The Epistemology of Motivation: Harnessing the Art

By Egeni Chike Camilius

Epistemology of motivation harnesses the art of motivation. It analyzed and explained motivation and what motivate people. Targeting employee motivation, epistemology of motivation reviewed the motivational theories and discussed their strengths and weaknesses. The theories analyzed, include: the Maslow's needs hierarchy, Goal setting theory, theories and X, Y and Z, the Management by Objective and the newly Humanistic, Influence and Affluence factors. Various scholarly reports published within the past fifteen years were analyzed and referenced. The results show that employee motivation is key to achieve organizational goal; it reduces cost of operations and makes goals attainable.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Xlibris US
• Release date: Dec 22, 2011
• ISBN: 9781469136905

Egeni Chike Camilius

Dr. Egeni is a senior public administrator with proven success in public policy and administration. He holds a PhD in Public Policy and Administration, MBA in Strategic Business Management. He has held various management positions and was a police officer prior to accepting the various non-law enforcement positions; the job which helped to shape his understanding of human behavior. Presently, Dr. Egeni is the Director, Expenditure Management with the Government of Nunavut. Other books by Dr. Egeni include: The Socioeconomic and Environmental Effects on Public Behavior; and The Anatomy of Leadership. Presently, he is working on a book on privatization.

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Copyright © 2011 by Egeni Chike Camilius.

Library of Congress Control Number:       2011962727

ISBN:         Hardcover                               978-1-4691-3689-9

                   Softcover                                 978-1-4691-3688-2

                   Ebook                                      978-1-4691-3690-5

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

About Epistemology Of Motivation

Abstract

About The Author

Acknowledgements

Dedication

The Inner Self

Breadth Component

Chapter 1: Introduction

Chapter 2: Breadth Discussion and Analysis

Chapter 3: Theories on Motivational Strategies

Chapter 4: The Goal Theory on Motivation

Chapter 5: Theory X and Theory Y

Chapter 6: Theory Z

Chapter 7: Motivator-Hygiene Theory

Chapter 8: Expectancy Theory of Motivation

Chapter 9: Summary Breadth Component

Depth Component - Current Research

Chapter 10: Introduction Current Literature

Chapter 11: Annotated Bibliography

Chapter 12: Depth Component Discussion and Analysis

Chapter 13: Job Satisfaction

Chapter 14: Extrinsic Factors/the Hygiene Factors

Chapter 15: Intrinsic Factors/the Motivators

Chapter 16: Challenges of Intrinsic and Extrinsic Factors

Chapter 17: The HIA Factors

Chapter 18: Maslow’s Needs Hierarchy Revisited

Chapter 19: Employee Empowerment

Chapter 20: Employee Incentives/Rewards

Chapter 21: Fairness and Equity

Chapter 22: Training and Development

Chapter 23: Affluent Work Environment

Chapter 24: Job Design

Chapter 25: Employee Retention Plan

Chapter 26: Organizational Leadership

Chapter 27: Depth Summary

Application Component - Applying The Concepts

Chapter 28: Introduction

Chapter 29: History of the Nunavut Government

Chapter 30: Why GN Employee Motivation

Chapter 31: Problem Defined and Discussed

Chapter 32: Motivational Strategy and Limitations

Chapter 33: IEP on Employee Motivation

Chapter 34: Risks of Ineffective Motivational Strategy

Chapter 35: What Needs To Be Done

Chapter 36: Summary of the Application Component

References

Theories, Contemporary Issues, and

Emerging Trends on Employee Motivation

Tomorrow shall be brilliant.

ABOUT EPISTEMOLOGY OF MOTIVATION

The epistemology of motivation harnesses the art of motivation. It analyzes and explains motivation and what motivates people in divergent contexts. Targeting employee motivation, epistemology of motivation reviewed the motivational theories and discussed their strengths and weaknesses. The theories analyzed include the followings: the Maslow’s needs hierarchy, goal-setting theory; theories X, Y, and Z, the Management by Objective and the newly humanistic, influence and affluence factors. Various scholarly reports published within the past fifteen years were analyzed and referenced. The results show that employee motivation is key to achieve organizational goal; it reduces cost of operations and makes goals attainable.

