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Motivational Theories

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Motivational Theories
Motivational theories are theories on how and why people act. It is what drives a person to extend their abilities and perform what is expected. These theories are based upon several mechanisms such as basic needs, state of mind, goals and desirability. These theories usually explore direction, intensity and persistence. Primary motivational theories include Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs which is based on satisfaction as a means of motivation. He represents these needs in the form of a hierarchy known as a pyramid. The bottom of the pyramid is the psychological level, then going up, the next level is safety, social, self-esteem and self-actualization is at the top (Maslow, 1943). Maslow believes that once a person’s lower level needs are met than the higher level needs are triggered.
Organizational Behavior
Organizational behavior (OB) is the study of how individuals and groups act in organizations. It does this by taking a system approach where it interprets people-organization relationships in terms of the whole person, whole group, whole organization, and whole social system. Its purpose is to build better relationships by achieving human objectives, organizational objectives, and social objectives. OB is concerned with group dynamics, how individuals relate to and participate in groups, how leadership is exercised, how organizations function, and how change is effected in organizational settings.
References
Schermerhorn, J.R., Hunt, J.G. & Osborn, R.N. (2008) Organizational Behavior (10th ed.) Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley & Sons.
Maslow, A.H. (1943). A Theory of Human Motivation, Psychological Review, Retrieved July 18, 2010 from

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