of Needs, Herzberg's Two‐Factor Theory, McGregor's Theory X and Theory Y, Ouchi's Theory Z, and Vroom's Expectancy Theory.
Table 1.5 Selected Motivation Theories
| Motivation theories | Key aspects | Application to beginning nurse leader/manager |
|---|---|---|
| Hierarchy of needsMaslow | Motivation occurs when needs are not met. Certain needs have to be satisfied first. The hierarchy of needs starts withPhysiological needs, thenSafety and security needs, thenSocial needs, followed bySelf‐esteem needs. ThenSelf‐actualization needs can be met.Needs at one level must be satisfied before one is motivated by needs at the next higher level. | A new graduate nurse understands that needs change, but if needs are unmet, then an individual may not be able to attend to the next higher level need until the lower level needs are met. A co‐worker who does not feel safe from violence at work would not be able to fully engage in socializing until her safety and security needs were met. |
| Two‐Factor Theory:Hygiene Maintenance Factorsand Motivator FactorsHerzberg | Hygiene Maintenance Factors can prevent job dissatisfaction or be a source of job dissatisfaction if absent. These include adequate salary, job security, quality of supervision, safe and tolerable working conditions, and relationships with others. These factors by themselves do not lead to job satisfaction. Motivator Factors do contribute to job satisfaction and include meaningful work, opportunities for development and advancement, responsibility and recognition. | New graduate nurses can consider salary, working conditions, and quality of supervision when applying and interviewing for a job, as these Hygiene Maintenance Factors are needed to avoid job dissatisfaction.Motivator Factors should also be evaluated when considering a job opportunity to ensure that there are adequate opportunities for responsibility, recognition, advancement, and support for achievement. |
| Theory X and YMcGregor | The Theory X view is that motivation results from leaders who direct and control their employees; the underlying notion is that people prefer security, direction, and minimal responsibility so that coercion and threats are necessary for people to do their work. In contrast, the Theory Y view is that people have self‐control and discipline and enjoy/are motivated by involvement in work and creative opportunities. Leaders must remove work obstacles to enable involvement so that people can carry out their work. | Individuals working in a group or a team of diverse individuals might have different motivators. A nurse leader can adjust their leadership style to work both with Theory Y people who display self‐control and discipline as well as to work with other Theory X people who prefer more direction, less responsibility, and more supervision. |
| Theory ZOuchi | The Theory Z view is that collective decision making, long‐term employment, being mentored, and working in quality circles to manage service and quality is a humanistic style of motivating workers; studied in Japanese organizations. | New graduate nurses can pursue opportunities to be involved in the organization if the aspects of Theory Z are desirable. A nurse can seek out a mentor and would want to have a leader who fosters employee involvement and quality circles. |
| Expectancy TheoryVroom | The equation ofForce = Valence (x) Expectancy can help to predict an individual's motivation as negative, neutral, or positive. Force equals the amount of effort that will be exerted to reach a goal. Valence is the level of attractiveness or unattractiveness of the goal. Expectancy is the perception that the goal will be achieved. | One way to apply this theory when deciding what groups to become involved in is to identify if a group's motivation is negative, neutral, or positive that the goal will be achieved. |
Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs
One of the most well‐known theories of motivation is Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs. Maslow (1970) developed a Hierarchy of Needs that shows how an individual is motivated. Motivation, according to Maslow, begins when a need is not met. For example, when a person has a basic physiological need, such as thirst, this unmet need has to be satisfied before a person is motivated to pursue the next higher‐level needs. Certain needs have to be satisfied first, beginning with basic physiological needs, then safety needs, then social belonging needs, then self‐esteem needs, and finally self‐actualization needs. After each level of these needs is met, an individual is motivated by needs at the next level. The need for self‐actualization drives people to the pinnacle of performance and achievement.
Herzberg's Two‐Factor Theory
Frederick Herzberg (1968) contributed to research on motivation and developed the Two‐Factor Theory of Motivation. He analyzed the responses of accountants and engineers and concluded that there are two sets of factors associated with motivation. One set of motivation factors must be maintained to avoid job dissatisfaction. These factors include such items as salary, working conditions, status, quality of supervision, relationships with others, and so on. These factors have been labeled Hygiene Maintenance Factors.
Other Motivation Factors, such as achievement, recognition, responsibility, advancement, and so on, also contribute to job satisfaction. These factors are intrinsic and serve to satisfy or motivate people. Herzberg proposed that, when these Motivation Factors are present, people are very motivated and satisfied with their jobs. When these Motivation Factors are absent from a work setting, people have a neutral attitude about their organizations. In contrast, when the Hygiene Maintenance Factors are absent, people are dissatisfied. Herzberg believed that, by providing the Hygiene Maintenance Factors, job dissatisfaction could be avoided, but that Hygiene Maintenance Factors alone will not motivate people.
New graduate nurses can use Herzberg's Two‐Factor Theory by evaluating the Hygiene Maintenance Factors present in health care organizations when they apply for jobs. The pay, working conditions, and the beginning relationship that has been established with a supervisor are aspects of a job that the nurse should consider. If these Hygiene Maintenance Factors are not adequate to begin with, then the nurse may become easily dissatisfied with the job. The higher‐level needs that Herzberg describes as Motivation Factors should also be evaluated by the nurse before joining an organization. Are there opportunities for the nurse to achieve professional growth, to take on new responsibilities, to advance and be recognized for the contribution he has made?
It is important to recognize that not all employees respond to the same motivation factors. For example, a manager might be surprised to learn that some personnel will not respond to opportunities for autonomy and personal growth on the job. Rather, they may view their jobs as a means of providing income and seek various forms of personal fulfillment off‐the‐job through their families and leisure activities (Burns, Bradley & Weiner, 2020).
McGregor'S THEORY X AND THEORY Y
Continuing the emphasis on factors that stimulate job satisfaction and what motivates people to be involved and contribute productively at work, McGregor capitalized on his experience as a psychologist and university president to develop Theory X and Theory Y (McGregor, 1960). Theory X and Theory Y identify two different views of how to motivate or influence others based on underlying attitudes about human nature. Each view reflects different attitudes about the nature of humans. Theory X identifies how, in bureaucratic organizations, employees prefer security, direction, and minimal responsibility. Coercion, threats, or punishment are necessary
