Motivation and the meaning of work

13 important questions on Motivation and the meaning of work

What are extrinsic motivators?

Motivating factors that come from rewards factors external to an activity, e.g. Pay, raise, or prestige.

What are Intrinsic moivators?

Motivating factors that come from the activity itself: personal or internal rewards, e.g. Curiosity or pleasure deriving from the experience.

What are behavioural theories of motivation?

A use of stimulus and response techniques whereby behaviour is altered by a planned provision of rewards and punishments.
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What are social theories of motivation?

Theories of motivation which see motivation as part of the role of work in creating meaning and identity for people within society.

What is behaviourism? (content theories)

An area of psychology which suggests that behaviour can be changed through the planned use of rewards and punishments. Also known as stimulus-response psychology.

What is classical conditioning (Pavlov)? (content theories)

Create a conditioned response by punishing immediately on a behaviour and punish it every time a behaviour occurs. To maintain a conditioned response and stop it becoming extinct, continuous reinforcement is required to maintain the conditioned response.

What is operant conditioning (Skinner)? (content theories)

The rewards worked when they are intermittent, the effect is stronger when the awards (reinforcements) were variable rather than fixed. Variable rewards are stronger because they come with surprise and unpredictability.

In which two groups can Herzberg's motivators and hygiene framework be divided? (content theories)

1. Motivating factors: potential to increase the satisfaction of a worker, intrinsic factors, factors that satisfy the higher levels of Maslow's hierarchy. (job enrichment -> vertical loading
2. Hygiene factors: not increase satisfaction but not ignored, extrinsic factors, factors that satisfy the lower level needs on Maslow's hierarchy. (pay) (job simplification -> horizontal loading; job rotation and job enlargement)

What is Adam's equity theory? (process theories)

Based on our perceptions of fairness and justice, do we feel that we are getting what we deserve based on the efforts we put in (inputs) and the rewards that we get compared with others (outcomes). When we see something as unequal or unfair, we are likely to be less motivated.
-organizational justice: the processes through which a decision is reached needs to be seen fair as well (gender pay gap)

What is Vroom's expectancy theory? (process theory)

Three elements which form the calculation of what will motivate people towards a particular behaviour and away from other potential behaviours:
- (E)xpectancy is the belief that a particular effort or action will lead to a particular outcome.
-(I)nstrumentality is the belief that that outcome will attract a particular reward.
-(V)alance is the value that an individual attaches to that reward.

What is the goal setting theory? (process theory)

Motivation is influenced by the difficulty, specificity, ad feedback of reaching your goals. Goals need to be measurable and are often captured in the acronym SMART (specific, measurable, achievable, realistic and time-related)

What is the contemporary needs-based theory? (process theories)

Examines how the bliefs that individuals have about their abilities influence how individuals understand a task. Two types of mindset, a fixed mindset (intelligence is fixed) and a growth mindset (intelligence can be learned)

What are Goldthorpe's three orientations to work? (social theories)

-The instrumental orientation: strong separation between working life and non-working life.
-A bureaucratic orientation: meaning and social identity are carried out into the outside world.
-A solidaristic orientationmeanin is carried out into the outside world, but it is a meaning that derives from membership of a group rather than individual status.

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