I am keen to learn about how to manage a business which is why I decided to study business management. As well as assisting in my own personal development, a strong degree can open many opportunities in life, so I strive to put my all in to my work as I strongly believe that hard work pays off. It is this aspect of my beliefs that relates most to Maslow’s hierarchy as self actualisation and fulfilment are what I am always working towards as I push myself to perform to the best of my ability.

A time when I felt do-motivated was when I didn’t achieve as well as I anticipated in my A Level results. This was disheartening for me as I had devoted myself to revising and felt certain that I had achieved highly as I had tried my very best. This de motivated me for some time which affected my confidence slightly as I felt that I wasn’t capable of achieving the grades that I wanted. After speaking with family and teachers it soon made me understand that failure and quitting were not an option and that the situation was resolvable as anything is possible with one hundred percent commitment. This restored my confidence and I was no longer de-motivated. Instead I became even more determined to succeed than I was in the past as I realised that one year out of my life to improve my grades and opportunities in life would be completely worthwhile.

I over came this de-motivating time by re-taking a year which was one of the best decisions I could have made as it taught me about the importance or persistence and the desire to be successful.

In conclusion, I feel that motivation is a compulsory part of being successful at anything as without it there is no incentive or desire to accomplish something. The amount we are motivated is reflected in the amount of work we put in, and the amount of work we put in is reflected in our achievements.

References:

1) Abraham Maslow (2009) Maslow's Hierarchy Of Needs [online] Available from: http://www.abraham-maslow.com/m_motivation/Hierarchy_of_Needs.asp [Accessed: April 14 2010]

2) Business balls (2009) Maslow’s hierarchy of needs [online] Available from: http://www.businessballs.com/ maslow.htm [Accessed: April 14 2010]

3) Robbins, S. P. and Judge T. A. (2007) Organizational behavior. 12th ed.London: Prentice Hall