essay about motivation in business

• SUGGESTED TOPICS
• The Magazine
• Newsletters
• Managing Yourself
• Managing Teams
• Work-life Balance
• The Big Idea
• Data & Visuals
• Reading Lists
• Case Selections
• HBR Learning
• Topic Feeds
• Account Settings
• Email Preferences

Understanding the Power of Intrinsic Motivation

• Stefan Falk

You can use it to unlock your potential.

At some point, we all are assigned to work that we find tedious and unchallenging. If we don’t figure out how to turn these tasks into interesting and challenging problems to solve, we’ll struggle to complete tasks in a timely and reliable manner, sabotaging our own success and growth at work. One skill that can help you do this is intrinsic motivation, or the incentive you feel to complete a task simply because you find it interesting or enjoyable. Learning how to harness this skill early in your career will help you build the resilience you need to reach your goals in any field. Here’s how to get started.

• Look to understand how your job fits into the bigger picture. If you don’t feel like you’re contributing value, you’re more likely to become demotivated. The next time you’re assigned a vague task ask: What problem are we trying to solve by doing this work? How am I helping contribute to the solution? When you know that your contributions have a purpose, your tasks will immediately feel more interesting.
• Perform easy tasks right away. When we check items off our to-do lists, feel-good hormones are released in our brains. This makes us feel accomplished, which makes the task more interesting and rewarding, which in turn, makes us more motivated to do it.
• Avoid too much “mindless” repetition. When a task starts to feel boring, it’s often because the outcome of completing the task is no longer interesting to you. What can you do to change that, and make the outcome feel exciting? For example, can you challenge yourself to execute the task in less time while still achieving the same result or better?
• Look for opportunities to help others. One of the easiest ways to tap into intrinsic motivation is to participate in activities you find inherently rewarding. Helping others is an easy way to do this.

At our jobs, we will inevitably face activities that don’t naturally interest us or that we perceive as boring, irrelevant, uncomfortable, or too difficult. This is rooted in how our brains are designed: Though the brain rewards us for spending mental energy on expanding ourselves , it rewards us even more for conserving our energy — which is why we struggle with activities that don’t immediately spark our curiosity, or why we tend to get bored with things over time.

• SF Stefan Falk is an internationally recognized human performance expert for top business executives, special ops in the armed forces, and elite athletes. He is the author of Intrinsic Motivation: Learn to Love Your Work and Succeed as Never Before (St Martin’s Press; February 2023).

Partner Center

The Science of Improving Motivation at Work

The topic of employee motivation can be quite daunting for managers, leaders, and human resources professionals.

Organizations that provide their members with meaningful, engaging work not only contribute to the growth of their bottom line, but also create a sense of vitality and fulfillment that echoes across their organizational cultures and their employees’ personal lives.

“An organization’s ability to learn, and translate that learning into action rapidly, is the ultimate competitive advantage.”

In the context of work, an understanding of motivation can be applied to improve employee productivity and satisfaction; help set individual and organizational goals; put stress in perspective; and structure jobs so that they offer optimal levels of challenge, control, variety, and collaboration.

This article demystifies motivation in the workplace and presents recent findings in organizational behavior that have been found to contribute positively to practices of improving motivation and work life.

Before you continue, we thought you might like to download our three Goal Achievement Exercises for free . These detailed, science-based exercises will help you or your clients create actionable goals and master techniques to create lasting behavior change.

This Article Contains:

Motivation in the workplace, motivation theories in organizational behavior, employee motivation strategies, motivation and job performance, leadership and motivation, motivation and good business, a take-home message.

Motivation in the workplace has been traditionally understood in terms of extrinsic rewards in the form of compensation, benefits, perks, awards, or career progression.

With today’s rapidly evolving knowledge economy, motivation requires more than a stick-and-carrot approach. Research shows that innovation and creativity, crucial to generating new ideas and greater productivity, are often stifled when extrinsic rewards are introduced.

Daniel Pink (2011) explains the tricky aspect of external rewards and argues that they are like drugs, where more frequent doses are needed more often. Rewards can often signal that an activity is undesirable.

Interesting and challenging activities are often rewarding in themselves. Rewards tend to focus and narrow attention and work well only if they enhance the ability to do something intrinsically valuable. Extrinsic motivation is best when used to motivate employees to perform routine and repetitive activities but can be detrimental for creative endeavors.

Anticipating rewards can also impair judgment and cause risk-seeking behavior because it activates dopamine. We don’t notice peripheral and long-term solutions when immediate rewards are offered. Studies have shown that people will often choose the low road when chasing after rewards because addictive behavior is short-term focused, and some may opt for a quick win.

Pink (2011) warns that greatness and nearsightedness are incompatible, and seven deadly flaws of rewards are soon to follow. He found that anticipating rewards often has undesirable consequences and tends to:

• Extinguish intrinsic motivation
• Decrease performance
• Encourage cheating
• Decrease creativity
• Crowd out good behavior
• Become addictive
• Foster short-term thinking

Pink (2011) suggests that we should reward only routine tasks to boost motivation and provide rationale, acknowledge that some activities are boring, and allow people to complete the task their way. When we increase variety and mastery opportunities at work, we increase motivation.

Rewards should be given only after the task is completed, preferably as a surprise, varied in frequency, and alternated between tangible rewards and praise. Providing information and meaningful, specific feedback about the effort (not the person) has also been found to be more effective than material rewards for increasing motivation (Pink, 2011).

They have shaped the landscape of our understanding of organizational behavior and our approaches to employee motivation. We discuss a few of the most frequently applied theories of motivation in organizational behavior.

Herzberg’s two-factor theory

Frederick Herzberg’s (1959) two-factor theory of motivation, also known as dual-factor theory or motivation-hygiene theory, was a result of a study that analyzed responses of 200 accountants and engineers who were asked about their positive and negative feelings about their work. Herzberg (1959) concluded that two major factors influence employee motivation and satisfaction with their jobs:

• Motivator factors, which can motivate employees to work harder and lead to on-the-job satisfaction, including experiences of greater engagement in and enjoyment of the work, feelings of recognition, and a sense of career progression
• Hygiene factors, which can potentially lead to dissatisfaction and a lack of motivation if they are absent, such as adequate compensation, effective company policies, comprehensive benefits, or good relationships with managers and coworkers

Herzberg (1959) maintained that while motivator and hygiene factors both influence motivation, they appeared to work entirely independently of each other. He found that motivator factors increased employee satisfaction and motivation, but the absence of these factors didn’t necessarily cause dissatisfaction.

Likewise, the presence of hygiene factors didn’t appear to increase satisfaction and motivation, but their absence caused an increase in dissatisfaction. It is debatable whether his theory would hold true today outside of blue-collar industries, particularly among younger generations, who may be looking for meaningful work and growth.

Maslow’s hierarchy of needs

Abraham Maslow’s hierarchy of needs theory proposed that employees become motivated along a continuum of needs from basic physiological needs to higher level psychological needs for growth and self-actualization . The hierarchy was originally conceptualized into five levels:

• Physiological needs that must be met for a person to survive, such as food, water, and shelter
• Safety needs that include personal and financial security, health, and wellbeing
• Belonging needs for friendships, relationships, and family
• Esteem needs that include feelings of confidence in the self and respect from others
• Self-actualization needs that define the desire to achieve everything we possibly can and realize our full potential

According to the hierarchy of needs, we must be in good health, safe, and secure with meaningful relationships and confidence before we can reach for the realization of our full potential.

For a full discussion of other theories of psychological needs and the importance of need satisfaction, see our article on How to Motivate .

Hawthorne effect

The Hawthorne effect, named after a series of social experiments on the influence of physical conditions on productivity at Western Electric’s factory in Hawthorne, Chicago, in the 1920s and 30s, was first described by Henry Landsberger in 1958 after he noticed some people tended to work harder and perform better when researchers were observing them.

Although the researchers changed many physical conditions throughout the experiments, including lighting, working hours, and breaks, increases in employee productivity were more significant in response to the attention being paid to them, rather than the physical changes themselves.

Today the Hawthorne effect is best understood as a justification for the value of providing employees with specific and meaningful feedback and recognition. It is contradicted by the existence of results-only workplace environments that allow complete autonomy and are focused on performance and deliverables rather than managing employees.

Expectancy theory

Expectancy theory proposes that we are motivated by our expectations of the outcomes as a result of our behavior and make a decision based on the likelihood of being rewarded for that behavior in a way that we perceive as valuable.

