Motivational Theories: Other Theories (DP IB Business Management)

McClelland’s Acquired Needs Theory

• McClelland's Acquired Needs Theory focuses on the needs that individuals develop over time

  • It explains how these needs influence their motivations and behaviour

• People have three acquired needs that drive their actions and choices in the workplace and in life

A Summary of McLelland's Acquired Needs

•  The relative strength of these needs varies among individuals

• They can be developed over time through life experiences, upbringing and cultural influences

• Understanding individuals' dominant need can help employers tailor their approach to employee motivation and management

Strengths of McLelland's acquired needs theory

• The model is easy to understand & apply

  • Helps managers to motivate employees in various situations

• Recognises that people have varying needs & motivations

  • Managers can create more effective motivational strategies

• Based on extensive research

  • McClelland's research was conducted in various cultural contexts so it can be applied in different settings

Weaknesses of McLelland's acquired needs theory

• Does not account for the complexity of human behaviour

  • Can be influenced by a wide range of personal and environmental factors

• The model may oversimplify workers' motivations

  • People often have a combination of the three needs

• Limited evidence supports the specific needs identified in the theory

  • Achievement, affiliation and power are not universally agreed upon as the primary drivers of behaviour

Deci and Ryan’s Self-determination Theory

• Deci and Ryan's theory describes why people do what they do

  • It is concerned with understanding human motivation and the factors that drive individuals to engage in activities

  • Humans have three basic psychological needs that allow them to achieve personal growth

Deci & Ryan's 3 Basic Psychological Needs

• These three needs are crucial for intrinsic motivation because they allow people to feel valued and fulfilled

  • This leads to greater well-being and sustained engagement both within and outside of the workplace

  • If employers understand these needs they can develop staff effectively

  • They may also be able to encourage staff to make positive changes for themselves 

Strengths of Deci & Ryan's self-determination theory

1. Adaptability

   • Recognises that not all individuals are motivated in the same way

   • Can be adapted to account for variations in motivation across different cultures

2. Can be applied to different situations

   • It has been used widely in business, education management, sports coaching and healthcare

3. Backed by research

   • Numerous studies have demonstrated its validity and relevance

Weaknesses of Deci & Ryan's self-determination theory

1. Potential cultural bias

   • Its origins are in Western psychology

   • May not fully account for cultural variations in motivation between regions

2. Overemphasis on intrinsic motivation

   • Downplays the significance of extrinsic motivators such as financial incentives

3. Lack of clear measurement tools

   • Difficult to assess what motivates individual employees as the three psychological needs are internal

Equity Theory

• John Adams's equity theory explains how people perceive and react to fairness in their personal and working relationships

Diagram: Adams' equity theory in the workplace

• In the workplace Individuals strive to maintain a sense of fairness and balance

  • They do this by comparing their inputs (contributions made by the employee) to their outputs (rewards they receive)

  • Employees want this ratio to be fair

    • Contributions and rewards should be roughly equal to those of colleagues

    • Rewards should fully compensate the efforts the employee makes

• There are three possible scenarios in equity theory

 Restoring equity in the workplace

• To restore equity in the workplace individuals may take various actions

  • Renegotiate terms and conditions of employment

  • Adjust their contributions by making more/less effort

  • Seek new opportunities that provide a fairer balance of inputs and outcomes

• Businesses may take steps to ensure workers perceive business systems as fair by

  • Communicating better in recruitment and promotion policies

  • Clarifying pay and reward systems

  • Providing training and development opportunities

Strengths of Adams's equity theory

1. Easy to understand

   • Most people have an inherent sense of fairness and grasp the concept of equity

2. Recognises individual differences 

   • What one person perceives as equitable may not be the same for another

3. Highlights the importance of social comparisons

   • People often compare their situation to others
      

Weaknesses of Adams's equity theory

1. It is subjective

   • What one person considers fair may differ from another's perspective

2. Ignores other influences on behaviour

   • Factors such as personal values, intrinsic motivation and organisational culture also influence behaviour

3. Over-simplification

   • Real-life working scenarios often involve variables and factors that Equity Theory does not consider

Expectancy Theory

• Vroom's Expectancy theory seeks to explain why people make choices and behave in specific ways

• It suggests that motivation depends on these three factors working together

  • Expectancy is the belief that effort leads to performance

  • Instrumentality is the belief that performance leads to outcomes

  • Valence is the value or desirability of those outcomes

Diagram: Vrooms expectancy theory 

The Three Components of Vroom's Expectancy Theory

•  Where low motivation is identified, managers may take steps to improve one or more of the components for individuals

• These steps may include 

  • Improve training and development to increase the expectancy score

  • Increase trust between management and workers by ensuring that promises are kept - this may increase the instrumentality score

  • Widen the package of rewards available for good performance to improve the valence score

Strengths of expectancy theory

• The theory takes into account personal differences and considers them when explaining motivation

• A clear and logical framework for understanding motivation by breaking it down into three key components

• It emphasises the importance of involving employees in the goal-setting process

Weaknesses of expectancy theory

• The theory is based on subjective perceptions and beliefs so it may not always accurately predict behaviour

• Individuals' perceptions and values can vary

• It provides a framework for understanding motivation rather than precise predictions