Motivation
...drive, leading to goal-directed behavior towards the attaining goal. Motivation is intrinsic (internal); it comes from within based on personal interests, desires, and need for fulfillment. However, extrinsic (external) factors such as rewards, praise, and promotions also influence motivation. As defined by Daft (1997), motivation refers to "the forces either within or external to a person that arouse enthusiasm and persistence to pursue a certain course of action". People who are committed to achieving organizational objectives generally outperform those who are not committed. Those who are intrinsically rewarded by accomplishments in the workplace are satisfied with their jobs and are individuals with high self-esteem. Therefore, an important part of management is to help make work more satisfying and rewarding for employees and to keep employee motivation consistent with organizational objectives. With the diversity of contemporary workplaces, this is a complex task. Many factors, including the influences of different cultures, affect what people value and what is rewarding to them. From a manager's perspective, it is important to understand what prompts people, what influences them, and why they persist in particular actions.
Three key elements that are important to define motivation are energy, direction and persistence. The energy element refers to the intensity or drive as a motivated person would maximize his or her effort and intensity but all that effort is merely pointless unless all that effort channeled in a direction that benefits the organization. An organization wants the employee to work consistently towards the organization’s goals. Motivation also includes persistence element as organization wants employees to persist in putting forth effort to achieve goals.
When it comes to motivation, the best-known theory is probably Maslow’s Hierarchy...
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