For example, an employee may be more likely to work harder if they have been promised a raise than if they only assumed they might get one.

Expectancy theory posits that three elements affect our behavioral choices:

• Expectancy is the belief that our effort will result in our desired goal and is based on our past experience and influenced by our self-confidence and anticipation of how difficult the goal is to achieve.
• Instrumentality is the belief that we will receive a reward if we meet performance expectations.
• Valence is the value we place on the reward.

Expectancy theory tells us that we are most motivated when we believe that we will receive the desired reward if we hit an achievable and valued target, and least motivated if we do not care for the reward or do not believe that our efforts will result in the reward.

Three-dimensional theory of attribution

Attribution theory explains how we attach meaning to our own and other people’s behavior and how the characteristics of these attributions can affect future motivation.

Bernard Weiner’s three-dimensional theory of attribution proposes that the nature of the specific attribution, such as bad luck or not working hard enough, is less important than the characteristics of that attribution as perceived and experienced by the individual. According to Weiner, there are three main characteristics of attributions that can influence how we behave in the future:

Stability is related to pervasiveness and permanence; an example of a stable factor is an employee believing that they failed to meet the expectation because of a lack of support or competence. An unstable factor might be not performing well due to illness or a temporary shortage of resources.

“There are no secrets to success. It is the result of preparation, hard work, and learning from failure.”

Colin Powell

According to Weiner, stable attributions for successful achievements can be informed by previous positive experiences, such as completing the project on time, and can lead to positive expectations and higher motivation for success in the future. Adverse situations, such as repeated failures to meet the deadline, can lead to stable attributions characterized by a sense of futility and lower expectations in the future.

Locus of control describes a perspective about the event as caused by either an internal or an external factor. For example, if the employee believes it was their fault the project failed, because of an innate quality such as a lack of skills or ability to meet the challenge, they may be less motivated in the future.

If they believe an external factor was to blame, such as an unrealistic deadline or shortage of staff, they may not experience such a drop in motivation.

Controllability defines how controllable or avoidable the situation was. If an employee believes they could have performed better, they may be less motivated to try again in the future than someone who believes that factors outside of their control caused the circumstances surrounding the setback.

Theory X and theory Y

Douglas McGregor proposed two theories to describe managerial views on employee motivation: theory X and theory Y. These views of employee motivation have drastically different implications for management.

He divided leaders into those who believe most employees avoid work and dislike responsibility (theory X managers) and those who say that most employees enjoy work and exert effort when they have control in the workplace (theory Y managers).

To motivate theory X employees, the company needs to push and control their staff through enforcing rules and implementing punishments.

Theory Y employees, on the other hand, are perceived as consciously choosing to be involved in their work. They are self-motivated and can exert self-management, and leaders’ responsibility is to create a supportive environment and develop opportunities for employees to take on responsibility and show creativity.

Theory X is heavily informed by what we know about intrinsic motivation and the role that the satisfaction of basic psychological needs plays in effective employee motivation.

Taking theory X and theory Y as a starting point, theory Z was developed by Dr. William Ouchi. The theory combines American and Japanese management philosophies and focuses on long-term job security, consensual decision making, slow evaluation and promotion procedures, and individual responsibility within a group context.

Its noble goals include increasing employee loyalty to the company by providing a job for life, focusing on the employee’s wellbeing, and encouraging group work and social interaction to motivate employees in the workplace.

There are several implications of these numerous theories on ways to motivate employees. They vary with whatever perspectives leadership ascribes to motivation and how that is cascaded down and incorporated into practices, policies, and culture.

The effectiveness of these approaches is further determined by whether individual preferences for motivation are considered. Nevertheless, various motivational theories can guide our focus on aspects of organizational behavior that may require intervening.

Herzberg’s two-factor theory , for example, implies that for the happiest and most productive workforce, companies need to work on improving both motivator and hygiene factors.

The theory suggests that to help motivate employees, the organization must ensure that everyone feels appreciated and supported, is given plenty of specific and meaningful feedback, and has an understanding of and confidence in how they can grow and progress professionally.

To prevent job dissatisfaction, companies must make sure to address hygiene factors by offering employees the best possible working conditions, fair pay, and supportive relationships.

Maslow’s hierarchy of needs , on the other hand, can be used to transform a business where managers struggle with the abstract concept of self-actualization and tend to focus too much on lower level needs. Chip Conley, the founder of the Joie de Vivre hotel chain and head of hospitality at Airbnb, found one way to address this dilemma by helping his employees understand the meaning of their roles during a staff retreat.

In one exercise, he asked groups of housekeepers to describe themselves and their job responsibilities by giving their group a name that reflects the nature and the purpose of what they were doing. They came up with names such as “The Serenity Sisters,” “The Clutter Busters,” and “The Peace of Mind Police.”

These designations provided a meaningful rationale and gave them a sense that they were doing more than just cleaning, instead “creating a space for a traveler who was far away from home to feel safe and protected” (Pattison, 2010). By showing them the value of their roles, Conley enabled his employees to feel respected and motivated to work harder.

The Hawthorne effect studies and Weiner’s three-dimensional theory of attribution have implications for providing and soliciting regular feedback and praise. Recognizing employees’ efforts and providing specific and constructive feedback in the areas where they can improve can help prevent them from attributing their failures to an innate lack of skills.

Praising employees for improvement or using the correct methodology, even if the ultimate results were not achieved, can encourage them to reframe setbacks as learning opportunities. This can foster an environment of psychological safety that can further contribute to the view that success is controllable by using different strategies and setting achievable goals .

Theories X, Y, and Z show that one of the most impactful ways to build a thriving organization is to craft organizational practices that build autonomy, competence, and belonging. These practices include providing decision-making discretion, sharing information broadly, minimizing incidents of incivility, and offering performance feedback.

Being told what to do is not an effective way to negotiate. Having a sense of autonomy at work fuels vitality and growth and creates environments where employees are more likely to thrive when empowered to make decisions that affect their work.

Feedback satisfies the psychological need for competence. When others value our work, we tend to appreciate it more and work harder. Particularly two-way, open, frequent, and guided feedback creates opportunities for learning.

Frequent and specific feedback helps people know where they stand in terms of their skills, competencies, and performance, and builds feelings of competence and thriving. Immediate, specific, and public praise focusing on effort and behavior and not traits is most effective. Positive feedback energizes employees to seek their full potential.

Lack of appreciation is psychologically exhausting, and studies show that recognition improves health because people experience less stress. In addition to being acknowledged by their manager, peer-to-peer recognition was shown to have a positive impact on the employee experience (Anderson, 2018). Rewarding the team around the person who did well and giving more responsibility to top performers rather than time off also had a positive impact.

Stop trying to motivate your employees – Kerry Goyette

Other approaches to motivation at work include those that focus on meaning and those that stress the importance of creating positive work environments.

Meaningful work is increasingly considered to be a cornerstone of motivation. In some cases, burnout is not caused by too much work, but by too little meaning. For many years, researchers have recognized the motivating potential of task significance and doing work that affects the wellbeing of others.

All too often, employees do work that makes a difference but never have the chance to see or to meet the people affected. Research by Adam Grant (2013) speaks to the power of long-term goals that benefit others and shows how the use of meaning to motivate those who are not likely to climb the ladder can make the job meaningful by broadening perspectives.

Creating an upbeat, positive work environment can also play an essential role in increasing employee motivation and can be accomplished through the following:

• Encouraging teamwork and sharing ideas
• Providing tools and knowledge to perform well
• Eliminating conflict as it arises
• Giving employees the freedom to work independently when appropriate
• Helping employees establish professional goals and objectives and aligning these goals with the individual’s self-esteem
• Making the cause and effect relationship clear by establishing a goal and its reward
• Offering encouragement when workers hit notable milestones
• Celebrating employee achievements and team accomplishments while avoiding comparing one worker’s achievements to those of others
• Offering the incentive of a profit-sharing program and collective goal setting and teamwork
• Soliciting employee input through regular surveys of employee satisfaction
• Providing professional enrichment through providing tuition reimbursement and encouraging employees to pursue additional education and participate in industry organizations, skills workshops, and seminars
• Motivating through curiosity and creating an environment that stimulates employee interest to learn more
• Using cooperation and competition as a form of motivation based on individual preferences

Sometimes, inexperienced leaders will assume that the same factors that motivate one employee, or the leaders themselves, will motivate others too. Some will make the mistake of introducing de-motivating factors into the workplace, such as punishment for mistakes or frequent criticism, but negative reinforcement rarely works and often backfires.

