answer02

Are people motivated more by money or by feeling appreciated? Structure your response using at least 2 different research based motivation theories. Give a practical example that would align with your response.

People are individually motivated, and to approach all followers with a catchall response in terms of reward or compensation is potentially demotivating for some workers regardless of the approach.


 * Herzberg's Two Factor Theory** says that employees have two reactions to their working environment, conditions, and situation. One of these sets of factors are Hygiene factors, and the other set is Motivator factors. Hygiene factors, such as salary and working conditions are ways in which a worker can be dissatisfied. For instance, a worker who does not feel that they are paid enough may feel demotivated as a result. Motivator factors include responsibility, prestige, self-efficacy (the feeling that one is effective) and pride in one's work. These factors can have a significant positive effect on one's job satisfaction, commitment, and outlook towards one's position.

Herzberg's Theory suggests that leaders attend not only to hygiene factors to make sure that a worker is not dissatisfied, but also to motivator factors to make sure that a worker feels properly compensated intrinsically. If a leader is maintaining these needs, they are likely to have motivated workers, according to the theory.

For example, if a leader follows national guidelines on payment and compensation for the worker's position and work level, and gives workers a clean, healthy, logical work environment, they are likely doing the work necessary to meet the hygiene needs of a worker, which will lead to them being not dissatisfied. If the same leader is also providing feedback loops, opportunitites for title improvements, recognizance, and increases in responsibility as a result of reasonable (or especially exemplar) productivity, they are likely meeting a worker's motivator needs, e.g. their internal intrinsic wants from a job, and positively increasing their satisfaction.


 * Vroom's Expectancy Theory** suggests that more can be done to target the specific wants and needs of the worker, and therefore more can be done to effectively motivate the worker to achieve specific goals. Expectancy Theory says that a leader should make a distinct per-worker assessment of valence (what they would prefer as a reward or compensation for work). Then the leader should establish a reasonably believable and achievable scenario for the worker to achieve their valued rewards as a result of accomplishing clear tasks. If the worker expects that they will get their vaued rewards as a result of doing the work (which is sensed as achievable), they are likely to do the work, according to the theory.

Applying Expectancy Theory to a real world scenario, a leader might discover through assessment, prior knowledge, or simple worker revelation that a particular week in the year is important to a worker for vacation time. This would indicate valence on the part of the worker in this potentially withheld benefit. The leader could have a project that this worker has been lax in completing, but which is especially important for the leader to cross off of her list. The leader could approach the worker and say that they would be happy to grant permission for the week of vacation as long as the project in question is finished within the next two weeks, or a reasonable amount of time agreed upon by the leader and subordinate. Since the highly valued reward is on the table, the task is reasonably achievable. and the worker believes that this transaction will take place as described, Vroom's Expectancy Theory says that the worker will be highly motivated to finish the project.