Numerous definitions are given for the word motivation.

Motivation comes from the Latin word movere, which means “to move”. Two formal definitions of motivation are:

-       all those inner striving conditions described as wishes, desires, drives, etc. It is an inner state that activates or moves.

-       the combination of forces which initially direct and sustain behavior toward a goal.

In the motivation process, needs produce motives that lead to the accomplishment of objectives. A motive is a stimulus leading to an action that satisfies a need; in other words, motives produce action.  In the motivation process, achievement of the objective satisfies the need and reduces the motive. When an objective is reached, balance is restored. However, other needs arise that can be satisfied through the same sequence of events.

The types of rewards that an organization offers its employees play a crucial role in determining their level of motivation.

So it is obvious that, from an employer’s point of view, knowledge about how to motivate employees in their daily work would be invaluable. Indeed the concern of haw to motivate the workers was studied by management efficiently experts long before psychologists began to take an interest in the subject, & possibly the crudeness of this earlier theorizing was one reason why this interest arose.

So there are can be a lot of different theories of motivation. & the main known are:

Traditional theory.

The traditional theory of motivation evolved from the work of Frederick W. Taylor and others in the scientific management movement, which was active at the beginning of this century. Taylor’s ideas were based on his belief that existing reward systems had not been designed to compensate a person for high production.

The traditional motivation theory is based on the assumption that money is the primary motivator. On the basis of this assumption, financial rewards are related directly to performance in the belief that, if the reward is great enough, workers will produce more.

In the need hierarchy theory, it is assumed that workers are motivated to satisfy a number of needs and that money can satisfy, directly or indirectly, only some of these. The need hierarchy theory is based largely on the work of Abraham Maslow.

Hierarchical theory of Maslow.

Maslow thought that several different types of needs exist within individuals and that these relate to each other in the form of a hierarchy. Maslow’s hierarchy consists of the five levels of needs. The physiological needs are shown as being strongest; they tend to dominate all others until they are substantially satisfied. Once the physiological needs have been met, safety needs become dominant.

Physiological needs are basically bodily needs that must be satisfied to sustain life; food, sleep, water, exercise, clothing, and shelter. Safety needs are concerned with protection against imminent or threatened danger, or deprivation. Since all employees, to some degree, depend on the organization, safety needs can be critically important.

The physiological and the safety needs, the so-called lower-order needs, are more easily and therefore more generally satisfied than the others.

The third level of the hierarchy is the social needs. This level and the next two are higher-order needs. Generally placed in the third level are needs for love, affection, belonging. Developing a sense of belonging to a corporate entity and identifying with work groups are means of  satisfying these needs in organizations.

The esteem needs compose the fourth level; they involve the drive to value oneself and to inspire the esteem of others. Maslow contended that all people wont a stable, firmly based, high evaluation of themselves – that is, self-respect and self-esteem.

The next level in Maslow’s need hierarchy, self-actualization or self-fulfillment, is attained through use of the person’s abilities and interests to the fullest in functioning in his or her environment. As Maslow puts it, “What a man can be, he must be”. The need for self-actualization or self-fulfillment is never completely satisfied; one can always reach one step higher.

The most important contention of need hierarchy theory is that a satisfied need is not a motivator.

Motivation-maintenance theory of Herzberg.

Frederick Herzberg has developed a theory of work motivation that has been widely accepted in management circles. His hypothesis is referred to by several names: motivation-maintenance, dual factor, or the motivation-hygiene theory.

The formulation of this theory involved extensive interviews  with approximately 200 engineers and accountants from 11 industries in the Pittsburg area. In conducting the interviews, Herzberg used what is called the critical incident method. He requested employees to recall work situations in which they had experienced periods of high and low motivation.

Through analysis of the interviewees’ statements, it was found that different factors were associated with good and bad feelings. These conditions were classified into two major categories. Factors most frequently mentioned in: achievement, recognition, responsibility, advancement, and the characteristics of the job. But when subjects felt negatively about a work incident, they were more likely to mention factors associated with the work environment. Examples of these included status; relations with supervisors, peers, and subordinates; technical aspects of  supervision; company policy and administration; job  security; working conditions; salary; aspects of personal life that were as hygiene or maintenance factors. The researchers believed that they will not motivate, but can prevent motivation from occurring. Proper attention to hygiene factors is a necessary but not sufficient condition for motivation.

The first set of factors are called motivators. Herzberg maintains that motivation comes from within the individual, not from the manager.

Herzberg’s motivation-maintenance theory is closely related to the need hierarchy theory of motivation; thus, it is subjects to many of the same criticisms.

Theory X & Theory Y.

In The Human Side of Enterprise, Douglas McGregor outlined two opposing theories of work & motivation. What he calls Theory X is the traditional approach to workers & working which assumes that people are lazy & dislike work, & that they have to be both threatened (for example, with losing their job) & rewarded. It assumes that most people are incapable of taking responsibility for themselves. Theory Y, on the contrary, assumes that people have a psychological need to work & want responsibility & achievement.

