The Importance of Motivation Essay

Submitted By reedhitchcock
Words: 1478
Pages: 6

Topics on Test #2 for 3376 Spring 2015
Chapter 4, 5, 6 Motivation
1. What is motivation? Why is it important?
a. Set of forces that causes people to engage in one behavior rather than an alternate behavior.
b. To reach high levels of performance, a person must WANT to do the task well.
2. What are needs based perspectives of motivation? What is the hierarchy of needs? How does it relate to business?
a. Represent starting point for most contemporary thought on motivation. Humans motivated primarily by deficiencies in 1 or more important needs or need categories.
b. Physiological, Security, Belongingness, Esteem, Self-Actualization.
3. Understand McClelland’s Needs Based Theory. How do affiliation, achievement, and power needs impact individuals?
a. Achievement  People who have a high need for achievement tend to set moderately difficult goals and to make moderately risky decisions. These people want immediate, specific feedback on performance. Get preoccupied with work easily. Assume personal responsibility for getting things done. Don’t like to delegate tasks.
b. Affiliation  These people tend to want reassurance and approval from others and usually are genuinely concerned about others’ feelings. Likely to act and think in ways they believe others want them to.
c. Power  People vary greatly along this dimension. Some individuals spend much time and energy seeking power. Others avoid power if at all possible. Managers can be successful if 3 conditions are met. First, must seek power for betterment of the organization. Second, must have fairly low need for affiliation. Third, must have plenty of self-control to curb need for power when it threatens to interfere with effective organizational or interpersonal relationships.
4. What is the Equity Theory of Motivation? What is the Expectancy Theory of Motivation?
a. Equity  Based on simple premise that people want to be treated fairly.
b. Expectancy  Suggests that people are motivated by how much they want something and the likelihood they perceive of getting it.
5. What is a learning-based perspective of motivation? What is classical conditioning?
6. What is reinforcement theory and what are the different types of reinforcement?
7. What is goal-setting theory? What is MBO and how does it impact motivation? What is the 360 degree feedback appraisal?
a. Goal-Setting Theory  Assumes that behavior is a result of conscious goals and intentions. By setting goals for people in an organization, a manager should be able to influence their behavior.
b. MBO (Management By Objectives)  Essentially a collaborative goal-setting process through which organizational goals systematically cascade down through the organization.
c. 360 Degree Feedback  Performance management system in which people receive performance feedback from those on all sides of them in the organization--- their boss, their colleagues and peers, and their own subordinates.
Daniel Pink’s Drive & The Surprising Truth About Moving Others Video
1. What is Daniel Pink’s approach to motivation? Why does motivation 2.0 not work in today’s world?
2. What is the carrot and stick approach? When is it effective and when is it not?
3. What does intrinsic and extrinsic motivation have to do with Drive?
4. What do autonomy, mastery, and purpose have to do with motivation?
5. Who does Daniel Pink say is in sales?
6. What do attunement, buoyancy, and clarity have to do with sales?
Chapter 7 Stress & Video on Stress and Your Body
1. What is stress? What triggers it? What are the results of stressful events?
a. Stress  Person’s adaptive response to a stimulus that places excessive psychological or physical demands on that person.
b. It is triggered by stressors. Stressors are anything that induces stress.
c. Can be positive or negative. Positive stress can lead to more energy, enthusiasm, and motivation. Negative stress can lead to frustration, irrationality, impatience, and many other things.
2. What is the stress response?
a. 3