Motivating

in
Engineering
Management
 What is Motivation?
“The processes that account for an individual’s intensity,
direction, and persistence of effort toward achieving a goal”

•Intensity - how hard an employee tries

•Direction - should benefit the organization (i.e.
quality of effort counts!)
•Persistence - how long can an employee maintain
his/her effort?
note:

Motivation is not directly observable (it is internal

to each employee), it is personal (what is arousing
differs and how behavior is directed is often
different), however the process is common and it is
goal directed.
 2 Types of Factors that Influence
Motivation
• Intrinsic – self generated factors (responsibility, freedom to
act, scope to use and develop skills and abilities, interesting
and challenging work, opportunities for advancement) – they
have a deeper and longer-term effect

• Extrinsic – what is done for people to motivate them

(rewards, promotion, punishment) – they have an immediate
and powerful effect, but won’t necessarily last long
In other words: Intrinsic motivation comes from a person’s
internal desire to do something. Reasons may be that a
particular activity gives him or her pleasure, helps to
develop a particular skill of seems to be the right thing to do
in moral / ethical terms. Extrinsic motivation is generated by
external factors that are less related to the particular task.
Most influential is the

Needs Based Theory

of
Motivation
• All Needs theories focus on specific needs people want to
satisfy. There are several theories that explain motivation as a
result of these needs.

• The underlying concept is the belief that an unsatisfied need

creates tension and a state of disequilibrium. To restore
balance, a goal is identified that will satisfy the need and a
behavior pathway to this goal is selected.

• All behavior is motivated by unsatisfied needs.

• People will be better motivated if their work experience
satisfies their needs and wants.
• Needs theories distinguish between primary needs,
such as food, sleep and other biological needs, and
secondary psychological needs that are learned and
vary by culture and by individual.
Maslows hierarchy of needs
• If a lower need is satisfied, it no longer motivates behavior;
the next higher one becomes dominant. (Deficit principle)
• The five needs exist in a hierarchy. Higher needs only
become important when lower needs are satisfied
• Higher-order needs provide greater motivation.
• Different people may have different priorities.

The theory helps managers to identify which particular needs

are relevant for employees and thus to determine appropriate
motivators.
 Alderfer’s ERG Theory
• Existence needs – need for material and energy exchange; basic
physiological and safety needs
• Relatedness needs – transactions with human environment,
process of sharing or mutuality; need for interpersonal
relationships and attention; is about equivalent to Maslows social
needs and part of the esteem needs
• Growth needs – people make creative or productive efforts for
themselves; need for personal growth and self-development; part
of Maslows esteem needs and self-fulfillment needs.
• Growth needs – people make creative or productive efforts
for themselves; need for personal growth and self-
development; part of Maslows esteem needs and self-
fulfillment needs.

On contrast to Maslow, here more than one level of needs can

be relevant at the same time. There is no hierarchy; people may
for instance work to fulfill their personal growth needs, whereas
not al relatedness needs are fulfilled.
Herzbergs two-factor model

There are some factors that result in satisfaction and

some factors that just prevent dissatisfaction. According
to Herzberg, the opposite of Satisfaction is No Satisfaction
and the opposite of Dissatisfaction is No Dissatisfaction.
• Motivators – factors that really motivate people, also called
satisfiers, provide intrinsic motivation

Examples for Motivators: recognition, growth and career

development opportunities, responsibility, autonomy, self-
fulfillment
• Hygiene factors – dissatisfiers; their absence would
demotivate people, but their presence not necessarily improves
motivation; essentially describe the environment, little effect
on positive job attitudes
Examples for Hygiene factors: salary, work conditions,
relationships with superios and peers, company policy
 Process cognitive theory
• Emphasis on psychological processes that effect
motivation and on basic needs
• Concerned with people’s perceptions and the way they
interpret and understand it
• People will be highly motivated if they can control the
means to attain their goals
 McClelland’s needs
(Acquired Needs Theory)
Based mainly on studies of managers. 3 most important needs:
• achievement – need for competitive success measured against
a personal standard of excellence
• affiliation – need for warm, friendly relationships with
others, interpersonal relationships
• power – need to control and influence others
The hierarchy of these three groups of needs may differ from
individual to individual. Hence, there are different motivators
depending on a person’s high-priority needs.
Process-Based
Theories
 Equity Theory
is based in the idea that
individuals are motivated by
fairness, and if they identify
inequities in the input or
output ratios of themselves and
their referent group, they will
seek to adjust their input to
reach their perceived equity.
Reactions to Unfairness

The theory outlines several potential reactions to perceived

inequity. Oftentimes, the situation may be dealt with
perceptually by altering our perceptions of our own or the
referent’s inputs and outcomes.
Overpayment Inequity

Also known as positive inequity. This occurs when the ratio of

one's own inputs and outcomes is lower than or more favorable
than the ratio of a comparison other, causing a person to feel
overcompensated.
Individual Differences in Reactions to
Inequity
So far, we have assumed that once people feel a situation is
inequitable, they will be motivated to react. However, does
inequity disturb everyone equally? Researchers have identified a
personality trait that explains different reactions to inequity and
named this trait as equity sensitivity.
• Benevolents - those who give without waiting to receive
much in return.

• Entitleds - who expect to receive substantial compensation

for relatively little input.
Fairness Beyond Equity
Equity theory looks at perceived fairness as a motivator.
However, the way equity theory defines fairness is limited to
fairness of rewards. Starting in the 1970s, research on
workplace fairness began taking a broader view of justice.
Equity theory deals with outcome fairness, and therefore it is
considered to be a distributive justice theory.
• Distributive justice
 refers to the degree to which the outcomes
received from the organization are perceived to be
fair.