Download 3 Free Goals Exercises (PDF)

These detailed, science-based exercises will help you or your clients create actionable goals and master techniques for lasting behavior change.

Download 3 Free Goals Pack (PDF)

By filling out your name and email address below.

• Email Address *
• Your Expertise * Your expertise Therapy Coaching Education Counseling Business Healthcare Other
• Name This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

There are several positive psychology interventions that can be used in the workplace to improve important outcomes, such as reduced job stress and increased motivation, work engagement, and job performance. Numerous empirical studies have been conducted in recent years to verify the effects of these interventions.

Psychological capital interventions

Psychological capital interventions are associated with a variety of work outcomes that include improved job performance, engagement, and organizational citizenship behaviors (Avey, 2014; Luthans & Youssef-Morgan 2017). Psychological capital refers to a psychological state that is malleable and open to development and consists of four major components:

• Self-efficacy and confidence in our ability to succeed at challenging work tasks
• Optimism and positive attributions about the future of our career or company
• Hope and redirecting paths to work goals in the face of obstacles
• Resilience in the workplace and bouncing back from adverse situations (Luthans & Youssef-Morgan, 2017)

Job crafting interventions

Job crafting interventions – where employees design and have control over the characteristics of their work to create an optimal fit between work demands and their personal strengths – can lead to improved performance and greater work engagement (Bakker, Tims, & Derks, 2012; van Wingerden, Bakker, & Derks, 2016).

The concept of job crafting is rooted in the jobs demands–resources theory and suggests that employee motivation, engagement, and performance can be influenced by practices such as (Bakker et al., 2012):

• Attempts to alter social job resources, such as feedback and coaching
• Structural job resources, such as opportunities to develop at work
• Challenging job demands, such as reducing workload and creating new projects

Job crafting is a self-initiated, proactive process by which employees change elements of their jobs to optimize the fit between their job demands and personal needs, abilities, and strengths (Wrzesniewski & Dutton, 2001).

Today’s motivation research shows that participation is likely to lead to several positive behaviors as long as managers encourage greater engagement, motivation, and productivity while recognizing the importance of rest and work recovery.

One key factor for increasing work engagement is psychological safety (Kahn, 1990). Psychological safety allows an employee or team member to engage in interpersonal risk taking and refers to being able to bring our authentic self to work without fear of negative consequences to self-image, status, or career (Edmondson, 1999).

When employees perceive psychological safety, they are less likely to be distracted by negative emotions such as fear, which stems from worrying about controlling perceptions of managers and colleagues.

Dealing with fear also requires intense emotional regulation (Barsade, Brief, & Spataro, 2003), which takes away from the ability to fully immerse ourselves in our work tasks. The presence of psychological safety in the workplace decreases such distractions and allows employees to expend their energy toward being absorbed and attentive to work tasks.

Effective structural features, such as coaching leadership and context support, are some ways managers can initiate psychological safety in the workplace (Hackman, 1987). Leaders’ behavior can significantly influence how employees behave and lead to greater trust (Tyler & Lind, 1992).

Supportive, coaching-oriented, and non-defensive responses to employee concerns and questions can lead to heightened feelings of safety and ensure the presence of vital psychological capital.

Another essential factor for increasing work engagement and motivation is the balance between employees’ job demands and resources.

Job demands can stem from time pressures, physical demands, high priority, and shift work and are not necessarily detrimental. High job demands and high resources can both increase engagement, but it is important that employees perceive that they are in balance, with sufficient resources to deal with their work demands (Crawford, LePine, & Rich, 2010).

Challenging demands can be very motivating, energizing employees to achieve their goals and stimulating their personal growth. Still, they also require that employees be more attentive and absorbed and direct more energy toward their work (Bakker & Demerouti, 2014).

Unfortunately, when employees perceive that they do not have enough control to tackle these challenging demands, the same high demands will be experienced as very depleting (Karasek, 1979).

This sense of perceived control can be increased with sufficient resources like managerial and peer support and, like the effects of psychological safety, can ensure that employees are not hindered by distraction that can limit their attention, absorption, and energy.

The job demands–resources occupational stress model suggests that job demands that force employees to be attentive and absorbed can be depleting if not coupled with adequate resources, and shows how sufficient resources allow employees to sustain a positive level of engagement that does not eventually lead to discouragement or burnout (Demerouti, Bakker, Nachreiner, & Schaufeli, 2001).

And last but not least, another set of factors that are critical for increasing work engagement involves core self-evaluations and self-concept (Judge & Bono, 2001). Efficacy, self-esteem, locus of control, identity, and perceived social impact may be critical drivers of an individual’s psychological availability, as evident in the attention, absorption, and energy directed toward their work.

Self-esteem and efficacy are enhanced by increasing employees’ general confidence in their abilities, which in turn assists in making them feel secure about themselves and, therefore, more motivated and engaged in their work (Crawford et al., 2010).

Social impact, in particular, has become increasingly important in the growing tendency for employees to seek out meaningful work. One such example is the MBA Oath created by 25 graduating Harvard business students pledging to lead professional careers marked with integrity and ethics:

The MBA oath

“As a business leader, I recognize my role in society.

My purpose is to lead people and manage resources to create value that no single individual can create alone.

My decisions affect the well-being of individuals inside and outside my enterprise, today and tomorrow. Therefore, I promise that:

• I will manage my enterprise with loyalty and care, and will not advance my personal interests at the expense of my enterprise or society.
• I will understand and uphold, in letter and spirit, the laws and contracts governing my conduct and that of my enterprise.
• I will refrain from corruption, unfair competition, or business practices harmful to society.
• I will protect the human rights and dignity of all people affected by my enterprise, and I will oppose discrimination and exploitation.
• I will protect the right of future generations to advance their standard of living and enjoy a healthy planet.
• I will report the performance and risks of my enterprise accurately and honestly.
• I will invest in developing myself and others, helping the management profession continue to advance and create sustainable and inclusive prosperity.

In exercising my professional duties according to these principles, I recognize that my behavior must set an example of integrity, eliciting trust, and esteem from those I serve. I will remain accountable to my peers and to society for my actions and for upholding these standards. This oath, I make freely, and upon my honor.”

Job crafting is the process of personalizing work to better align with one’s strengths, values, and interests (Tims & Bakker, 2010).

Any job, at any level can be ‘crafted,’ and a well-crafted job offers more autonomy, deeper engagement and improved overall wellbeing.

There are three types of job crafting:

• Task crafting involves adding or removing tasks, spending more or less time on certain tasks, or redesigning tasks so that they better align with your core strengths (Berg et al., 2013).
• Relational crafting includes building, reframing, and adapting relationships to foster meaningfulness (Berg et al., 2013).
• Cognitive crafting defines how we think about our jobs, including how we perceive tasks and the meaning behind them.

If you would like to guide others through their own unique job crafting journey, our set of Job Crafting Manuals (PDF) offer a ready-made 7-session coaching trajectory.

Prosocial motivation is an important driver behind many individual and collective accomplishments at work.

It is a strong predictor of persistence, performance, and productivity when accompanied by intrinsic motivation. Prosocial motivation was also indicative of more affiliative citizenship behaviors when it was accompanied by motivation toward impression management motivation and was a stronger predictor of job performance when managers were perceived as trustworthy (Ciulla, 2000).

On a day-to-day basis most jobs can’t fill the tall order of making the world better, but particular incidents at work have meaning because you make a valuable contribution or you are able to genuinely help someone in need.

J. B. Ciulla

Prosocial motivation was shown to enhance the creativity of intrinsically motivated employees, the performance of employees with high core self-evaluations, and the performance evaluations of proactive employees. The psychological mechanisms that enable this are the importance placed on task significance, encouraging perspective taking, and fostering social emotions of anticipated guilt and gratitude (Ciulla, 2000).

Some argue that organizations whose products and services contribute to positive human growth are examples of what constitutes good business (Csíkszentmihályi, 2004). Businesses with a soul are those enterprises where employees experience deep engagement and develop greater complexity.

In these unique environments, employees are provided opportunities to do what they do best. In return, their organizations reap the benefits of higher productivity and lower turnover, as well as greater profit, customer satisfaction, and workplace safety. Most importantly, however, the level of engagement, involvement, or degree to which employees are positively stretched contributes to the experience of wellbeing at work (Csíkszentmihályi, 2004).

