Motivation moves you to action

Premasara Epasinghe B.A(Cey),
Dip in Ed, Dip in Mktg,
PR Management Consultant, Lecturer

The words motivation, innovation, communication, have Latin origins. Motivation comes from ‘Motive’ and it derives from the Latin verb – Movere ‘To move'. Motive, therefore simply means that moves you to action. The words motive, or motivation, suggest it is something within you at work, or driving you forward. These inner pulses may be strong. It would not be effective, unless they engage you and get you going or moving.

The signs of motivation are energy and determination. The employers when selecting a person for a job, look into the capabilities of the above signs. Later, they will develop or deepen characteristics.

When selecting, training or filling an appraisal form, they consider the motivation factors of the candidate. There are vital associated terms and qualities in motivation, which will help the selectors.

The Associated Terms, that one should consider are approach to work, orientation to work, application, willingness, dedication, alignment of person and organization, commitment and work appetite.

What are the Associated Qualities necessary for motivation?

They are energy, drive, tenacity, determination, strength of purpose and purposefulness are some of the important associated qualities.

The force of energy one may display in executing their will or intention is an important factor in motivation. Some act on them. Other does not. This can be called will power. Without the will power, motivation will be difficult.

What is a motive?

It is an inner need or desire, conscious or semi-conscious or perhaps unconscious, which reacts, operates, which will lead to action. There are motiveless motives tool. There are motives. But, it may be not transparent, or unconscious neither anyone can explain or describe it. Sometimes, you may see a tragedy, like the Alawwa – train-bus crash, where many people died. By witnessing this, you may feel a deep emotion. This may become a motive for practical change. This proves that motives are very often mixed. Sometimes, we do not always know what motives are. We may feel them, but unable to label them.

The motivate simply means, you provide a person with a motive or incentive to do something or other. When a cricket team does not perform well, the coach gives his players a pep talk to motivate them and keep their moral up. In other words, an intelligent coach in any game of sports will be able to build the confidence of his or her team by motivating them.” We can do it. We can achieve our victory target. Do not get dis-heartened.” It will be a “Tonic of Moral Booster” that will help the team in a big way. What does the coaches do? They are “Stimulating’ the interest of person to activity. Apart from moving into action, a stimulus or make active or alert will distinctly arouse your interest. In short, when you are motivating others, you are applying consciously or unconsciously using a stimulus of one kind or another.

A common method of motivating people is by infusing them with your own spirit through word and example. Motivation also extends to moving others.

The traditional ‘stick and carrot theory’ suggest two motives, that one can apply, which means a reward or incentive. The ‘stick and carrot theory’ is woven award an immobile Donkey. One way to motivate him is to place a carrot in front of him. The other is to use a stick.

I presume, this stick and carrot theory is much close to ‘Expectancy theory’, that's common in management books. Expectancy theory is woven around the conscious or rational process by which you calculate what one will get as apposed to what you will have to give. For example, in the case of animals it is an ‘Instinctive Judgment'. The Behaviorists consider human behaviour to be Reflexive and instinctive. It is governed by the ‘Stimulus – Response theory.

Expectancy theory, balances the value of expected benefits against the expenditure of the energy. For example, as a person who runs a business venture, pay his employees above the market rates. Then you have created condition matching above the average rates from your partners. It you give customers more than they bargained for they will tend to give you more business. Naturally, they are motivated to be with you, if they accrue good results.

Professor Abraham Maslow, a great psychologist at Brandeis University in New York, introduced the Maslow's Hierarchy of needs.

I presume that there is no theory of motivation so influential on the thinking of managers as Abraham Maslow's Hierarchy needs.

When one desire is satisfied, you are motivated and another desire pops up. That is the normal nature of the mind. Maslow introduced a theory of motivation. He identified five (5) sets of need. It became university known as ‘Maslow's Hierarchy Need'. They are Physiological (Hunger, Thirst, Sleep), Safety (security, protection from danger), Social (belonging, acceptance, social life, friendship and love), Esteem (self-respect, achievement, status, recognition), Self-Actualization (growth, accomplishment, personal development).