•Procedural justice
 refers to the degree to which fair decision-making
procedures are used to arrive at a decision. People
do not care only about reward fairness. They also
expect decision-making processes to be fair.
• Interactional justice
 refers to the degree to which people are treated
with respect, kindness, and dignity in interpersonal
interactions. We expect to be treated with dignity by
our peers, supervisors, and customers. When the
opposite happens, we feel angry. Even when faced
with negative outcomes such as a pay cut, being
treated with dignity and respect serves as a buffer
and alleviates our stress.
 Expectancy Theory
According to expectancy theory, individual motivation to put forth more or
less effort is determined by a rational calculation in which individuals
evaluate their situation. According to this theory, individuals ask themselves
three questions.
Ways in Which Managers Can Influence
Expectancy, Instrumentality, and Valence
 Reinforcement Theory
proposes that you can change someone's behavior by using
reinforcement, punishment, and extinction. Rewards are used to
reinforce the behavior you want and punishments are used to
prevent the behavior you do not want. Extinction is a means to
stop someone from performing a learned behavior.
Reinforcement Methods
Reinforcement Schedules
• Continuous schedule if reinforcers follow all instances of positive behavior.

• Fixed-ratio schedules involve providing rewards every nth time the right
behavior is demonstrated. An example of this would be giving the employee a
bonus for every tenth sale he makes.

• Variable ratio involves providing the reinforcement on a random pattern,

such as praising the employee occasionally when the person shows up on
time. In the case of continuous schedules, behavioral change is more
temporary
 Organizational Behavior Modification
(or OB Mod).
This is a systematic application of reinforcement theory to modify
employee behaviors in the workplace. The model consists of five stages.
 Goal-Setting Theory
(Locke & Latham, 1990) is one of the most influential and
practical theories of motivation. In fact, in a survey of
organizational behavior scholars, it has been rated as the most
important (out of 73 theories) (Miner, 2003). The theory has
been supported in over 1,000 studies with employees ranging
from blue-collar workers to research-and-development
employees, and there is strong support that setting goals is
related to performance improvements (Ivancevich & McMahon,
1982; Latham & Locke, 2006; Umstot, Bell, & Mitchell, 1976).
Setting a Smart Goal
Why not think of a small
goal you want to set right
now, personal or
professional. To make
your goal S.M.A.R.T., it
needs to conform to the
following criteria:
Why do SMART Goals
Motivate?
• First, goals give us direction.
• Second, goals energize people and tell them not to stop until the
goal is accomplished. If you set goals for yourself such as “I will
have a break from reading this textbook when I finish reading
this section,” you will not give up until you reach the end of the
section.
• Third, having a goal provides a challenge.
• Finally, SMART goals urge people to think outside
the box and rethink how they are working. If the
goal is not very difficult, it only motivates people to
work faster or longer.
Motivational
Strategies
Motivation is the desire to achieve a Goal.
Motivation with enthusiasm and energy really
move us forward in life. Motivation comes to
you in two ways.
a. Motivation from the External Factors:

Extrinsic motivation refers to behavior that is driven

by external rewards such as money, fame, grades, and
praise. This type of motivation arises from outside the
individual.
b. Motivation from Inside

This is the most powerful form of motivation. At any moment we

have all needed resources and we need to tap in the right kind of
resources. What creates the Motivation is the Passion or the
Interest. The moment you Live with Passion you don’t need
anything else you drive you. You are just driven hard to achieve
the best in life.
1. Expect the best

People live up to the expectations they and others have of

them. Henry Ford said it best: “Whether you think you can
or you think you can’t, you’re right!”
2. Reward the desired behavior
Make sure that rewards are not given for
undesirable behaviors and be sure to use many
different types of rewards to achieve the desired
outcomes.
3.Create a fun
(focused, unpredictable, and novel) approach.

Atchison suggests using money for a variety of

creative employee rewards, such as giving $50 gift
certificates to a shopping center in recognition of
employees’ exceeding expected patient outcomes.
4. Rewards employees in ways that enhance
performance and motivate them

Don’t waste money on traditional types of

recognition. Though these are viewed as being nice,
they don’t motivate. Money is better spent on true
rewards for specific types of performance and
outcomes.
5. Tailor rewards
As mentioned in the previous section, Atchison
steers managers away from standard types of
rewards, such as giving the obligatory thanksgiving
turkey. Instead, he recommends finding more
creative ways to spend the organization’s money
and reward employees.
6. Focus on revitalizing
employees
Research shows that when employees are working on
overloaded circuits motivation is diminished and
productivity declines. This is particularly true in
healthcare organizations. Hallowell suggests that
managers can help to motivate employees by encouraging
them to eat right, exercise regularly, take “real” vacations,
get organized, and slow down.
7. Get subordinates to take responsibility
for their own motivation
This can be achieved by managers taking steps to deal with
problem employees, to understand employees’ needs, to
determine what motivates their employees, to engage
employees in the problem-solving process, and to really
work hard at resolving, rather than ignoring, difficult
employee problems.
8. Play to employees’ strength, promote
high performance, and focus on how
they learn.

This requires managers to know what their employees’

strength and weaknesses are, to find out what will be
required to get specific employees to perform, and to
understand how to capitalize on the ways those employees
learn as an alternative method of encouraging and
motivating them.