ABSTRACT

Motivation is the architect that provides the blueprint that leads humans and other entities to do what they do. It energizes individuals to engage in certain behaviors and activities. It is the prescription for most of the key challenges faced by organizations, such as: the challenges associated with productivity, employee retention, profitability, and the attainment of goals. And these critical factors and goals make the research, analysis and exploration of motivational theories and scholarly studies on employee motivation, invaluable in the contemporary organizational environments.

The various motivational theories analyzed in this book, include: the Maslow’s needs hierarchy, management by objective, theory X, Y and Z, the goal setting theory, the expectancy theory of motivation, the motivator hygiene theory and the new HIA theory introduced in this book. Each of the motivational theories has its own strengths and weaknesses. None of the theories is a silver bullet or prescriptions to address all employee challenges in an organization, but they can help to improve employee performance and productivity. All the motivational theorists identified and discussed in this book linked organizational performance to motivational strategies applied in an organization.

The scholarly studies reviewed in this study linked organizational performance to employee motivation and job satisfaction. Scholars identified salary, work itself, work environment, supervisory, responsibility, empowerment, advancement, and training and development as the factors that cause job satisfaction and motivation. These factors were grouped in two taxonomies, namely, intrinsic and extrinsic factors. Extrinsic factors are job satisfying factors while the intrinsic factors are the motivating factors in a job. Studies show that when these factors are satisfactorily met, employees will be satisfied and motivated in their jobs. But the opposite will be the case, when they are not satisfactorily met which could result in employee retention challenges, inability to compete, increase in costs of operations, and difficulties in meeting goals.

The various scholarly studies reviewed in this study show that there are no conflicts in the various motivational theories; rather, each of the motivational theorists tends to advance the works of the earlier theorists. The scholarly studies also show that fairness and equity, employee incentives, affluence work environment, job design, and training and development are integral part of employee retention strategy; and they determine the effectiveness and efficiency by which an organization achieves its goal.

The concepts learned from the theories and scholarly studies where applied to address a known public sector problem, such as: the current employee high turnover rate within the Government of Nunavut. The high employee turnover rate and diminished quality of public services in Nunavut can be linked to an increase in social and public problems, such as: the current elevated suicide and alcohol abuse rates among the Inuit. It is hoped that investments in GN employee and the development of employee retention strategy could help to alleviate the current GN employee retention challenges, improve services, and reduce costs of operations.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Dr. Camilius Egeni is a senior public administrator with proven success in public policy, financial management and administration. He holds a PhD in public policy and administration, an MBA in executive and strategic business management, and a bachelor of commerce degree in accounting. Dr. Egeni has held various management positions. He was a police officer prior to accepting the various non-law enforcement positions, the job which helped to shape his understanding of human behavior and which has continued to influence his thought provoking and writings on sociopolitical, socio-environmental, and socioeconomic issues. He was the manager of internal audit with the Department of Finance and later became the director, corporate services with the Department of Environment, Government of Nunavut.

Presently, Dr. Egeni is the Director, Expenditure Management with the Government of Nunavut. He has completed various other research studies including studies on suicide, privatization, and training program evaluation. He has authored two books, namely, Suicide ‘Eminaq’ The Socio-Economic and Environmental Effects on Public Behavior: The Case of Inuit Suicide. And, The Anatomy of Leadership: A Conceptual Analytical Approach. Presently, Dr. Egeni is working on his next book, titled Shrinking the Public Sector through Outsourcing and Privatization.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

I cannot take all the credits, especially when it is obvious that sharing adds values in our life. This book was made possible with the help of the higher power beyond imagination and with the contributions from various individuals and entities. They all deserve accolades for their efforts, ingenuity, instigation, critical assessments, criticisms, skepticisms, immense love and care, and best of all, for allowing me to be Camilius Chike as I strived to put my latent thoughts in writing. The Almighty God should take the praise for he knows better and HE provides to us based on our needs.

