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Module Notes:
Module 5: Motivation
In the last module, you examined the path-goal theory of leadership, which is based upon the
expectancy theory of motivation. Motivation is key for any organization. Most of us have
experienced very motivating work environments, and most of us have also experienced
environments in which we lacked motivation. In those instances, were you aware of the factors
that affected your motivation?
Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs in the Workplace
Although we cannot always have exactly what we want, how important is it that you
have what you need in order to become or stay motivated? Need theories investigate
just that. One of the first need theories to gain popularity was Maslow’s hierarchy of
needs.
Using the Three Needs Theory to Improve Motivation
Think about how Maslow’s factors motivate you, as well as the others in your
organization (Scandura, 2019). Another theory, need theory, was developed by
McClelland to describe motivation. Motivating Your Team Using Herzberg’s Motivators
and Hygiene Factors
And lastly, there is Herzberg’s motivation-hygiene theory.
In many cases, our needs are not only consideration involved in motivation. Goals in and
of themselves can provide motivation when properly crafted. Let’s learn more!
SMART Goals
SMART goals have dominated the landscape for quite some time, but the belief is that we can
move beyond the SMART goal theory, and the regulatory focus theory explores how individuals
work to meet their goals (Scandura, 2019). Importantly, though, one must also explore the
nature of the work an individual is engaged in. Think about how an individual’s personality,
leadership style, and power are intertwined with the Job Characteristics Model.
Keep in mind that in many cases, work can be dynamic, and be redesigned to be more
motivating and less stressful. Take a look at the research Amy Wrzesniewski has done on job
crafting and consider the integration of all of the motivation theories you have studied so far.
How employees view and change their jobs can highly affect their motivation (Scandura, 2019).
Sometimes individuals need fairness or equity.
Take a look at how to use Adam’s Equity Theory in the workplace: a good leader needs to
understand employees’ characteristics and needs. We must also consider how our attitudes as
leaders and managers toward employees impact their performance (see Pygmalion effect). In
short, motivation is a complex concept, with many moving parts that change based upon the
employee, the situation, and the organization. The more you know about motivation, the more
effective you will be as a leader (Scandura, 2019).
The Remote Organization and Motivation
Alexander and Mysore (2020) of the McKinsey Consulting Group studied the workplace and
identified several aspects in which organizations will be different in the coming years. Their
article, How remote work rose by 400% in the past decade, explains not only how the COVID-
19 pandemic has modified the manner in which we work, but also the ways in which those
trends had been progressing for many years before the epidemic.
A diverse workforce also requires managers to understand and implement different
motivational strategies, too. For example, the presence of older workers can mean that sick
leave and other benefits will be more important to those individuals in the workplace. The
presence of more women in the workplace also can mean that sick leave and family leave will
rise in importance, given that women still perform more of a family’s child-rearing duties than
men. One study found that women work fewer hours than men when their children are under 6
years of age, and that mothers of young children with or without support from others (i.e.,
from domestic partnerships, marriage, relatives) spend less time on paid work (Glynn, 2018).
Therefore, today’s employees will be motivated by different incentives, and the more creative
organizations are those that will attract and retain the workers of tomorrow. This creativity
becomes even more important following the dramatic movement of the workplace towards
remote work, as elaborated upon by Alexander and Mysore (2020) in their article, Reimagining
the post-pandemic workforce.
In summary, then, these theories indicate that motivation is going to become broader and more
complex than in previous times. A “one size fits all” approach to management and leadership
may not be appropriate anymore – the more progressive human resource department will rely
upon a banquet of incentives to motivate their staff, from family leave to piece-meal incentives,
all tailored to motivate the individual rather than a group or the workforce in its entirety. These
strategies are discussed in more detail in the video, Motivation in Organizations.
One of the hopes of an effective motivational strategy is to increase the productivity and performance of its employees and ensure employees are satisfied in their jobs. Job satisfaction, then, is an outgrowth of a motivated workforce. In this discussion, we will examine the intricacies of keeping employees happy.
Initial Post
What makes a “satisfied” employee? How much control, or influence, does an organization have to create and maintain the “satisfied” employee? Then, research and discuss 1 strategy a leader can adapt to ensure better its employees are satisfied. In other words, how can a leader make an “unsatisfied” employee more “satisfied?”

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