Title: What are Motivational Theories? | HRZone
Headings: What are Motivational Theories?
What are Motivational Theories?
Content: What are Motivational Theories? | HRZone
What are Motivational Theories? Advertisement
Motivational Theories definition
Motivational theory is tasked with discovering what drives individuals to work towards a goal or outcome. Businesses are interested in motivational theory because motivated individuals are more productive, leading to more economic use of resources. Most motivational theories differentiate between intrinsic and extrinsic factors: the former are concerned with an individual's interest, enjoyment and willingness to partake in an activity. People with higher self-confidence and beliefs that their own abilities will lead to success are more likely to have high levels of intrinsic motivation. Extrinsic motivations focus on the outcome of the activity i.e. individuals are driven by the outcome rather than the activity itself. Frequently-cited motivational theories include the escape-seeking dichotomy model, drive-reduction theory, cognitive dissonance theory, and motivations driven by Abraham Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs. Mono-motivational theories reduce the aspects that drive individuals to act into one term.