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ORGANIZATIONAL

BEHAVIOR
ASSIGNMENT

Submitted
byDachiraju
Chandana Varma
Section-D
141356

The study of motivation has created two major theoretical bodies of


knowledge applicable to the design of employee or channel partner
motivation programs: Content Theories and Process Theories. These theories
have many applications for incentive program planners.

Content theories focus on the factors within a person that energize, direct,
sustain and stop behavior. They look at the specific needs that motivate
people. Content theorists include Abraham Maslow, Federick Herzberg,
Douglas McGregor and David C. McClelland. Their theories have been helpful
in discussing motivation, but not all have been verified through research.

Process theories provide a description and analysis of how behavior is


energized, directed, sustained and stopped. Four process theories are
predominant: Reinforcement, expectancy, equity, and goal setting.
The content theories are concerned with identifying the needs that people
have and how needs are prioritized. They are concerned with types of
incentives that drive people to attain need fulfillment. The content models
have given emphasis to important content factors that were largely ignored
by human relationists.
The process theories provide a much sounder theoretical explanation of work
motivations. This theory also gives specific attention to the important
relationship between performance and satisfaction. Unlike the content
models these expectancy models are relatively complex and difficult to
translate into actual practice, and, consequently, they have generally failed
to meet the goals of prediction and control of organization behavior. The
process theories are concerned with identifying the variables that go into
motivation and more importantly how they are related to one another.
I would like to compare and contrast Maslows theory and Vrooms
Expectancy theory.

MASLOWS HEIRARCHY OF NEEDS:


Maslows theory is the best known for motivating. It explains the five needs
which exists in every human beings life. They are:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.

Physiological needs
Safety needs
Social needs
Self-Esteem
Self-Actualization

There are three levels in the Maslows pyramid namely Basic needs,
Pschological needs and Self-fulfillment needs. The lower level is the basic
needs which includes physiological needs and safety needs. The
physiological needs are food, water warmth and rest while safety needs are
security and safety. This level is very important for every individual because,
if any one of these needs is not fulfilled, it will immediately get the highest
priority, as these are necessary for survival. All these needs in this level have
to be fulfilled constantly.
The second level includes social needs and self-esteem needs. Social needs
refer to the need for satisfactory and supportive relationships with others at
work, and self-esteem needs are the desire for achievement and recognition
which is being publically rewarded and given status symbol. The final level
on this hierarchy is self-fulfillment which includes self-actualization. This is
the need to develop one's full potential.
Maslows theory is a content theory because it focuses on individual needs
which explain the need of job satisfaction, behavior and reward systems.
Hence, Maslows theory is considered under content theory.

VROOMS EXPECTANCY THEORY:


The expectancy theory was proposed by Victor Vroom. He stresses and
focuses on outcomes, and not on needs unlike Maslow and Herzberg. The
theory states that the intensity of a tendency to perform in a particular
manner is dependent on the intensity of an expectation that the
performance will be followed by a definite outcome and on the appeal of the
outcome to the individual.
This theory focuses on three stages of relationships and they are as follows:
1. Effort-performance relationship: What is the likelihood that the
individuals effort be recognized in his performance appraisal?

2. Performance-reward relationship: It talks about the extent to


which the employee believes that getting a good performance
appraisal leads to organizational rewards.
3. Rewards-personal goals relationship: It is all about the
attractiveness or appeal of the potential reward to the individual.

This theory deals only with the outcomes and also the relationships. This
means that when a employee is motivated for an work which will in return
give them appraisal for their effort and perfomance will satisfy their goals
and even the organization. Hence this theory comes under process theory as
it deals with the relationship and the end results.

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