World’s Largest Positive Psychology Resource

The Positive Psychology Toolkit© is a groundbreaking practitioner resource containing over 500 science-based exercises , activities, interventions, questionnaires, and assessments created by experts using the latest positive psychology research.

Updated monthly. 100% Science-based.

“The best positive psychology resource out there!” — Emiliya Zhivotovskaya , Flourishing Center CEO

Daniel Pink (2011) argues that when it comes to motivation, management is the problem, not the solution, as it represents antiquated notions of what motivates people. He claims that even the most sophisticated forms of empowering employees and providing flexibility are no more than civilized forms of control.

He gives an example of companies that fall under the umbrella of what is known as results-only work environments (ROWEs), which allow all their employees to work whenever and wherever they want as long their work gets done.

Valuing results rather than face time can change the cultural definition of a successful worker by challenging the notion that long hours and constant availability signal commitment (Kelly, Moen, & Tranby, 2011).

Studies show that ROWEs can increase employees’ control over their work schedule; improve work–life fit; positively affect employees’ sleep duration, energy levels, self-reported health, and exercise; and decrease tobacco and alcohol use (Moen, Kelly, & Lam, 2013; Moen, Kelly, Tranby, & Huang, 2011).

Perhaps this type of solution sounds overly ambitious, and many traditional working environments are not ready for such drastic changes. Nevertheless, it is hard to ignore the quickly amassing evidence that work environments that offer autonomy, opportunities for growth, and pursuit of meaning are good for our health, our souls, and our society.

Leave us your thoughts on this topic.

Related reading: Motivation in Education: What It Takes to Motivate Our Kids

We hope you enjoyed reading this article. Don’t forget to download our three Goal Achievement Exercises for free .

• Anderson, D. (2018, February 22). 11 Surprising statistics about employee recognition [infographic]. Best Practice in Human Resources. Retrieved from https://www.bestpracticeinhr.com/11-surprising-statistics-about-employee-recognition-infographic/
• Avey, J. B. (2014). The left side of psychological capital: New evidence on the antecedents of PsyCap. Journal of Leadership & Organizational Studies, 21( 2), 141–149.
• Bakker, A. B., & Demerouti, E. (2014). Job demands–resources theory. In P. Y. Chen & C. L. Cooper (Eds.),  Wellbeing: A complete reference guide  (vol. 3). John Wiley and Sons.
• Bakker, A. B., Tims, M., & Derks, D. (2012). Proactive personality and job performance: The role of job crafting and work engagement.  Human Relations ,  65 (10), 1359–1378
• Barsade, S. G., Brief, A. P., & Spataro, S. E. (2003). The affective revolution in organizational behavior: The emergence of a paradigm. In J. Greenberg (Ed.), Organizational behavior: The state of the science (pp. 3–52). Lawrence Erlbaum Associates.
• Berg, J. M., Dutton, J. E., & Wrzesniewski, A. (2013). Job crafting and meaningful work. In B. J. Dik, Z. S. Byrne, & M. F. Steger (Eds.), Purpose and meaning in the workplace (pp. 81-104) . American Psychological Association.
• Ciulla, J. B. (2000).  The working life: The promise and betrayal of modern work.  Three Rivers Press.
• Crawford, E. R., LePine, J. A., & Rich, B. L. (2010). Linking job demands and resources to employee engagement and burnout: A theoretical extension and meta-analytic test. Journal of Applied Psychology , 95 (5), 834–848.
• Csíkszentmihályi, M. (2004). Good business: Leadership, flow, and the making of meaning. Penguin Books.
• Demerouti, E., Bakker, A. B., Nachreiner, F., & Schaufeli, W. B. (2001). The job demands–resources model of burnout.  Journal of Applied Psychology ,  863) , 499–512.
• Edmondson, A. (1999). Psychological safety and learning behavior in work teams.  Administrative Science Quarterly ,  44 (2), 350–383.
• Grant, A. M. (2013). Give and take: A revolutionary approach to success. Penguin.
• Hackman, J. R. (1987). The design of work teams. In J. Lorsch (Ed.),  Handbook of organizational behavior  (pp. 315–342). Prentice-Hall.
• Herzberg, F. (1959).  The motivation to work.  Wiley.
• Judge, T. A., & Bono, J. E. (2001). Relationship of core self-evaluations traits – self-esteem, generalized self-efficacy, locus of control, and emotional stability – with job satisfaction and job performance: A meta-analysis.  Journal of Applied Psychology ,  86 (1), 80–92.
• Kahn, W. A. (1990). Psychological conditions of personal engagement and disengagement at work.  Academy of Management Journal , 33 (4), 692–724.
• Karasek, R. A., Jr. (1979). Job demands, job decision latitude, and mental strain: Implications for job redesign.  Administrative Science Quarterly, 24 (2), 285–308.
• Kelly, E. L., Moen, P., & Tranby, E. (2011). Changing workplaces to reduce work-family conflict: Schedule control in a white-collar organization.  American Sociological Review ,  76 (2), 265–290.
• Landsberger, H. A. (1958). Hawthorne revisited: Management and the worker, its critics, and developments in human relations in industry. Cornell University.
• Luthans, F., & Youssef-Morgan, C. M. (2017). Psychological capital: An evidence-based positive approach. Annual Review of Organizational Psychology and Organizational Behavior, 4 , 339-366.
• Moen, P., Kelly, E. L., & Lam, J. (2013). Healthy work revisited: Do changes in time strain predict well-being?  Journal of occupational health psychology, 18 (2), 157.
• Moen, P., Kelly, E., Tranby, E., & Huang, Q. (2011). Changing work, changing health: Can real work-time flexibility promote health behaviors and well-being?  Journal of Health and Social Behavior, 52(4), 404–429.
• Pattison, K. (2010, August 26). Chip Conley took the Maslow pyramid, made it an employee pyramid and saved his company. Fast Company. Retrieved from https://www.fastcompany.com/1685009/chip-conley-took-maslow-pyramid-made-it-employee-pyramid-and-saved-his-company
• Pink, D. H. (2011). Drive: The surprising truth about what motivates us. Penguin.
• Tims, M., & Bakker, A. B. (2010). Job crafting: Towards a new model of individual job redesign. SA Journal of Industrial Psychology, 36(2) , 1-9.
• Tyler, T. R., & Lind, E. A. (1992). A relational model of authority in groups. In M. P. Zanna (Ed.), Advances in experimental social psychology (vol. 25) (pp. 115–191). Academic Press.
• von Wingerden, J., Bakker, A. B., & Derks, D. (2016). A test of a job demands–resources intervention.  Journal of Managerial Psychology ,  31 (3), 686–701.
• Wrzesniewski, A., & Dutton, J. E. (2001). Crafting a job: Revisioning employees as active crafters of their work. Academy of Management Review, 26 (2), 179–201.

Share this article:

Article feedback

What our readers think.

Good and helpful study thank you. It will help achieving goals for my clients. Thank you for this information

A lot of data is really given. Validation is correct. The next step is the exchange of knowledge in order to create an optimal model of motivation.

A good article, thank you for sharing. The views and work by the likes of Daniel Pink, Dan Ariely, Barry Schwartz etc have really got me questioning and reflecting on my own views on workplace motivation. There are far too many organisations and leaders who continue to rely on hedonic principles for motivation (until recently, myself included!!). An excellent book which shares these modern views is ‘Primed to Perform’ by Doshi and McGregor (2015). Based on the earlier work of Deci and Ryan’s self determination theory the book explores the principle of ‘why people work, determines how well they work’. A easy to read and enjoyable book that offers a very practical way of applying in the workplace.

Thanks for mentioning that. Sounds like a good read.

All the best, Annelé

Motivation – a piece of art every manager should obtain and remember by heart and continue to embrace.

Exceptionally good write-up on the subject applicable for personal and professional betterment. Simplified theorem appeals to think and learn at least one thing that means an inspiration to the reader. I appreciate your efforts through this contributive work.

Excelente artículo sobre motivación. Me inspira. Gracias

Very helpful for everyone studying motivation right now! It’s brilliant the way it’s witten and also brought to the reader. Thank you.

Such a brilliant piece! A super coverage of existing theories clearly written. It serves as an excellent overview (or reminder for those of us who once knew the older stuff by heart!) Thank you!

Let us know your thoughts Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published.

Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment.

