What are the main motivational theories?

Before evaluating the various motivational theories, it is important to know the definition of motivation, it is an internal impulse that leads to perform and maintain specific activities that are done voluntarily using different physical resources and mental.

Work motivation is a positive factor that leads to the satisfaction of abilities, performance and the activities carried out that improve the competitiveness, productivity, autonomy, labor relations and the work environment in general, therefore, it can favor both the employee and the business.

Despite this, motivation does not arise only from activities, self-effort and results. It also arises from searching a wide variety of motivational theories in the workplace that are classified into theories that focus their content on how to motivate and the process that must be followed to achieve it.

Main motivational theories

Here are some of the main motivational theories applied in a company, which are applied based on the research of different authors on motivation, which allow the impulse to good performance and to satisfy the needs of the employees within the business.

Hierarchy of Needs Theory - Maslow

It is one of the most knowledgeable psychological theories in relation to the needs and human behavior, where the presence of the basic needs that come from the deprivation.

Maslow raises in his theory, the attitude that people have regarding their ambition to meet most of their needs. The theorist classified these needs in a pyramid, placing those that are fundamental in people's lives at the bottom and the most sophisticated ones at the top. His classification is determined as follows:

• Physiological: They are located at the base of the pyramid, since they are the most necessary such as water, food, shelter, among others.
• Safety: It is the second level and in it are the needs that provide security to people both in their personal life and in their work environment in a stable way.
• Social: They are directly linked to the lives of people within society, where they seek affection, company, friendships and belonging.
• Self-esteem: It is related to self-worth before others, where respect, status, autonomy and the recognition and in case this need is not satisfied, inferiority and soft spot.
• Self realisation: It is located at the highest part of the pyramid, it is where development and growth opportunities are fulfilled.

Theory of motivation and hygiene - Herzberg

He leans more to the work system, where Herzberg divided the theory into two factors known as motivation and hygiene. This author gave great importance to value, which is what people consider relevant in the workplace and He concluded that eliminating the elements that cause dissatisfaction is not enough to consider the work as satisfactory.

This psychologist focused on the relationship that the employee has in his workplace and defined it in two factors that are:

• Motivational: Refers to the intrinsic factors generated from the opportunities that work provides for personal development. Some of these factors are recognition, job growth or recognition, these are related to the activities that the employee assumes in a certain position.
• Hygienic: They are the extrinsic factors that exist within the workplace and need constant attention to prevent employee dissatisfaction from occurring. The factors can be the types of supervision, salary, company policies, conditions of the work environment and interpersonal relationships.

Theory of Learned Needs - McClelland

It is among the most important motivational theories in the workplace, this author was based on research by other authors on the needs of women. people and through the comparison between different managers of different types of companies, to reach the conclusion that when it comes to motivating themselves there are three types of needs.

McClelland highlighted in his work the categories of basic motivational needs shown below:

• Need for achievement: They are the people who strive to overcome and achieve a successful life, they are generally self-sufficient and fear failure.
• Need for power: Refers to people who are interested in influence and like to control others, they mostly hold leadership positions.
• Affiliation need: These people give more importance to good social relationships, since they like to help others in every way.

Hierarchical ERC theory - Alderfer

It is another important theory of motivational theory and is based on Maslow's model, it provides three types of needs in which it is shown that he shows that the lower the satisfaction, the greater the desire for get them.

Alderfer in his theory, places great value on the existence of basic needs, development or growth needs personal and the needs of the interpersonal relationship, all of them provide a high level of motivation that allow to acquire satisfaction. Each of them is explained below:

Basic needs: They are all physiological and safety needs.

Personal growth or development needs: They correspond to the individual growth and development of each person.

Interpersonal relationship needs: It focuses on social interaction with other people, emotional support, recognition and a sense of belonging towards others.

A fundamental aspect of motivation theory, is that through them the objectives of the company can be defined, where the rewards and the recognition corresponding to the motivation of people both in their personal life and in their field of job.

If companies adopt a motivational system that can improve performance and is based on incentives and rewards, it must be specific and equitable, since otherwise it can cause demotivation in the employees.