Page 172 - DMGT519_Conflict Management and Negotiation Skills

Conflict Management and Negotiation Skills

Notes Motivation – Basic concepts and Theories

According to Arnold, there are three components of motivation:
1. Direction: what a person is trying to do?
2. Effort: how hard a person is trying?
3. Persistence: how long a person keeps on trying?

Furthermore, literature distinguishes two types of factors that influence motivation:
1. Intrinsic: self generated factors (responsibility, freedom to act, scope to use and develop
skills and abilities, interesting and challenging work, opportunities for advancement) –
they have a deeper and longer-term effect
2. Extrinsic: what is done for people to motivate them (rewards, promotion, punishment) –
they have an immediate and powerful effect, but won't necessarily last long
Most influential is the Needs (content) Theory
1. The underlying concept is the belief that an unsatisfied need creates tension and a state of
disequilibrium. To restore balance, a goal is identified that will satisfy the need and a
behavior pathway to this goal is selected.
2. All behavior is motivated by unsatisfied needs.

3. People will be better motivated if their work experience satisfies their needs and wants.

Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs

Self
-fulfillment
Esteem
Social
Safety
Physiological

1. If a lower need is satisfied, the next higher one becomes dominant.
2. Higher-order needs provide greatest motivation.

3. Different people may have different priorities
Alderfer's ERG Theory

1. About subjective states of satisfaction and desire
2. Three primary categories of human needs:
(a) Existence needs – need for material and energy exchange
(b) Relatedness needs – transactions with human environment, process of sharing or
mutuality
(c) Growth needs – people make creative or productive efforts for themselves

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