MOTIVATION &

PERFORMANCE
Kamal Uddin Ahmed Ph.D.
NSU EMBA HRM # 603

Fall 2014, Friday, 24 Oct 14

Theories
Theories are speculative road maps for
how things work.
Most of us develop our own theories to
explain how the world around us works.
Theories assemble a number of facts,
show the relationship among those facts,
and develop a logical rationale a for what
is likely to be true, given those facts.

Theory
From theory, predictions or hypotheses
can be generated and tested. If the tests
show, the predictions are correct, the
theory is supported. If the new facts are
inconsistent with the predictions, the
theory is revised or discarded.
The process of developing, testing and
reformulating theory is the basis of
science.
It is how new knowledge is created

theory

A good theory is also practical:

It explains facts as simply as possible

It predicts future events
It provides information on what can be done to
prevent undesirable things from happening
Theories are abstractions that allow us to make sense
out of a large number of facts related to an issue
Effective training practices are developed from
theories and theoretical constructs that describes how
learning occurs and what motivate people.

Recipes require standardized ingredients business

dont have them
Each org is unique with different missions, strategies,
environments, technologies and people.
Interaction of these elements creates a different
chemistry making a one best way for everyone
approach ineffective.
Theories provide guidelines, principles and predictions
that allow organizations to create the right recipe for
their situation
Successful people in business pay attention to theory
Experience teaches nothing without theory
Understanding motivational theory allows you to improve
employee performance levels by applying the principles
of motivation to your firm's unique circumstances. The
same is true with training.

Whether someone elses training program

will work for you will depend on the needs
of the company, your employees and the
training system you use.
Copying without understanding is like
taking someone elses prescription drugs.
What theories are important to the
success of the training enterprise ?
If trainees dont learn, training has failed
theories of learning, theories of motivation

Theories and their implications for

training
Training fails if changes in the work environment
that needed to support the desired behavior
were not taken into consideration
In order to design and implement effective
training program, you need to understand how
people learn, what motivates learning and
performance, and how the learning and work
environment affects motivation and
performance.
Theories and their implications for training

Performance model

Job performance, behavior in general, is a

function of what one knows, what one is able to
do, and what one believe (KSAs)
Performance Model: a persons performance
depends on the interaction of motivation, KSAs,
and environment.
Motivation arises from needs and your beliefs
about how best to satisfy those needs. Both
motivation and KSAs are part of your memory
and thinking systems (cognitive structure).
Environment:
It
refers
to
the
physical
surroundings in which performance must occur,
including barriers and aids to performance, as
well as objects and events (cues) that you might
see as indicating that your performance will be
rewarded or punished.

Performance Model
Performance (P)

Motivation (M)

Knowledge, skills
and attitude (KSA)

Environment (E)

P = M X KSA X E

Factors determining human performance

MOTIVATION : WHY DO THEY ACT

LIKE THAT?

Motivation is typically defined in

terms of its effects on behavior,
which are observable.
Most of the scientific literature
defines
motivation
as
the
direction, persistence and amount
of
effort
expended
by
an
individual to achieve a specified
outcome.

MOTIVATION : WHY DO THEY

ACT LIKE THAT?
Persons motivation is reflected by the following:
What need(s) the person is trying to satisfy.
The types of activity the person does to satisfy the need
How long the person keeps doing it
How hard the person works as it

Motivation is goal directed and derives from both peoples

personal needs and the decision processes they use to
satisfy those needs.
Our needs are the basis of our motivation, the reason for
almost all of our activity. Needs theories attempt to
describe the types of needs people have, their
importance, and how they are related to each other.
Process theory attempts to describe and explain how
persons needs are translated into actions to satisfy the
needs

NEEDS THEORY
From earlier work by Maslow, Clayton
Alderfrer developed a NEEDS THEORY
of motivation called ERG theory.
ERG theory is an acronym
representing the three basic needs of
the theory:
Existence
Relatedness; and
Growth

Needs theory
Existence: existence needs correspond to
Maslows lower order physiological and
security needs. Ex: needs for foods,
shelter etc.
Relatedness: Relatedness needs reflect
peoples need to be valued and
respected by others.
Growth: Growth needs include feelings of
self-worth and competency achieving
ones
potential.
EX:
recognition,
accomplishment,
challenging
opportunity etc.

Need and Motivation

People work to satisfy their needs. So,
understanding the types and strength of
employee needs is important to the
training process. It can help to identify
some of the causes of poor performance
and therefore determine training needs.
Understanding needs is also important
in designing training programs and
facilities.