Related articles

Victor Vroom’s Expectancy Theory of Motivation

Motivation is vital to beginning and maintaining healthy behavior in the workplace, education, and beyond, and it drives us toward our desired outcomes (Zajda, 2023). [...]

SMART Goals, HARD Goals, PACT, or OKRs: What Works?

Goal setting is vital in business, education, and performance environments such as sports, yet it is also a key component of many coaching and counseling [...]

How to Assess and Improve Readiness for Change

Clients seeking professional help from a counselor or therapist are often aware they need to change yet may not be ready to begin their journey. [...]

Read other articles by their category

• Body & Brain (49)
• Coaching & Application (58)
• Compassion (25)
• Counseling (51)
• Emotional Intelligence (23)
• Gratitude (18)
• Grief & Bereavement (21)
• Happiness & SWB (40)
• Meaning & Values (26)
• Meditation (20)
• Mindfulness (44)
• Motivation & Goals (45)
• Optimism & Mindset (34)
• Positive CBT (30)
• Positive Communication (21)
• Positive Education (47)
• Positive Emotions (32)
• Positive Leadership (19)
• Positive Parenting (16)
• Positive Psychology (34)
• Positive Workplace (37)
• Productivity (18)
• Relationships (44)
• Resilience & Coping (38)
• Self Awareness (21)
• Self Esteem (38)
• Strengths & Virtues (32)
• Stress & Burnout Prevention (34)
• Theory & Books (46)
• Therapy Exercises (37)
• Types of Therapy (64)

• Comments This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

3 Goal Achievement Exercises Pack

A literature review on motivation

• Theoretical articles
• Published: 14 November 2013
• Volume 1 , pages 471–487, ( 2013 )

Cite this article

• Chandra Sekhar 1 ,
• Manoj Patwardhan 2 &
• Rohit Kr. Singh 3  

226k Accesses

33 Citations

Explore all metrics

Research on motivation has attracted academic and corporate entities over the last two decades. In the present study, authors have reviewed the intense literature to extract all possible dimensions of motivation, having direct and indirect impact on motivation techniques. This has examined the multidimensionality of motivation from the existing literature and present a conceptual framework based on it, and it is experienced that various motivation techniques (discussed in this study) are having a positive impact on both employee satisfaction and the quality of performance in the organization; however, the model needs to be validated using quantitative measures. In order to study the various issues highlighted in this paper related to employee motivation, a large body of literature mainly from different journals have been incorporated. To make the study more current only those studies were included which were published in the last two decades. In past research papers few dimensions of motivation were used to explain the different models motivation theory which has direct influence on employee motivation. The novelty of this study lies in its theoretical framework where authors have made an attempt to come up with a construct having dimensions that directly or indirectly influences employee motivation.

Similar content being viewed by others

Predicting organizational performance from motivation in Oromia Seed Enterprise Bale branch

Motivation and Volition in the Workplace

The effect of motivation on employee engagement in public sectors: in the case of North Wollo zone

Avoid common mistakes on your manuscript.

Introduction

The ingredients of motivation lie within all and the internalized drive toward the dominant thought of the moment (Rabby 2001 ). Motivation directly links to individual performance that gain to organization performance and as a catalyzer for all individual employees working for an organization to enhance their working performance or to complete task in much better way than they usually do. Organization runs because of people working for it, and each person contributes toward achieving the ultimate goal of an organization. Panagiotakopoulos ( 2013 ) concluded that factors affecting staff motivation at a period where the financial rewards are kept to the least leads to stimulate employee performance. So, management personnel’s responsibility to motivate their employees to work as per the expectation to enhance the organization’s performance. Similarly Dysvik and Kuvaas ( 2010 ) concluded that intrinsic motivation was the strongest predictor of turnover intention and relationship between mastery-approach goals and turnover intention was only positive for employees, low in intrinsic motivation. The only thing organization needs to do is to give employees with ample resources and platform to do. As per Kuo ( 2013 ) a successful organization must combine the strengths and motivations of internal employees and respond to external changes and demands promptly to show the organization’s value. In this paper, we have taken various techniques of motivation from existing literature, and managed to make flow of motivation from young-age employees to old-age employees. From organization perspective managers need to understand the flow of motivation, it helps them to create a culture where employees always get motivated to do better. Barney and Steven Elias ( 2010 ) found that with extrinsic motivation there exist a significant interaction between job stress, flex time, and country of residence. Leaders know that at the heart of every productive and successful business lies a thriving organizational culture and hardworking people collaborate passionately to produce great results (Gignac and Palmer 2011 ). In the body of literature, various frameworks are used by the researchers based on theory of motivation, with only few dimensions of motivation.

Literature review

In a complex and dynamic environment, leader of the organization used to create the environment in which employee feel trusted and are empowered to take decisions in the organization which leads to enhance motivation level of employee and ultimately organizational performance are enhanced. Smith and Rupp ( 2003 ) stated that performance is a role of individual motivation; organizational strategy, and structure and resistance to change, is an empirical role relating motivation in the organization. Likewise, Luthans and Stajkovic ( 1999 ) concluded that advancement of human resources through rewards, monetary incentives, and organizational behavior modification has generated a large volume of debate in the human resource and sales performance field. According to Orpen ( 1997 ) better the relationship between mentors and mentees in the formal mentoring program, the more mentees are motivated to work hard and committed to their organization. Likewise, Malina and Selto ( 2001 ) conducted a case study in one corporate setting by using balance score card (BSC) method and found out that organizational outcomes would be greater if employees are provided with positive motivation. The establishment of operations-based targets will help the provision of strategic feedback by allowing the evaluation of actual performance against the operations-based targets. Goal-directed behavior and strategic feedback are expected to enhance organizational performance (Chenhall 2005 ). Kunz and Pfaff ( 2002 ) stated no substantive reason to fear an undermining effect of extrinsic rewards on intrinsic motivation. Decoene and Bruggeman ( 2006 ) in their study developed and illustrated a model of the relationship between strategic alignment, motivation and organizational performance in a BSC context and find that effective strategic alignment empowers and motivates working executives. Leaders motivate people to follow a participative design of work in which they are responsible and get it together, which make them responsible for their performance. Aguinis et al. ( 2013 ) stated that monetary rewards can be a very powerful determinant of employee motivation and achievement which, in turn, can advance to important returns in terms of firm-level performance. Garg and Rastogi ( 2006 ) identified the key issues of job design research and practice to motivate employees’ performance and concluded that a dynamic managerial learning framework is required to enhance employees’ performance to meet global challenges. Vuori and Okkonen ( 2012 ) stated that motivation helps to share knowledge through an intra-organizational social media platform which can help the organization to reach its goals and objectives. Den and Verburg ( 2004 ) found the impact of high performing work systems, also called human resource practices, on perceptual measures of firm performance. Ashmos and Duchon ( 2000 ) recognizes that employees have both a mind and a spirit and seek to find meaning and purpose in their work, and an aspiration to be part of a community, hence making their jobs worthwhile and motivating them to do at a high level with a view to personal and social development.

Methodology

The primary objective to write this review is to highlight the flow of motivation and reveals what motivation technique works more efficiently in different stages of life. This study provides useful managerial implication for employee motivation in an organization. The dimensions are made fit into a model that can benefit organization to enhance their performance; however, the model needs to validate through case study or quantitative study. To study the various issues highlighted in this study related to employee motivation, this study reviews a large body of literature mainly in different journals. Once all the issues have been identified, each issue is used as a keyword to search the relevant literature. To make the study more current only those studies are included which are published in the last two decades, while priority is given to studies which are published in the last decade. Table  1 shows that the number of articles or reviews published on motivation in the last two decades (Table  2 ).

Dimensions of motivation

Training refers to ‘‘the systematic accretion of skills, command, concepts or mindset leads to improve performance’’ (Lazazzara and Bombelli 2011 ). Baldwin et al. ( 1991 ) indicates that individuals with higher pre-training motivation on the basis of their willingness to attend training have greater learning outcomes as compared to individuals heaving lower pre-training motivation. Commeiras et al. ( 2013 ) point out that traineeship is continuing to grow. In business, context training basically refers to action of teaching employees and providing proper knowledge and skills to make themselves job fit as well as organization fit. Training teaches employees how to work and enhance their skills, hence motivate them to achieve the common goal of organization as well as of employee. In the today’s competitive world, every organization wants to achieve competitive edge over their competitors and be impossible to achieve without employee involvement, which forces management to motivate their employees by different means.

