Title: Motivation and Motivation Theory - levels, system, model, hierarchy, workplace, business, system, Historical development, Major content theories
Headings: MOTIVATION AND MOTIVATION THEORY
MOTIVATION AND MOTIVATION THEORY
HISTORICAL DEVELOPMENT
MAJOR CONTENT THEORIES
MASLOW'S HIERARCHY OF NEEDS.
ALDERFER'S ERG THEORY.
MOTIVATOR-HYGIENE THEORY.
MCCLELLAND'S LEARNED NEEDS THEORY.
MAJOR PROCESS THEORIES
EXPECTANCY THEORY.
EQUITY THEORY.
GOAL-SETTING THEORY.
REINFORCEMENT THEORY.
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Content: Motivation and Motivation Theory - levels, system, model, hierarchy, workplace, business, system, Historical development, Major content theories
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Encyclopedia of Management
Mar-No
Motivation and Motivation Theory
MOTIVATION AND MOTIVATION THEORY
Photo by: Helder Almeida
The term motivation is derived from the Latin word movere, meaning "to move." Motivation can be broadly defined as the  forces acting on or within a person that cause the arousal, direction, and  persistence of goal-directed, voluntary effort. Motivation theory is thus  concerned with the processes that explain why and how human behavior is  activated. The broad rubric of motivation and motivation theory is one of the most  frequently studied and written-about topics in the organizational  sciences, and is considered one of the most important areas of study in  the field of organizational behavior. Despite the magnitude of the effort  that has been devoted to the study of motivation, there is no single  theory of motivation that is universally accepted. The lack of a unified  theory of motivation reflects both the complexity of the construct and the  diverse backgrounds and aims of those who study it. To delineate these  crucial points, it is illuminating to consider the development of  motivation and motivation theory as the objects of scientific inquiry. HISTORICAL DEVELOPMENT
Early explanations of motivation focused on instincts. Psychologists  writing in the late 19th and early twentieth centuries suggested that  human beings were basically programmed to behave in certain ways,  depending upon the behavioral cues to which they were exposed.