by Carolyn Czerniak

Created on: July 14, 2010   Last Updated: July 15, 2010

What is motivation? Why is it important? Motivation is internal and external forces, which influence behavior (Daft & Marcic, 2010). Motivating employees benefit both managers and employees in that it enhances productivity (Patterson, 2002). There are many ways to motivate employees and although the techniques described herein may appear to be common knowledge, many managers and employees are unaware and, therefore, cannot take advantage of its benefits. In addition, the current techniques used to motivate employees focus on the employee as an individual, realizing the diversity within the workplace and using proper methods that match the employee to elicit motivation. The future of motivation may continue in this direction, focusing on the person and what will fulfill their needs and trigger their motivation. 

Motivation is what influences behavior (Daft & Marcic, 2010). Therefore, in turn, employee motivation must be what influences employee behavior at work. The research and literature on this topic is vast and there are many perspectives of how employees can be motivated. In this paper, I will define motivation, particularly work motivation, which focuses on employees. I will also highlight many examples of how employees can be motivated. The future of this topic will also be explored, with my predictions of how employee motivation may or may not change. Finally, I will describe what lessons I have learned through the research I have done on this topic. Employees can be motivated and I will prove this throughout my paper.

 “Motivation refers to the forces either within or external to a person that arouse enthusiasm and persistence to pursue a certain course of action” (Daft & Marcic, 2010, p. 404). Work motivation then is similar, but defined by Meyer, Becker, and Vandenberghe (2004) as “a set of energetic forces that originates both within as well as beyond an individual’s being, to initiate work-related behavior…” (p. 992). The forces that drive people, both internal and external are usually not the same for any two people. Most of the research I found relating to employee motivation has come to the same conclusion: employees are motivated in different ways (Barbian, 2001; Patterson, 2002, 2004, 2007). If a manager is having an issue motivating his/her staff, it may be because he/she is not using the proper technique or offering the right incentive. What also must be understood is that although

• 1
• 2
• 3
• ...
• 8
• Next Page >>