Monetary incentives

As summarized by Park ( 2010 ), monetary incentive acts as a stimulus for greater action and inculcates zeal and enthusiasm toward work, it helps an employee in recognition of achievement. Likewise, Beretti et al. ( 2013 ) discussed that monetary incentives used to build a positive environment and maintain a job interest, which is consistent among the employee and offer a spur or zeal in the employees for better performance. For reason, monetary incentive motivate employees and enhance commitment in work performance, and psychologically satisfy a person and leads to job satisfaction, and shape the behavior or outlook of subordinate toward work in the organization.

Job transfer

The work of Azizi and Liang ( 2013 ) indicated that workforce flexibility can be achieved by cross-training and improved via job rotation. In the same way, Eguchi ( 2004 ) concluded that job transfer plays a significant role in preventing workers from performing influence activities for private help. As summarized by Asensio-Cuesta et al. ( 2012 ) job rotation provides benefits to both workers and management in an organization and prevents musculoskeletal disorders, cast out fatigue and increases job satisfaction and morale. As a result, job transfer gives the opportunity to learn multiple skills and outlooks to the workers. It avoids the dullness caused by monotonous jobs and simultaneously brings smoothness in technological job with the help of handling different circumstances at different levels and it leads to effective learning of many aspects in the organization.

Job satisfaction

In ( 2011 ), Parvin and Kabir studied the tested factors affecting job satisfaction for pharmaceutical companies and described job satisfaction as how content an individual is with his or her job, and viewed job satisfaction is not the same as motivation, although clearly linked. Similarly, Pantouvakis and Bouranta ( 201 3) indicated job satisfaction as a consequence of physical features and as an antecedent of interactive features. Wickramasinghe ( 2009 ) investigated that gender and tenure are significant in job satisfaction measurement. So here it can be said that job satisfaction is often determined by how well outcome meet or exceed expectations. For example, a good work environment and good work conditions can increase employee job satisfaction and the employees will try to give their best which can increase the employee work performance.

A study by García et al. ( 2012 ) identified that perceptions of promotion systems affect organizational justice and job satisfaction. Likewise, Koch and Nafziger ( 2012 ) specified that promotions are desirable for most employees, only because they work harder to compensate for their “incompetence.” As a result, promotion at regular interval of time has an optimistic approach behind and they are generally given to satisfy the psychological requirements of employees in the organization.

Achievement

The work of Hunter et al. ( 2012 ) defines that achievement is a unique and specialized form of organizational performance. As per Satyawadi and Ghosh ( 2012 ), employees are motivated to a greater extent by achievement and self-control. Now this can be understood: an employee who is achievement motivated seeks achievement, bringing realistic but challenging goals, and betterment in the job. There is a strong need for feedback from the higher officials in the organization as to achievement and progress, and a need for a sense of attainment.

Working conditions

In ( 2012 ), Jung and Kim stated that good work environment and good work conditions can increase employee job satisfaction and an employee organizational commitment. So the employees will try to give their best which can increase the employee work performance. Similarly, Cheng et al. ( 2013 ) concluded that there were evidences of moderating effects of age on the associations between psychosocial work conditions and health. Now the importance and the need of working condition is so describing or defining the physical environment by identifying those elements or dimensions of the physical environment. Employees having poor working conditions will only provoke negative performance, since their jobs are mentally and physically demanding, they need good working conditions.

Appreciation

A study by Mahazril et al. ( 2012 ) organizations had the duty to appreciate the employee from time to time and offer other form of benefits such as payment, which will help in employee motivation. Likewise, Kingira and Mescib ( 2010 ) define appreciation as the abstract of immaterial incentives; “employees giving immaterial incentives (appreciation, respect etc.) as much as materiel incentives with working department” shows employees do not agree with this behavioral statement. With this result, it can be stated that employees being employed in different parts can take their different opinions at different levels. Among the variable of responsibility and being appreciated, it is understood that “success of employers always be appreciated with education.” The more effective quality and practicality of education employees had, the more contribution they will have to businesses.

Job security

As per Yamamoto ( 2013 ) if an employee perceives they will be getting rewards for good work and their job is a secured one, the performance will automatically be better. Similarly, Zhang and Wu ( 2004 ) indicated that with Job security, an employee gets confident with the future career and they put their most efforts to achieve the objectives of the organization. So we can say job satisfaction is the most influential tool of motivation and put the employee very far off from mental tension and he gives his best to the organization, ultimately it leads to profit maximization.

Recognition

According to Candi et al. ( 2013 ), a growing recognition of the opportunities of innovation is through experience staging. Mahazril et al. ( 2012 ) concluded that rewards and recognition and communication may motivate them to work. Recognition enhances the level of productivity and performance at job whether it is a first time performance or a repeated action at the job in a progressive way and ultimately reinforces the behavior of employee.

Social opportunities

In ( 2013 ), Harvey indicated that an employee is accepted as part of the social group or team. Most staff has an acute need that their contribution is worthwhile, appreciated, and acknowledged. Organizations need to look beyond the traditional economic incentives of career opportunities and salaries to other social and lifestyle factors outside the workplace. Similarly, Kingira and Mescib ( 2010 ) concluded that, different opinions between the employees in terms of behavioral statements which can be “Social opportunities providing at the highest level with working period leads the employee to achieve their goals of the organization.” Therefore, a social opportunity for the employee is used to boost their motivation level and ultimately helps in achieving the goals and objectives of the organization.

Figure  1 explains how motivation works in different stages of life, and motivation dimension plays a vital role in enhancing individual performance in different stages of life of human being. In the developed and developing nations around the world people experiencing the phenomenon of population aging i.e., participation of worker in their late career stage is low in the labor market. Levinson’s ( 1986 ) life stage model pointed out that adult life is characterized by a consecution of stages, such as early, middle, and late career stage, divided into various sub-stages and concerned with career development (comparable to the career stage model of Super (1984)). Here we have considered early career stage between 20 and 40; middle career stages between 40 and 54, and late career stage 55 and above. In an effort to set a threshold to define the older worker category, as anyone over age 55 (Finkelstein et al. 1995 ; Koc-Menard 2009 ).

Flow of motivation

In the early and middle stage of life, money is important to goal setting because offering such incentives bring person being more willing to expand effort to meet a given goal level than not offering the incentives. Given the willingness to expand effort, a goal tells the individual during different career stages where to expand effort, how much effort to exert, and how long to exert the effort. For example, younger employees early in their careers may have a propensity for higher immediate compensation and benefits, such as fully paid family medical plans or maternity/paternity leaves; because employees in later career stages might prefer stock options or most company contributions to their retirement plans. Wiley ( 1997 ) concluded that good pay is an important motivator regardless of age.

Figure  2 explains how motivation dimensions influence individual and organization performance. In this competitive environment, organizations works harder to integrate its workforce and to keep the coordination among employees to enhance the working as well as employee productivity. The positive impact of motivation works toward enhancing individual responsiveness toward work. Individual enhanced responsiveness help organization working that directly links toward increase in profit and increase in organization responsiveness. Customer will be more satisfied if organization shows fast response toward his/her queries and if organization takes responsibility to fulfill his demand.

Theoretical construct of research dimensions

If we talk the motivation dimension that enhances organization performance, training used to enhance the skills, efficiency, and knowledge of employees for doing a particular job during their earlier career stage because it familiarizes them with the organizations goals, rules, and regulations and the working conditions in one hand since updates and amendments take place in technology, purchasing a new equipment, changes in technique of production, and computer impartment. The employees are trained for use of new equipments and work methods. Training molds the thinking of employees and leads to quality performance of employees. Supervisors believe that older workers are less motivated to learn, less flexible, and do not want to take part in training programs. So, companies do not invest in training or development opportunities for older people. In turn, older workers become less self-confident due to the lack of support in terms of training and their skills rapidly become outdated (Maurer 2001 ; Van Vianen et al. 2011 ).

Giving a job security to an employee makes him more responsible toward job. Job security can be explained as, affirmation that an employee has for the continuity of gainful employment for his or her job. It is more essential for younger employee during different career stages of life (job) because it arises from the terms of contract of employment, labor legislation that results in prevention of arbitrary termination, layoffs, and lockout. Likewise, Pravin and Kabir ( 2011 ) indicated that with job security in pharmaceutical companies employee is “neither happy nor unhappy” and hence influence job satisfaction in pharmaceutical companies. Job security has been considered from several theoretical perspectives, including as a motivational precursor to job performance.

