Transcript Motivation - Matt`s Media Research

Motivation
• Motivation is one of the most important,
yet difficult, jobs for media managers.
Because human behavior is the result of
complex interactions between basic
drives, cognitive processes, and
environmental factors, it is difficult to
motivate, or even predict, behavior.
Motivation
• Because of the complexity of the task, a skilled manager
who seeks to motivate employees must be able to
function on both macro and micro levels.
– On the macro level, managers should make sure to create or
maintain an equitable system of rewards and incentives based
on both intrinsic and extrinsic factors.
• Intrinsic factors, as we will see in Maslow’s hierarchy of needs, refer
to a sense of belongingness, esteem, and self-actualization.
• Extrinsic factors include any form of compensatory reward such as
salary/wage, benefits, working conditions, etc.
– Intrinsic and extrinsic rewards are not mutually exclusive categories.
For example, working conditions might be a compensatory reward (e.g.
a large “corner office”) that is also tied into a sense of esteem.
Motivation
• Another important aspect of macro level
motivational communication is to make
clear the value of “who we are” and “what
we do” (as an organization).
– Individuals want to feel as if what they do is
important and makes some positive impact on
the society in which they live. This must be
made clear in good motivational
communication.
Motivation
• On the micro level, managers must know
how to interact with individual employees
in a way that congruent with the
employees goals. In order to do this the
manager must be familiar with several
aspects of the employee’s profile:
– 1) The employee’s job description.
– 2) The employee’s talents and skill sets.
– 3) The employee’s ambitions and goals.
Motivation
• Employee Selection:
– It is important to recognize that in order to use
motivational techniques effectively, employees
must be an appropriate fit for the job. This
task requires”
• The ability to recognize and objectively evaluate
employee skill, talent, and motivation.
• Proper interviewing techniques
– As noted in Wicks et al. (2004): “Interviews are not just
negotiations for salary, benefits, and production
expectations. They should reveal how the job fits the
person seeking employment” (p. 66).
Motivation
•
•
Understanding Behavior:
Maslow’s hierarchy of needs:
– Self-Actualization Needs
• Autonomy
• Creativity
• Legacy
– Esteem Needs
• Confirmation of professional value.
• Proficiency and success.
– Belongingness Needs
• Association
• Acceptance
• Community
– Security Needs
• Shelter
• Safety
– Physiological Needs
• Food
• Water
• Sex
Figure Courtesy of www.lifeworktransitions.com
Motivation
• Although Maslow originally intended this to
be a hierarchy of needs where each level
is satisfied before progressing to the next
level, it is important to recognize that:
– Some needs are only partially satisfied
– Individuals pursue multiple needs
simultaneously.
Motivation
• Understanding Behavior (Other Factors):
– Classical Conditioning: (Pavlov) Automatic behavior
that is generated by an unconditioned stimulus. For
example, under the stress of an impending deadline
(unconditioned stimulus), a video editor will work
faster (automatic behavior).
– Operant Conditioning: (Skinner) Asserts that behavior
is based on rewards and punishments so that a
rewarded behavior is likely to be repeated and a
punished or unrewarded behavior is not.
Motivation
• Understanding Behavior (Other Factors):
– Cognitive Dissonance (Festinger; Aronson) As
conscious human beings, we attempt to
behave in a way that is
• (1) consistent with our previous behaviors
• (2) consistent with our internal conception of
ourselves (our self-concept).
Motivation
• Understanding Behavior (Other Factors):
– Expectancy Theory (Vroom): There are three
requirements for motivation – expectancy,
instrumentality, and valence. If one or more of these
is lacking, motivation will be reduced.
• Expectancy: The belief that applying skills will result in the
successful completion of tasks.
• Instrumentality: The belief that the successful completion of
tasks will result in reaching a particular goal.
• Valence: The value that the individual ascribes to particular
goal.
Motivation
• Understanding Behavior (Other Factors):
– Goal Theory (Locke)
• Behavior is determined by goals that have been
formally or informally set by individuals who then
perform actions (behaviors) that are in step with
achieving those goals.
– The emphasis here should be on goal-setting. The goals
that the individual sets should be congruent with the
skills, talent, motivation, and experience that he or she
possesses.
Motivation
• Understanding Behavior (Flow Theory:
Csikszentmihalyi):
– We achieve “happiness” when we are in a
situation where we successfully (though not
easily) meet or exceed the ongoing
challenges that we face through the utilization
of our skills.
Motivation
• Applying Our Understanding of Behavior to Motivate
Employees:
– (1) Considering Maslow’s hierarchy of needs, motivation is the
understanding of all employee needs and the recognition of the
current need that dominates (i.e. the level (or multiple levels) that
are currently most important to the employee).
– (2) Based on those needs, helping the employee set or
recognize goals that are challenging but achievable.
– (3) Once goals are set, clarify the connections between
expectancy, instrumentality, and valence.
– (4) Assist the employee in achieving a work sequence that
“flows” (uses the momentum or prior success to generate further
success).
– (5) Consider other factors such as Classical and Operant
conditioning and Cognitive Dissonance that may help or hinder
motivation.