Theory Y makes much greater demands on both workers & managers than McGregor realized. Bur managers shouldn’t forget that there are always week & vulnerable people, with little self-discipline, who need protection against the burden of responsibility. Even strong & healthy people need the security in order & direction. Managers can’t simply substitute Theory Y for Theory X. They have to replace the security provided by Theory X with a different structure of security & certainty.

Reinforcement theory.

The work of B.F.Skinner forms the primary basis for the reinforcement theory. The general idea behind this theory is  that reinforced behavior will be repeated and behavior that  is not reinforced is less likely to be repeated. If an  employee is given an increase in wages when performance is high, the employee is likely to continue to strive for high  performance.

Equity theory

Equity theory is based on the belief that employees will take whatever actions are necessary to produce feelings of equity with respect to their jobs.

An important point regarding equity theory is that an individual’s  feelings of equity are based on his or her perceptions of inputs versus outcomes.

Because human resource managers often serve as intermediaries between employees and management in conflicts, they are concerned with job satisfaction or general job attitudes of the employees.

Attitude toward work group; general working conditions; attitude toward company; monetary benefits; attitude toward  supervision.

The motivation process centers on needs, which produce motives, that lead to the accomplishment of objectives.

More Articles on this topic see HERE

Why Love Spells Don’t Work

Motives. Are your motives for casting a love spell truly loving? If you’re casting a love spell to ensnare or enslave another person, to “bind” them to you, then your spell will fail miserably…as will your search for true love when you do decide to pursue it. Your love spell should be cast to work on both of you, to create circumstances and possibilities for love between you. Working a spell as a one-sided affair is not the way to do it.

Concentration. Even though love spells are easy because love is natural and easy to stir, concentration and proper thought projection is essential. Find a quiet, comfortable place to cast your spell. Make yourself as comfortable as you can: light candles, incense, put on some mood music. Create the emotion you want in your spell. Keep distracting thoughts, worries, or painful memories of love out of your mind. Your spell is as much for you as it is for your intended subject!

Symbols. Hearts, roses, and other symbols are synonymous with love…but they might not be to you or your love spell subject. Maybe you’re allergic to roses, or little lacy hearts just look silly to you. Your own symbols of love mean more in a love spell than “classic” symbols. Using symbols that have no particular meaning to you

Timing. The energy of the Moon—especially a Full Moon—is all about love and romance, and you’re overlooking a powerful love spell tool if you don’t put the Moon to good use! Avoid love spells when the Moon is waning (growing less full) because the Moon’s seductive powers are waning with it. Even if you have to put a love spell off until the moon is waxing (growing fuller), the addition of the Moon’s energy to your love spell is worth the wait!

Why Love Spells Work

Love is Natural. Love is easy to stir in ourselves, and this makes love spells easier to cast. Love is easy to think about and is likewise easy to do when it comes to casting love spells.

Love is Positive. Hate spells, like the classic “voodoo doll,” are loaded with negative energy that we just naturally don’t want. To use such items, we have to make a conscious effort to work up the hate in ourselves, not feel innately guilty about it, and project that hate onto others. Love is a far simpler task. It’s natural, it feels good, and it feels even better when others want it from us.

Love is Reciprocal. Love spells work for those who want it, and those who do will think more about the spells they’re about to cast. They’ll also think in more realistic terms about love and use symbols that are mutually effective. If your love spell doesn’t work, chances are your heart wasn’t really in it.

Advice for First-Timers or the Merely Curious

You don’t really need to cast a bona-fide “spell” to work a little love magic.

Create love symbols of your own, because their meaning to you will show. For example, wear your favorite “love” color—it’ll make you happy, it’ll make you walk more confidently, and you’ll project that whether you mean to or not. A happy, confident person attracts the positive energy of others.

Do a little homework. Look up lists of colors, fragrances, and foods that attract and inspire love. Some of these include red, of course, for passionate love and pink for sweet love. Avoid black under most circumstances because its connotation is that of hidden agendas and domination. Fragrances to consider include warm vanilla, sensuous amber, sexy sandalwood, and frisky freesia. Foods historically known as “aphrodisiacs” include tomatoes (cherry tomatoes, in fact, are called “love apples”), herbs such as basil and rosemary, chocolate (a little sweetness goes a long way!) and roast duck (Morrison, 1971). On a more suggestive note, many fruits and vegetables resemble human genitalia, and these are definitely on the aphrodisiac list.

Set a mood. Set a mood in your home, and that mood will go with you whenever you leave. Setting a loving mood for yourself whenever and wherever you can will help to attract the love from others that you wish to have in your life. If you begin by treating yourself well and treating yourself to some simple love luxuries, you may find that you won’t need a love spell after all.