Employee recognition is used to fulfill the inherent need to appreciate as well as work to be validated by the employee contribution. During the early and later stage of life of the employee, the most important tool to motivate the employee by recognizing positive behavior from employees means that those desired behaviors that drive business success will be reciprocated. Recognition is essential to an outstanding workplace because people want to be respected and valued for their contribution. Recognizing employee for their good work sends an extremely powerful message to the recipient, their work team, and other employees through formal and informal communication channels. Employee recognition is a dynamic communication technique to improve employee performance which leads to enhance organizational performance.

In an organization, it is important to make the employees valued and appreciated, because of which they get motivated and they work harder and be more loyal toward the organization. During the early and middle career stage of the job employee want more appreciation from his next boss in the organization. Many ways of appreciating employee are news for companies looking for inexpensive ways to show appreciation to employees who made an appreciative effort, to thank employees several times a week, often through notes mailed to their homes and admits an employee-of-the-month program, the least time-consuming way to make sure his staff continued to appreciate.

In an organization employees have the opportunity to transfer to another job if they are moving or have the want to switch occupations. It brings positive energy among the early career stage employee to work in a new environment, which gives workers the opportunity to learn multiple skills and outlooks. When employees continue working at the same tasks for an extended time, they are likely to build tight relationships with particular individuals and companies, which can yield help to the employees, and to the organization.

In the early stage of the employee, they used to seek the working environment and aspects of an employee’s terms and conditions of employment. This includes the employee payment, organization of work, and work activities; training, skills, and employability; amenities, physical environment, health, safety, and well-being; and working time and work–life balance. These used to motivate the employee to do better and achieve the organizational goals and objectives. Changes in working conditions and other aspects of the employment relationship can generate serious industrial relations problems.

Williams et al. ( 2003 ) argues that the job satisfaction works toward making good relationships with staff and colleagues, control of time off, enough resources, and bring autonomy for employee in the organization. It is essential in the stages of employment i.e., early, middle, and late career stage of life because it brings any combination of physiological, psychological, satisfaction that invokes a person truthfully to say I am satisfied with my current job and it leads to employee motivation to achieve goals of the organization. Job satisfaction refers doing a job one enjoys, and being rewarded for one’s accomplishment. It is the key ingredient that leads to recognition, income, promotion, and the achievement of other goals that lead to a feeling of fulfillment of the desired goals and objectives (Kaliski 2007 ).

In the middle and late career stages of their employment, employees have an opportunity to showcase their achievements with pride. Employees work in organizations not just to make a living, but to make a life. It encourages heightened ownership at work. Tangible benefits (salary) and intangible benefits (achievements of the knowledge) and other perks are necessary to engage employees, and motivate them to do their personal best. Mehta et al. ( 2000 ) pointed out that four most highly ranked rewards for sales managers in the late career stage have mean values that exceed 6.0, which includes achievement of market goals, retaining respect of salespeople, opportunities for promotion, and bonus.

A motivated and dedicated employee in the middle career stage of their job in the organization is an asset for any organization and proves instrumental in building a high-performance culture that drives organizational advancement. Promotion is always employee’s ultimate wish for the service rendered by him in the organization and this is the only way for an employee career development. Promotion is the ultimate motivating for any employee because it moves employee forward in hierarchy of concern organization added with other responsibility, higher respect, honors, with increase in grade pay and allowances. It stimulates self-development and creates interest in the job in one hand and minimizes discontent and unrest.

In the late career stage of their employment social opportunities for employees to get involved in leveraging the core competencies of the organization to create business value and positive social change can increase employee motivation and job satisfaction and help workers to more effectively manage job stress. This can lead to positive gains for the organization by enhancing organizational effectiveness and improving work quality, as well as by helping the organization attract and keep top-quality employees, which can bring growth and development to the organizations and can improve the quality of their employees’ work experience and realize the benefits of developing workers to their full potential.

Concluding remarks

Motivation works as a catalyzer for individual employees working for an organization to enhance their working performance or to complete task in much better way than they usually do. In this paper, authors identified the key motivation techniques from existing literature and linked it through organization performance. These motivation techniques has long been acknowledged as an important personnel work with the potential to improve employee motivation and hence performance, and to deliver management with the control needed to achieve organizational objectives. Authors made flow of motivation from early career motivation techniques to late career motivation techniques and reached on a conclusion: if employees are provided with right motivation technique at right time, their morale and confidence goes up and had a direct positive impact in individual performance and organizational performance. It is indicative of the above discussion, most of the motivation dimensions viz. training, monetary incentives, promotion, and working conditions has been met and for reason the efforts made to motivate are bound to succeed. This conclusion is built on the emphasis made by earlier researchers to motivate people, organizations need to first have the baseline in place; in the absence of the baseline, motivation is not possible to achieve. The study has shown success in intrinsic motivators and extrinsic motivators to improve performance in the organization.

The major limitation of this study is that the proposed framework is designed on basis of extensive literature review and so needs to be confirmed using quantitative measures. This framework is not been implemented in specific industry, due to its generality in nature. Although extensive research is reviewed and every possible dimensions of motivation are studied, it cannot be stated explicitly that these dimensions will be able to create the baseline which will motivate the employees through the motivators. Thus, they create a dilemma as to whether these motivation dimensions are enough to create a solid baseline which has an impact on the motivators.

Aguinis, H., Joo, H., & Gottfredson, R. K. (2013). What monetary rewards can and cannot do: How to show employees the money. Business Horizons, 56 (2), 241–249.

Article   Google Scholar  

Asensio-Cuesta, S., Diego-Mas, J. A., Canós-Darós, L., & Andrés-Romano, C. (2012). A genetic algorithm for the design of job rotation schedules considering ergonomic and competence criteria. International Journal of Advanced Manufacturing Technology, 60 (9–12), 1161–1174.

Ashmos, D. P., & Duchon, D. (2000). Spirituality at work: A conceptualization and measure. Journal of Management Inquiry, 9 (2), 134–145.

Azizi, N., & Liang, M. (2013). An integrated approach to worker assignment, workforce flexibility acquisition, and task rotation. Journal of the Operational Research Society, 64 (2), 260–275.

Baldwin, T. T., Magjuka, R. J., & Loher, B. (1991). The perils of participation: Effects of the choice of training on trainee motivation and learning. Personnel Psychology, 44 (1), 51–65.

Barney, E. C., & Steven Elias, M. S. (2010). Flex-time as a moderator of the job stress-work motivation relationship: A three nation investigation. Personnel Review, 39 (4), 487–502.

Barton, L. C., & Ambrosini, V. (2013). The moderating effect of organizational change cynicism on middle manager strategy commitment. International Journal of Human Resource Management, 24 (4), 721–746.

Bell, B. S., & Ford, J. K. (2007). Reactions to skill assessment: The forgotten factor in explaining motivation to learn. Human Resource Development Quarterly, 18 (1), 33–62.

Beretti, A., Figuières, C., & Grolleau, G. (2013). Using money to motivate both ‘saints’ and ‘sinners’: A field experiment on motivational crowding-out. Kyklos, 66 (1), 63–77.

Bussing, A. T., Bissels, T., Fuchs, V., & Perrar, K.-M. (1999). A dynamic model of work satisfaction: Qualitative approaches. Human Relations, 52 (8), 999–1028.

Google Scholar  

Candi, M., Beltagui, A., & Riedel, J. C. K. H. (2013). Innovation through experience staging: Motives and outcomes. Journal of Product Innovation Management, 30 (2), 279–297.

Cannon-Bowers, J. A., Salas, E., Tannenbaum, S. I., & Mathieu, J. E. (1995). Toward theoretically based principles of training effectiveness: A model and initial empirical investigation. Military Psychology, 7 (3), 141–164.

Casad, S. (2012). Implications of job rotation literature for performance improvement practitioners. Performance Improvement Quarterly, 25 (2), 27–41.

Cheng, A., & Brown, A. (1998). HRM strategies and labor turnover in the hotel industry: A comparative study of Australia and Singapore. International journal of human resource management, 9 (1), 136–154.

Cheng, Y., Chen, I.-S., Chen, C.-J., Burr, H., & Hasselhorn, H. M. (2013). The influence of age on the distribution of self-rated health, burnout and their associations with psychosocial work conditions. Journal of Psychosomatic Research, 74 (3), 213–220.

