Theories and Concept of Work Motivation

Factors that energize and sustain behavior.

Motivation in the organizational environment is defined as a conceptual core determinant for understanding and enhancing workers' performance, job satisfaction and institutional success.

In technical terms, work motivation refers to the direction, strength or intensity and constancy of behaviors linked to assigned tasks.

An employee with high levels of motivation is more likely to perform productively and actively contribute to the achievement of the organization's strategic goals.

Behavioral specialists study various elements involved in this process, ranging from personal needs and individual goals to the values and characteristics of the work environment.

Motivated behavior in the office energizes the individual to initiate an action, directs it toward a useful purpose for the company and sustains it despite the difficulties that may arise in the daily routine.

However, motivation is a complex variable that cannot be directly quantified; it must be inferred through the observable behaviors of staff members, although it is not equivalent to pure measurement of their technical performance.

Maslow's hierarchy of needs applied

To structure the understanding of what drives human beings at work, the pyramid of needs historically proposed by Abraham Maslow is often used.

This theoretical model suggests that people's requirements are organized in a hierarchy of priorities, where the fundamental bases (physiological and safety) must be reasonably covered before higher level needs (social, esteem or self-actualization) act as drivers of behavior.

At the company level, this means that an employee will hardly feel committed to the long-term vision if his or her basic needs for sustenance or job security are at risk.

A balanced organization must provide an environment where the employee can climb this hierarchy, finding not only a living wage, but also recognition for his or her achievements, a sense of belonging to the group and opportunities to develop his or her full creative and professional potential.