Motivation posters work great to inspire you to accomplish your task and reach your target. You won’t believe but it’s true that the driving force to most people across the globe who have been successful in their respective field was motivation. Yes! Motivation is required to take an individual to places.

Remember that words and visual objects can be extremely powerful in influencing your life. In fact, there are many areas, in life where one looks for motivation. Be it love, career, academics, relationships, sales, business or more coming out of trouble. One requires some amount of motivation to make things work.

Motivational posters will do a lot good to you when it comes to inspiring you for a special purpose or just making your day! Motivational posters often consist of a three-part template such as the following:

a) A Photograph

This is often stock photography centered in a rectangular frame.

b) A Title

The poster will have a title such as ‘success’, ‘fame’ or ‘courage’ in large and attractive

c) A Description

The description of a motivational quote is usually in smaller text. It is displayed beneath the title.

You can keep motivational poster in your office and home. This will create a positive impact in your attitude and behavior. In office you will feel more charged up and get motivated to keep up the good work.

At home these posters will create a positive ambience. It will add to the liveliness of your doctor and keep you inspired to do what you want.

Another important thing to take care is to consider certain things when purchasing motivation posters. Here are tips to follow when purchasing motivation posters via the World Wide Web.

a) Make sure that the website is offering quality stuff.

b) Compare the prices and sizes of poster on different websites prior to setting on one.

c) Read through the sample of quotes and make sure that these really motivate and inspire you to achieve what you want in life.

d) Make sure that the website is authorized to sell motivation posters.

You can have more than one motivation poster in your room. In fact, you can have as many as you want. The artwork and quotes on the poster will definitely influence you and your mood deeply.

You should find a motivational poster that serves as an office décor. Try not to embellish your wall with bare poster.

You can terminate your artwork or even frame it for an added effect. The placement of the artwork should be strategic.

In a nut shell, motivation posters would do a great lot to help you get inspired. Stick them around you and notices the difference in some time.

Food rotation is a long known, effective technique for increasing metabolism, which causes fat to be burnt more efficiently. This is the basis of how Fat Loss 4 Idiots works. Motivation is boosted in a number of ways.

As the name suggests, this is a diet designed to be easy to understand and follow. The package is in two sections: the Diet Handbook and the Diet Generator.

The Handbook is a no-nonsense guide consisting of a set of 10 simple steps to follow. There is no complex, hard to understand science about weight loss. Simply follow the steps.

Your favorite foods can still be eaten during the diet as they are inputted into the Diet Generator. This is a piece of software that organizes and forms a personalized diet plan. You’re given a precise routine to follow, using the foods you’ve listed in the Diet Generator. A system of rotating your eating patterns is used, commonly known as “calorie shifting”. This breaks up the metabolism’s routine, forcing it to work harder to attack and burn fat.

Motivation is enhanced by using a 14-day cycle with 11 days on, then 3 days off. It’s far easier to diet for 11 days knowing you will have 3 days in which you can eat all those foods you’ve been craving at the end of it. Importantly, breaking up diets with 3-day rest periods like this has a positive effect on metabolism.

Hunger is not an issue as dieters are allowed 4 meals per day, eating a minimum of every two and a half hours. There is no calorie counting or limits on portions. Calorie shifting is an excellent way to implement a calorie deficit, needed by all diets to work, without having to worry about counting calories. The only rules for portions are to “just eat short of being full”.

There are no explicit guidelines for exercise. Simply get out each day for a walk. There is no hard exercise in Fat Loss 4 Idiots. Does it work without it though? The logic behind this is that unless you are doing hours of exercise a day, your diet will have about 80% more influence on weight loss than exercise will.

This is above all a healthy and balanced diet. The diet’s food consists of lean proteins, fruit and vegetables. Sources of fat come from whole foods like cottage cheese or eggs. Eating is regular and portions are reasonable. Not being a low-fat or low-carb plan, it’s somewhere in between. While you follow the diet plan you won’t be starving yourself of nutrients you need.

On the downside there is no email support for dieting. Access is to the Diet Generator and website alone. Some users may prefer being able to pick up the diet in about 15 minutes, without science to decipher or complex books to read.

The diet certainly works in theory but does Fat Loss 4 Idiots work in reality? There is no shortage of user feedback available on the internet. Plenty of feedback comes from reliable sources such as Yahoo Answers and the many impartial weight loss forums. The consensus is indeed very positive and many people are reporting excellent results across the board.

Fat Loss 4 Idiots is a diet that has been created to be practical, with the user very much in mind. As the leading online brand it offers more than most online diets by providing the very useful diet generator with the ebook guide. If you’re not interested in the science of weight loss and are just looking to lose the weight, this diet is for you. The answer to the question Fat Loss 4 Idiots does it work? is yes and it has been proven to do so for many satisfied people.