Indeed, some people have to put up with me as I strived to complete this daunting task. Those individuals include: my dear wife, Juliet Chinyere Egeni, my three children Carmi Ifechi, Angel Chimamaka, and Divine Chimemerie Egeni. You are all my heroes and luminaries. Really, I do not know how to thank you in words. Someone prayed all nights and days for the dream of this book to be a reality. I guess without her spiritual support, probably more bottlenecks could have sufficed and her prayers bullet proofed me. Thank you, Mom, Lady Beatrice Egeni, you are the best. Of course, what could I have done without my brothers and sister? Special credits go to Ethelbert Egeni, Godspower (GeeKay) Egeni, and Lady Orby Cleriza Otudeme for providing me with the audacity to confront my fears.

Some individuals have really motivated me, created change in me, and have taught me all I am capable of learning. Their efforts in making me an independent thinker and writer will never go unrecognized. These individuals are the epitome of social change agents and I am proud and grateful for knowing them. Thank you to the Lodge’s family (Bernie and Mary) and big thank you to my mentor Professor Frank Besag. Today, I feel rich for knowing you and I feel richer for the support you provided to me.

I must thank my former staff officials, namely: Wei Zeng, Jeremy Arreak, Irene Tagoona, Nannette Demavivas, M. J. Phelan, Mat Onalik and Lena Hughes for all their supports that added invaluable information in this book. I appreciate all the support.

Thank you all. You are the finest!

DEDICATION

In love and memory of my dear big sister, Sister Eucharia Iheoma Ikeji; you were a glorying morning star and now relaxing where God prepared for you! Have a pleasant rest.

THE INNER SELF

God’s plan overrides any other wishes. The rejected stone has become the pillar of the building; that is how we feel sometimes. When no one gives you a chance, try and create opportunity for yourself; trust and belief in yourself. Tomorrow shall come whether you are here or not; you are just part of an imperfect system. Do not feel miserable with yourself because if children were only given to people based on education and affluence, the illiterates and the poor will be childless. But that is not the case. Preserve yourself today, for tomorrow shall be brilliant. It is called hope, and it is only feasible through motivation.

HARNESSING THE ART OF MOTIVATON

BREADTH COMPONENT

CHAPTER 1:

Introduction

The breadth component of this book explores and discussed the various motivational theories as prescribed by several theorists, including: Oestmann (2008), Shafritz, Ott and Jang (2005), Denhardt, Denhardt, and Aristigueta (2002), Doherty and Horne (2002), Scheuer (2000), Hersey, Blanchard and Johnson (1996), Miner (1993), and Weiner (1992). These theorists demonstrated how various motivational strategies are used in divergent organizational contexts by individuals and entities to meet a range of goals and objectives. They analyzed human motivations, including: the ways to meet people’s motivational needs and how the various motivational strategies play key roles in the ways individuals are motivated in diverse contexts.

The focus of the breadth component of this book is on the following motivational ideologies, namely: Maslow’s need hierarchy, goal setting theory, management by objective (MOB), the expectancy theory of motivation, the motivator-hygiene theory, theory X and theory Y, and the theory Z, on human inspiration as they may be applicable in the public, private and not-for-profit sectors.

Motivation can occur in diverse contexts, such as: when a person is pursuing a personal or a group goal including taking a job, joining sports, engaging in politics, enrolling in classes, etc. Motivation is the instigator that drives an individual or entity to act the way it does. Hence, Oestmann (2008, 9) claimed that motivation is a state of feeling or thinking in which an individual is energized or aroused to perform a task or engage in a particular behavior. Whether one is acting in a selfish interest, such as: cheating in tax returns, immigration situations, exam malpractices, politics or acting to the best interest of the public, such as: helping other people or controlling diseases, what motivates the individual is a sense of accomplishing certain objective whether active or passive. The principal objective of such a motivation might include: passing exams, winning an election, immigrating to another country to improve their life, being rich, getting a job, helping someone in trouble, etc.

If you have ever strived to achieve a goal or required to do something else whether by yourself or by someone else, it is motivation that instigated you to do what you did. For example, politicians are motivated to remain in politics because of their quest for public offices and to remain in public