Need and Motivation

Unsatisfied needs motivate us, and

motivation decreases as needs in an
area are satisfied. However, needs in
these three basic areas tend to renew
themselves, and needs in an area can
expand.

The best training incorporates

opportunities to satisfy all three
categories of needs.

Process Theories
Process theories of motivation describes how a persons
needs translate into action.
Types of process theories
Reinforcement theory: This theory is relatively simple on
the surface but can be difficult to apply. The foundation of
this theory is comes from the work of E.L. Thorndike.
LAW OF EFFECTS: Thorndikes law of effects states that
behavior followed by satisfying experiences tends to be
repeated, and behavior followed by dissatisfaction tends to
be avoided.

OPERANT CONDITIONING: A person is faced with an

object or event in the environment (stimulus) and behaves
in a certain way. That behavior results in either positive or
negative way.

Process theories
Skinner identified four types of consequences that can
result from behavior:
1. Positive reinforcement
2.Negative reinforcement
3.Punishment
4.Extinction
positive reinforcement occurs when your behavior
results in something desirable happening to you.
Negative reinforcement occurs when your behavior
results in removing something you find annoying,
frustrating.
Punishment decreases the likelihood of the response
occurring in future.
Extinction is the latter form of punishment.

SELF EFFICACY & MOTIVATION

Feelings about ones own competency are reflected in the
concept of self efficacy.
High self efficacy is associated with a belief that one can and
will perform successfully.
Individual with low self- efficacy are preoccupied with
concerns about failures.
Several factors combine to provide employees with an estimate
of their ability to be successful:
1.Prior Experience: The persons past successes and failures and
their consequences.
2.Behavioral Model: Successes and failures of others observed
attempting the behavior.
3.Others Feedback: The encouragement and discouragement
provided by others.
4.Physical & Emotional State: The physical or emotional
limitations believed to affect to perform.

UNDERSTANDING LEARNING
What

is learning?
Learning is not directly observable, but it is something that
almost everyone says they experience. People can feel that
they learned.
It is clear from physiological evidence that learning is related to
changes in the physical, neuronal structure of the brain and its
related electrochemical functioning.

TWO DEFINITIONS OF LEARNING

According

to Behaviorists learning is measured in terms of

relatively permanent changes in the behavior.
According

to cognitive theorists, learning represents a change

in the content, organization , and storage of information.

SOME TRAINING IMPLICATIONS OF

COGNITIVE & BRHAVIORIST LEARNING
THEORY
ISSUE

Cognitive Approach

Behaviorist
Approach

Learners Role

Active, Selfdirected, selfevaluating

Passive, dependent

Instructors Role

Facilitator,
Coordinator, and
presenter

Director, Monitor,
Evaluator

Training Content

Problem or task
oriented

Subject oriented

Learner
Motivation

More internally
motivated

More externally
motivated

Training
Climate

Relaxed, mutually
trustful, and
respectful

Formal, authority
oriented, judgmental,
competitive

Instructional
goals

Collaboratively
developed

Developed by
instructor

Instructional
activities

Interactive, group,
project oriented,
experimental

Directive, individual,
subject oriented

EXAMPLE OF COGNITIVE THEORY

The developmental psychologist Piaget
identified two cognitive process critical for
learning:
Accommodation:

Accommodation is the
process of changing our construction of the
world to correspond with our experience in it.
Assimilation:

In cognitive map terms,

accommodation changes the map whereas
assimilation fills in the detail

Why are they resisting and what

can I do about it?
The objective of training is to change some
part of that cognitive structure so that the
trainees performance will be improved.
Changes creates anxiety, however, for the
following reasons:
Fear of the unknown: right now I know
how things work, but I dont know how
this training will affect things

Why are they resisting and what can

I do about it?: Continued

Motivation to learn:
Fear

of incompetence: I dont know

whether Ill be able to learn this stuff
Fear of losing rewards: what will happen to
my pay, status, perks, among other things?
Fear of lost influence: Will this training
make me more or less valuable?
Lost Investments: Ive spent a lot of time
and energy learning to do it this way. Why
change?

Group Dynamics:

Another reasons for trainees to

resist learning new Ways
concerns group dynamics and
its impact on motivation

TRAINING THAT MOTIVATES ADULTS

TO LEARN

Training

relevance, value, and

readiness to learn
Allowing trainees control over
their learning
Involving trainees in the
process