For real user feedback and a full, unbiased review including all the product details (price, company info, etc) on Fat Loss 4 Idiots and 10 other leading online diets visit: http://dietwebreport.com/fatloss4idiots

Let’s discuss some of them…the “worse” side of working from home

1. Balancing Work and Family

This by far is the number one factor for many that have small children at home. Many people think that by working from home, they will have much more time to spend with their children. But sadly…too often, it’s simply not the case. It really depends on what type of home position or home business you have and your children’s ages and needs. Before deciding on what type of job or business you enquire, you need to take this into consideration and work up a schedule that will work for both you and your family household.

2. Taking You Seriously

I’ve witnessed others experiencing this common problem and it’s also one that I have struggled with and still do from time to time. Does your family and friends think that since you “work at home” you can stop everything at once and come to their rescue, go shopping, run errands for them, take a day off, go for lunch, and so forth? Don’t get me wrong…at times there are real emergency circumstances that arise that will need your attention, and that should be a priority. But generally speaking, it’s crucial to your business to explain your duties to your family and friends and make them understand that your job is just like any other job and it requires devoting so many hours each day for you to make money. Simply put…if you don’t put in your required hours, you don’t get paid.

3. Make Easy Money At Home

I’m sorry to disappoint you, but this concept doesn’t exist. If you’re searching for a work at home job, and also thinking you’ll be living on “easy street” once you’ve found that job…think again! Being a work at home professional is not all a bed of roses, and most importantly, NOT always as easy as you’d think OR like it to be. It takes a considerable amount of hard work and consistency.

Oh…Did you think you could set it and forget it? Wrong! For you to be successful, and especially for a home business…you need to work hard at it. I know all too well and learned from experience. Hard work, motivation, and consistency is what will make or break your success. And it certainly won’t happen overnight. It will take time, so patience is the key.

4. Isolation Blues

Personally, this has been my number one disadvantage of my business. There’s no question about it, if you spend most of your time at home in one room with no connection with other people, eventually at some point in time, you will most likely feel alone and isolated. It is normal to experience this as you wouldn’t be in a workplace environment. Face it, it gets a little lonely when there’s nobody to talk with or to share ideas, or to discuss your problems with…business or personal.

Solution

Get to know and converse with members of the forums you are a member of. Get to know others as you network with them.

Join chat groups that are relevant to your niche

Call up an online friend and just chat

If you own a laptop and your lifestyle and specific job will allow it, go to the park or a coffee house and work

Try and schedule a dinner appointment at least once a week with an old friend

Try and make some kind of human connection on a daily basis.

The “better” side of working at home

You are your own boss. You can dictate your own schedule and come and go as you please

You can take time off whenever you feel like it

You can be at home when your children get home from school

You will most definitely save on gas, as you don’t have to commute back and forth to work

You don’t have to get dressed for work. In fact, you can stay in your sleep wear all day if you want to

You get to choose what type of work you do at home. You can turn your hobby into a business if desired

You will have tax benefits. When you run a business in your home, you have a great deal of tax advantages. You will be able to write off itemized things for your business

Working from your home can be a wonderful thing. But there are various things to take into consideration such as what I’ve mentioned above. You will need to carefully weigh the pros and cons and come to an informed decision if a work at home lifestyle is right for you. Personally for me, I wouldn’t trade my business at home for anything. The advantages far exceed the disadvantages and I’m happy and contented with what I do.

In the stimulus-response behaviour, employees’ work-motivation, seen as the response, can be analysed from absence rate, leave rate, quit rate, get-to-work speed and so on. Productivity can be analysed from quality and quantity of products. The quality indices include faults and returns. The quantity indices include completion time and the production hygiene factor. This depends on the individual properties of the employee, who is the medium essential for management, and stimulates employees to enhance their work and productivity.

In addition, everyone works in expectation of some rewards (both spiritual and material), and welfare is one of them. In other words, the degree of reward influences the quality and quantity of work, and in turn productivity. Hence it is important to explore how to give the stimulus (welfare) in order to promote work motivation and productivity.

To understand the impact of employee benefit on employees’ work motivation and productivity, questionnaires were sent to corporations which had undertaken employee benefit programmes. Results reflected on a variety of assumptions.

Implementation of employee benefit programmes affects employees’ performance. Employee benefit programmes have greater impact on work-motivation than on productivity. Monetary benefit programmes are most highly valued by both executives and workers. There is a cognitive gap between management and worker on the importance of employee benefit programmes. Private-corporation employees have greater employee benefit demands than their public corporation counterparts. Female and male employees have different benefit demands. Single employees perceive more employee benefit impact on job performance than married ones. Employees with different education levels perceive different employee benefit impact. Employees with different positions perceive different employee benefit impacts. Employee benefit programmes have greater influence on job performance of younger employees.