Appropriate Motivational Theory For An IT Specialist Information Technology Essay

Appropriate Motivational Theory For An IT Specialist Information Technology Essay Introduction This report defines motivation and briefly analyses the content and process theories of motivation. It analyses and discusses the motivational theory relevant to information technology specialists. A fictitious case study is developed and the appropriate motivational theory is applied to address the problem in the case study. Literature Review Motivation is defined as â€Å"the cognitive, decision making process through which goal-directed behaviour is initiated, energised, and directed and maintained.†Ã‚   [ 1 ]   Luthans (1998) described motivation as â€Å"the process of stimulating people to action and to achieve a desired task.†Ã‚   [ 2 ]    Motivation is, therefore, the way that managers influence the employees’ behaviour so that they produce results in order to meet organisational goals. Motivation can be seen from two distinct but related perspectives: Goals – motivation is viewed in terms of desired goals of individuals and this is addressed by the content theories of motivation. Content theories focus on what motivates individuals and assumes that individuals have a set of needs or goals which can be satisfied through work. Thus, they are also referred to as ‘need theories.’   [ 3 ]    Decisions – motivation is viewed in terms of how an individual’s decisions affect their choice of goals. This is known as Process Theories of motivation which view the individual as an active decision-maker and the emphasis is on the actual process (method) of motivation.   [ 4 ]    The following are content theories of motivation: A. Maslow’s hierarchy of needs – Maslow’s theory suggests that individuals have five types of needs, namely (in ascending order):   [ 5 ]    Physiological needs – needs that are essential for living e.g. food, water. Safety needs – people want protection against unemployment, seek comfort, shelter as well as being safeguarde d against unfair treatment. Affiliation needs – people seek attachment and a sense of belongingness and affection at work. Esteem needs – need for recognition, reputation, achievement and strength. Self-actualisation needs – Maslow defines this as â€Å"to realise your full potential and to become all that you can become.† D. McClelland’s theory of needs – McClelland measured people in three dimensions:   [ 6 ]    Need for Power (nPower) – individuals with a high need for power arouse strong emotions in them. They want to create an impact on others and make a difference in life. Need for Achievement (nAch) – individuals prefer tasks that are neither too simple nor extremely difficult but that challenge them to do their best. Need for Affiliation (nAff) – individuals that seek recognition and respect of others and wish to establish personal relationships with others. Herzberg’s 2 factor theory – Herzberg identified two sets of factors:   [ 7 ]    Hygiene factors provide job satisfaction (being content with your job) but not motivation to employees such as pay, supervision, security and working conditions. These are known as extrinsic factors as they are separate from the job itself. Motivator factor provides high levels of satisfaction, motivation and performance. It includes responsibility, achievement, growth and recognition. These are known as intrinsic factors as they stem from the job itself. The following are Process theories of motivation: J. Adams’ equity theory – This theory assumes that employees are motivated to act in situations which they perceive to be inequitable or unfair.   [ 8 ]   Thus, they are in a constant process of comparing themselves to other employees in terms of pay, terms and conditions etc.   [ 9 ]