Discuss the motivational theories.

Motivation may be defined as the complex forces that inspire a person at work to willingly use his capabilities to achieve certain objectives. It is the drive that makes a person into action and continuous enthusiasm.

1. Maslow’s hierarchy of needs theory.

Man is perpetual a wanting animal and his needs are never satisfied fully. This process continues from birth to death. Human needs differ in importance that can be arranged in a hierarchy.
According to Maslow, human needs can be classified into 5 main categories;

a. Basic/physiological needs - These are needs which are essential for the survival of human life. They are the most basic or fundamental needs and must be satisfied before other needs. They include; food, shelter, clothing, education, sex.

b. Safety needs - Once the basic needs are reasonably well satisfied, security needs comes significantly and this includes; physical safety, economic security against unemployment.

c. Social needs - Man is a social being and therefore he has needs to be accepted by others and this includes; love, association needs and acceptance by various social groups, friendship among others.

d. Self-esteem - Self-esteem means need of self-respect, the feeling of personal worth and intendance. By self-esteem of others, it’s the need for recognition, status, power or prestige. An organization/school system can help in satisfying them through job title, praises and promotions.

e. Self-actualization - These are at the apex of human needs. They are the needs for realizing one’s full potential. It requires self-development. It lies at the top of hierarchy of human needs and is completely achieved at very rare cases

2. Theory X.

This represents a conventional approach to motivation and makes negative assumptions about human behavior. The average human being by nature is lazy and idle and does not like work and will always avoid it if possible.
An average human being lacks ambitions, dislikes responsibility and prefer to be led. With respect to human resources, the management should directly pose peoples’ efforts, threaten them with punishment in order for them to fit in the needs of the organization.

3. Theory Y.

It’s based on the assumptions that;
An average man likes to work and will always be willing to do their best. To them, work is a source of satisfaction and a motivating factor.
People will exercise self-control and direction in the service of the objectives to which they are committed

They will make adequate consultations and come up with better ways of meeting the objectives of the organization.
Work is like play, provided the conditions are conducive, the teacher will look at teaching as a whole and will want to prove that they can produce the best grades.
Man is creative and intelligent and will constantly be willing to work for the organizational goals and needs.

4. Two-factor theory of motivation.

Ideal factors - These are essentially external to the work environment, e.g, the policies and types of administration, salary, interpersonal relations, working conditions, and status and job security.
These factors attach people to work/job but they dissatisfy them, and they do not strongly motivate them.

Motivating factors - Feeling of achievement, for example, when results are good, people work harder.
Recognition by management – when workers or teachers perform well, they are rewarded.

Challenging work itself – this is satisfying workers than when work is a routine.
Advancements and promotions – do make workers like the job.
Increase responsibility other than teaching only, e.g, making a teacher be a CU patron.
Give opportunities for growth (academic). This will enable people to advance and improve their performance.

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marto answered the question on May 6, 2019 at 06:58