DQ WK three, three
DQ Week three, three
Introduction
Motivation theories are used by I/O Psychologists when analysing various situations in an organization. There are several theories related to motivation. However, there are three major theories that greatly influence the work of I/O Psychologists. These theories include humanistic motivation theory, incentive theory and drive theory of motivation.
This theory is also referred to as extrinsic motivation. This theory argues that people get motivated through external factors such as money and other forms of rewards. Incentives are gains promised to an individual on condition that they achieve a certain objective. Therefore, people get motivated by these rewards to work hard. This theory is used widely in I/O Psychology because many organizations try to offer different types of incentives to their employees in order to make them motivated and productive.
Drive theory of motivation
This theory asserts that people are motivated by their internal unmet needs or principles. In most cases, people are motivated from within. This theory is also related to intrinsic motivation. People are self-driven to achieve certain objectives because they feel it is their responsibility, or it is the correct thing to do or that it is morally and ethically correct. This theory is important in I/O Psychology because there are many people who are self-driven and aspire to achieve individual goals. Furthermore, this theory is used along with the extrinsic motivation theory to explain various sources of motivation among people in an organization.
Humanistic motivation
This theory argues that people are motivated based on their cognitive ability. Psychologists use this theory when using the Maslow’s hierarchy of needs since the levels of motivation differs at every stage.
Conclusion
The three most important theories of motivation include; the humanistic theory, drive theory and the incentive theory. These theories are used by I/O psychologists when analysing the behaviour, attitude and performance of individuals in an organization.
References
Latham, G. P. (2007). Work motivation: History, theory, research, and practice. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications.
Pinder, C. C. (1998). Work motivation in organizational behavior. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall.
