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Employee Motivation

Simply stated, the job of a manager is to obtain the most efficient flow of productivity through control of the related goods and personnel under the manager's sphere of influence. The one variable most difficult to control in this "managerial equation" is the actions of those directly influencing the manager's effectiveness. It then becomes the goal of the manager to take the leadership role and motivate everyone to a similar goal.
Unfortunately, motivational theory and practice are difficult subjects covering multiple disciplines. An understanding of human nature, "what makes people tick", is required to truly understand how to motivate people. By understanding the basic principles of human nature, we can develop strategies to achieve effective and productive results in motivating others.
Fortunately, a large body of work by psychologist, sociologist, behaviorist, and researchers already exists to begin at least a basic understanding of motivation. Most notably the works of Abraham Maslow, Douglas McGregor, Frederick Herzberg, Clayton Alderfer, and David McClelland have application in both management theories and/or in employee motivation. In our quest to understand what motivates a worker, we can use this limited sampling of some of the more notable theorist of the later part of the twentieth century and their observations, to develop practical applications in motivating employees.
As long as there has been an organized society, there has been a need for some form of management. Management principles as we know them are a recent phenomenon. The industrialization in the twentieth century gave rise to the concepts of "scientific management". Some of the earliest philosophers of motivational theories included:
• Max Weber— work contributes to salvation; Protestant work ethic
• Sigmund Freud— delve into the unconscious mind to better understand a person's motives and needs
• Adam Smith— "enlightened" self-interest; that which is in the best interest...