One of the important aspects the management of an organisation is concerned with is the motivation for the realisation of organisational objectives. It means inspiring people to intensify their desire and make them willing to execute their duties effectively and also to co-operate for fulfilling common objectives. Motivation thus, produces will to achieve and will to perform.

The word ‘motivation’ is derived from ‘motive’. It is expressed in person’s needs. All human behaviour is motivated towards certain course. It can be taken as following certain objectives. It is in a way related to need satisfaction. Maslow remarked that man is wanting animal. Every human being has a variety of needs.

They are classified as follows:


Needs

Primary Needs                                                                          Secondary Needs


Primary needs can be taken as physiological needs. Secondary needs are taken as social and physiological needs. Maslow has given two important features of human needs:

  • Human requirements depend upon what they already possess.

  •  The other part is unsatisfied needs. The things a person possess do not motivate. Management must try to find out these unsatisfied needs which the people have in the organisations. Wants can be arranged in order (hierarchy) of importance.



Functions of Motivation:

It performs the following functions:

·        It originates actions.

·        It directs towards the activities and

·        It helps to continue the activities.

In an industrial concern manager motivates the workers to achieve the desired goal. As soon as the needs with less intensity are satisfied the needs with more intensity emerge and demand their fulfilment.

Needs are classified into five groups and Maslow called it as “Need Hierarchy”.



Maslow’s Need Hierarchy:

·        Manager of the organisation must ensure workers of security of their service.

·        He must enquire into the needs of his subordinates.

·        Manager must provide for the secondary needs, combined with social security.

·        Techniques of proper promotion opportunities and delegation of authority may help in this process.


Importance of Motivation:

·        Manager makes the conditions of work which motivates the people for sincere, hard and honest work.

·        It motivates profitable operations in the organisation.

·        It leads to higher productivity.

·        Motivation builds changes occurring in the organisation in the interest of the concern.

·        It helps to avoid strike and other actions of workers which bring down the production as well as efficiency.

·        It helps in the effective use of the available human resources.


Sound Motivation System:

According to Knootz and O’Donnell there are four requisites of the system of motivation:

System of Motivation

Productive                    Competitive              Comprehensive              Flexible


Productive:

The system of motivation must be such that the workers should get sufficient encouragement to contribute to production. Productivity should be at the maximum level through motivation.

Competitive:

The system of motivation must be competitive. It means that the organisation must make profits through the efforts of fully satisfied employees.

Comprehensive:

The system of motivation should be comprehensive (understand) i.e. it should be understood by all the subordinates easily and quickly. It must take into consideration all the basic needs and other higher needs of the employees.

Flexible:

A system of motivation should be flexible. It means that when there is change in the situation and the state of knowledge, the system of motivation should also change to adopt the new situation easily and quickly.