Knowledge or motivation and workplace psychology

Knowledge or motivation and workplace psychology

By Brian Lynn Bentley

Colorado Technical University

How does the knowledge of psychology of motivation help us understand human behavior?

Humans learn about motivation and learn in general through a whole means of operations, we observe how things are done then do it that is, then sometimes things are just instinct and over the years we perfect it based on trial and error of ourselves and others. Over the years and development of our lifecycle we become aware of things we have done and how we feel, and many of us become empathic for others bases on visual cues and bodily clues and we can sort of feel how the other person feels, or even can tell between insincere and sincere motivations. Then we respond in kind. All because we are self-aware of the rational causes and events and motivations of ourselves and then we have something to compare it too when we deal with others. So we understand what the motivation is behind them. Because we are always learning and our motivation is to continue learning on how to be social with others. Which that encompasses understands what motivates us. By logical relation will help us cue into others motivations.

In depth, research by psychologists and sociologists has cued in on about six types of theories of motivation of goal oriented behavior. First by defining motivation as the force that drives us towards goal focused behaviors. And motivation can be a combination of biological social and even cognitive in nature (Cherry, 2014).

The first theory it is programed into us we are born with it, all animals are. The human version has more complex layers to the motivations added on top of basic instincts. And a list of most tofu these instincts where created by William James who developed d functionalism and the James langue theory of emotions. Then there is incentive motive what drives us is a reward or incentive or even an incentive can be something that motivates us away from a negative experience which is called drive theory that theory is defined as a need to meet unmet needs which ties into Maslow’s hierarchy of needs that always shows up. Another well detailed theory is arousal theory where we go towards certain goals to decrease or increase arousal levels, such as relaxing with a magazine or a walk when we are too aroused or try to find something exciting to do. Humanistic theory of motivation is primarily predicated on the ideology is based on purely a cognitive type of need where we rationalize our motivations of the hearty of needs based on a particular level of need. and the last theory is the expectancy theory where we are figuring out and figuring what to do in the future and we think about the expected results of some goal driven behavior and then we choose if we are motivated enough to take these paths depending on what we think or expect the future outcome to be.

Some of the applications that can be implemented with the knowledge of the workplace.

Fredrick Herzeberg had done research on employee motivation between 1950s and 1960s, he found a cognitive dissonant type of effect that confuses managers. Certain things that motivate people on the job are different from the things that make them upset and not satisfied. For example he asked people what makes them upset at work and the answers varied from insufficient pay, uncomfortable work environment relating to ergonomics such as to hot too cold too much sitting or too much standing or even stupid overregulation’s that are restraining or idiotic, and I understand where they are coming from been there done that. The research concluded that Environmental factors can be motivating as well as demotivating which is where we get the paradox or cognitive dissonance where polar opposite ideals crash into these things. Leon Festinger developed the cognitive dissonance theory (Festinger, 1957). People tend to be motivated by challenges discoveries learning new things or exciting things people have a built in need for personal growth according to Herzberg’s research, In the work place research by James R. Lidner from Ohio State university determined from research that what motivates employees the most is financial and interesting work either or both. And Leaders and managers need to understand what motivates these employees to come in everyday and brag and be proud of where they work, Working for certain companies is also a status symbol when you are from Midland working for Dow Chemical is a status symbol, When you are from silicon valley working for Google or Apple is a status symbol and so one so status is also a motivating factor. John Baldoni in his book "Great Motivation Secrets of leaders has redefined motivation in the work place as wanting to do something with one’s own free will. Furthermore that understanding Motivational behavior is basically leadership behavior and wanting to do what is right.(Williams,R.2012)

What are some applications of this knowledge to the workplace, Knowing what drives people and what does not drive people such as incentives, reward job recognition and so one for example in one of my earliest classes I did research on IBM in managerial psychology taught by Alicia Lankford and this is an article from my previously published papers. And it shoes that IBM cares about employee motivation and they have a wonderful incentive program. "According too several studies and research articles on incentive. Employees often have problems dependably expressing or saying what they mean or what they want from a job. So we have to guess and make assumptions at what they want. Since people do not tell us directly what they want or expect from a job. Often we have had to refer to decisions that have been based on Maslow's needs hierarchy. (Gawel, J. E. n.d.). As an employee progresses through a corporation his or her employer supplies or provides opportunities to satisfy most of these needs. What we at IBM can do to move the employees higher on Maslow's pyramid. We are all motivated by basic needs and competition."(Layman, E., & Guyden, J. 2000) The driving force between most of us is the concept of keeping up with the Jones to try to own and buy all the things your neighbor has, or try to maintain a visible appearance as the neighbors as people you know in order to seem as good as them. For example John gets a new car you suddenly have a need to get a new car. (Cambridge Idioms Dictionary, 2nd ed.. 2006”(Bentley. 2015).

That chunk of article shows basically how one company IBM uses rewards and incentives other ones they use are recognition awards and inventor awards, as well as taking members out on retreats they even have done charities for members, or publish great achievements of there inventors and employees giving them open and free press. As well as even publishing obituaries of former and current employees worldwide. And this all ties into motivation and the example at IBM is they have rewards and incentives all over the place. IBM is a perfect example of how they get the employees motivated and they spent 90 years researching this and investing in right from day one.

Conclusion

So conclusion the overs implied answer to this entire if we are self-aware of our own motivations our own emotions or own hopes and dreams, we become very receptive to others similar hopes, dreams and goals. When we incorporate all these different theories of motivation into a uniform corporate directive, we end up with a very happy workforce, a very happy management as well as a very happy shareholders and investors which in turn lead to very happy costumers who are willing to come back over and over again. This ties into their motivation because now the costumers are motivated to come back because they were incentives by a good product or service and satisfaction is one of the goals of motivation. It fills a need a void something that gets us out of the house and makes us wants to show up at work every day.

Reference

Bentley, B. 2015, IBM and Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs| Managerial Psychology, Colorado Technical University

Cherry, K. (2015, December 17). 6 Key Theories of Motivation. Retrieved from http://psychology.about.com/od/psychologytopics/tp/theories-of-motivation.htm

Cognitive Dissonance. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://web.mst.edu/~psyworld/cognitive_dissonance.htm

Gawel, J. E. (n.d.). Herzberg's Theory of Motivation and Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs. ERIC/AE Digest, 1997. Retrieved from http://eric.ed.gov/

IBM, HISTORY Human Resource document

IBM. (n.d.). IBM About IBM - United States. Retrieved from http://www.ibm.com/ibm/us/en/?lnk=fab

Layman, E., & Guyden, J. (2000). Renewal versus burnout: a career blueprint. Health Care Manager, 18(3), 52-62 11p.

Williams, R. (2012, October 21). How to motivate employees | Psychology Today. Retrieved from https://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/wired-success/201210/how-motivate-employees