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Motivation is what stimulates and drives an individual's intensity and commitment towards achieving a result. Motivation is made up of factors that are responsible for the increase in a person's normal level of input or application, with the knowledge that they will receive some form of reward.

There are many theories that have been developed to explain motivation, each taking a different approach and contributing new concepts. An understanding of these theories may help you to better understand your role as a leader and the importance of motivating your employees.

Some of the most influential theories of motivation are briefly outlined below:

Maslow's hierarchy of needs theory

This early but very influential theory separated a human's basic needs into five distinct categories. These categories, placed in order from most fundamental to higher order as shown in the following diagram are; physiological, safety, love/belonging, esteem and self actualisation.

If physiological needs are not being met, there will be a noticeable physical effect on a person. A lack in meeting needs related to safety, love/belonging or esteem will give no physical indication, but can leave a person feeling anxious or tense.

The highest order motive is self actualisation. This refers to the motivation of an individual to reach their maximum potential, their desire for self fulfilment or the opportunity to "to become everything that one is capable of becoming".  

The hierarchy of needs suggests that satisfaction of low order needs precedes the satisfaction of higher order needs. Issues of esteem and self-actualisation may be of little interest to a person faced with insufficient security or physiological stress. The need for self actualisation becomes important and able to be satisfied when lower level needs have been met.

Herzberg's motivator - hygiene theory

Herzberg's motivator - hygiene theory proposed a dual model of employee motivation factors. It describes two distinct categories: a specific set of motivating factors that contribute to job satisfaction and another set of environmental (hygiene) factors that contribute to job dissatisfaction. Job satisfaction and job dissatisfaction are not opposites but co-existent perceptions affected by these different sets of factors.

The factors in the positive motivating category lead to job satisfaction. They are based around activities an employee does, such as completing challenging work and receiving recognition, gaining responsibility, promotion and achieving goals.

Environmental factors don't have the same positive impact on job satisfaction, but have an influence on job dissatisfaction. These factors include company policy, supervision, workplace conditions and salary. The theory suggests that these factors won't motivate an employee or make them satisfied with their job, but their absence will create job dissatisfaction.

Therefore, to effectively motivate staff, it is necessary to equally consider both motivating and environmental factors. Addressing factors in the work environment will contribute to ensuring that employees are not dissatisfied, but the development of positive motivational factors leading to job enrichment is necessary to achieve high levels of performance.

Adam's equity theory

Adam's equity theory suggests that beyond the satisfaction of their needs, people seek  fair treatment in the workplace in terms of the ratio of their efforts and their rewards, and compare themselves to those around them to assess whether they are being fairly valued.

An employee will feel undervalued if they believe they are contributing more than comparable employees and not being rewarded equivalently. Their level of motivation will depend on perceiving to be fairly or advantageously treated, which they will evaluate in this comparative manner. Demotivation from perceived unfairness may be manifested by different individuals in very different ways, ranging from a silent reduction in effort to disruption and hostility.

For the leader, this theory emphasises that an individual's motivational influences are not isolated. High levels of dissatisfaction and demotivation may occur where people perceive that they are being comparatively undervalued. Motivational changes may occur even where a person's situation is not varied, but as a reaction to awareness of changes made for other staff or in other parts of an organisation.

The evolving theories of employee motivation suggest that there are many variables influencing how a person perceives their job and becomes motivated to achieve a high level of performance. Enduring concepts - such as the hierarchy of needs, the different motivational effects of job enrichment and environmental factors, and the influence of people's perception of fairness - all provide tools to help analyse motivational influences and develop strategies to improve levels of motivation in a specific work environment.