Chenhall, R. H. (2005). Integrative strategic performance measurement systems, strategic alignment of manufacturing, learning and strategic outcomes: An exploratory study. Accounting, Organizations and Society, 30 (5), 395–422.

Chiaburu, D. S., & Tekleab, A. G. (2005). Individual and contextual influences on multiple dimensions of training effectiveness. Journal of European Industrial Training, 29 (8), 604–626.

Clark, C. S., Dobbins, G. H., & Ladd, R. T. (1993). Exploratory field study of training motivation: Influence of involvement, credibility, and transfer climate. Group Organization Management, 18 (3), 292–307.

Colquitt, J. A., LePine, J. A., & Noe, R. A. (2000). Toward an integrative theory of training motivation: A meta-analytic path analysis of 20 years of research. Journal of Applied Psychology, 85 (5), 678–707.

Commeiras, N., Loubes, A., & Bories, A. (2013). Identification of organizational socialization tactics: The case of sales and marketing trainees in higher education. European Management Journal, 31 (2), 164–178.

Cosgel, M., & Miceli, T. (1999). Job rotation: Cost, benefits, and stylized facts. Journal of Institutional and Theoretical Economics, 155 , 301–320.

Datta, G. N., & Eriksson, T. (2012). HRM practices and the within-firm gender wage gap. British Journal of Industrial Relations, 50 (3), 554–580.

Decoene, V., & Bruggeman, W. (2006). Strategic alignment and middle-level managers’ motivation in a balanced scorecard setting. International Journal of Operations and Production Management, 26 (4), 429–448.

Den, H. D. N., & Verburg, R. M. (2004). High performance work systems, organizational culture and firm performance. Human Resource Management Journal, 14 , 55–78.

Dundar, S., Ozutku, H., & Taşpınar, F. (2007). İcsel ve dışsal motivasyon araclarının işgorenlerin motivasyonu uzerindeki etkisi: ampirik bir inceleme. Ticaret ve Turizm Eğitim Fakultesi Dergisi, 2 , 105–119.

Dysvik, A., & Kuvaas, B. (2010). Exploring the relative and combined influence of mastery-approach goals and work intrinsic motivation on employee turnover intention. Personnel Review, 39 (5), 622–638.

Eguchi, K. (2004). Job transfer and influence activities. Journal of Economic Behavior and Organization, 56 , 187–197.

Facteau, J. D., Dobbins, G. H., Russell, J. E., Ladd, R. T., & Kudisch, J. D. (1995). The influence of general perceptions of the training environment on pre-training motivation and perceived training transfer. Journal of Management, 21 (1), 1–25.

Feldman, Y., & Lobel, O. (2010). The incentives matrix: The comparative effectiveness of rewards, liabilities, duties, and protections for reporting illegality. Texas Law Review, 88 (6), 1151–1211.

Finkelstein, L. M., Burke, M. J., & Raju, N. S. (1995). Age discrimination in simulated employment contexts: An integrative analysis. Journal of Applied Psychology, 80 (6), 652–663.

García, I. A. L., Moscoso, S., & Ramos, V. P. J. (2012). Reactions to the Fairness of Promotion Methods: Procedural justice and job satisfaction. International Journal of Selection and Assessment, 20 (4), 394–403.

Garg, P., & Rastogi, R. (2006). New model of job design: Motivating employees’ performance. Journal of Management Development, 25 (6), 572–587.

Gegenfurtner, A., Festner, D., Gallenberger, W., Lehtinen, E., & Gruber, H. (2009a). Predicting autonomous and controlled motivation to transfer training. International Journal of Training and Development, 13 (2), 124–138.

Gegenfurtner, A., Veermans, K., Festiner, D., & Gruber, H. (2009b). Motivation to transfer training: An integrative literature review. Human Resource Development Review, 8 (3), 403–423.

George, J. M., & Jones, G. R. (1997). Organizational spontaneity in context. Human Performance, 10 (1), 153–170.

Gignac, G. E., & Palmer, B. R. (2011). The genos employee motivation assessment. Industrial and Commercial Training, 43 (2), 79–87.

Harvey, W. (2013). Victory can be yours in the global war for talent: Social factors and lifestyle help to attract top employees. Human Resource Management International Digest, 21 (1), 37–40.

Hunter, S. T., Cushenbery, L., & Friedrich, T. (2012). Hiring an innovative workforce: A necessary yet uniquely challenging endeavor. Human Resource Management Review, 22 (4), 303–322.

Ichniowski, C., Shaw, K., & Prennushi, G. (1997). The effects of human resource management practices on productivity: A study of steel finishing lines. American Economic Review, 87 , 291–313.

Jain K. K., Jabeen F., Mishra, V., and Gupta, N. (2007). International Review of Business Research Papers, 13(5), 193–208.

Javernick-Will, A. (2012). Motivating knowledge sharing in engineering and construction organizations: Power of social motivations. Journal of Management in Engineering, 28 (2), 193–202.

Jung, J., & Kim, Y. (2012). Causes of newspaper firm employee burnout in Korea and its impact on organizational commitment and turnover intention. International Journal of Human Resource Management, 23 (17), 3636–3651.

Kaliski, B. S. (2007). Encyclopedia of business and finance (2nd ed., p. 446). Detroit: Thompson Gale.

Kingira, & Mescib, M. (2010). Factors that affect hotel employs motivation the case of bodrum. Serbian Journal of Management, 5 (1), 59–76.

Kirkpatrick, D. (1996). Great ideas revisited: Revisiting Kirkpatrick’s four-level model. Training and Development, 50 (1), 54–67.

Kirkpatrick, D. L. (2000). Evaluating training programs: The four levels’’. In G. M. Piskurich, P. Beckschi, & B. Hall (Eds.), The ASTD handbook of training design and delivery (pp. 133–146). New York, NY: McGraw-Hill.

Klein, H. J., Noe, R. A., & Wang, C. W. (2006). Motivation to learn and course outcomes: The impact of delivery mode, learning goal orientation, and perceived barriers and enablers. Personnel Psychology, 59 (3), 665–702.

Koch, A. K., & Nafziger, J. (2012). Job assignments under moral hazard: The Peter principle revisited. Journal of Economics and Management Strategy, 21 (4), 1029–1059.

Koc-Menard, S. (2009). Training strategies for an aging workforce. Industrial and Commercial Training, 41 (6), 334–348.

Kontoghiorghes, C. (2004). Reconceptualising the learning transfer conceptual framework: Empirical validation of a new systemic model. International Journal of Training and Development, 8 (3), 210–220.

Kovach, K. A. (1995). Employee motivation: Addressing a crucial factor in your organization’s performance. Employee Relations Today, 22 (2), 93–105.

Kunz, A. H., & Pfaff, D. (2002). Agency theory, performance evaluation, and the hypothetical construct of intrinsic motivation. Accounting, Organizations and Society, 27 (3), 275–295.

Kuo, Y. K. (2013). Organizational commitment in an intense competition environment. Industrial Management and Data Systems, 113 (1), 39–56.

Lazazzara, A., & Bombelli, C. M. (2011). HRM practices for an ageing Italian workforce: The role of training. Journal of European Industrial Training, 35 (8), 808–825.

Leung, K., Smith, P. B., Wang, Z., & Sun, H. (1996). Job satisfaction in joint venture hotels in China: An organizational justice analysis. Journal of International Business Studies, 27 (5), 947–962.

Levinson, D. J. (1986). A conception of adult development. American Psychologist, 41 (1), 3–13.

Linder, J. R. (1998). Understanding employee motivation. Journal of Extension, 36 (3), 28–43.

Luthans, F., & Stajkovic, A. D. (1999). Reinforce for performance: The need to go beyond pay and even rewards. The academy of management executive, 13 (2), 49–57.

Mahazril, A. Y., Zuraini, Y. Z., Hafizah, H. A. K., Aminuddin, A., Zakaria, Z., Noordin, N., et al. (2012). Work motivation among Malaysian public servants. Asian Social Science, 8 (12), 238–242.

Malina, M. A., & Selto, F. H. (2001). Communicating and controlling strategy: An empirical study of the effectiveness of the balanced scorecard. Journal of Management Accounting Research, 13 , 47–90.

Mathieu, J. E., Tannenbaum, S. I., & Salas, E. (1992). Influences of individual and situational characteristic on measures of training effectiveness. Academy of Management Journal, 35 (4), 828–847.

Maurer, T. J. (2001). Career-relevant learning and development, worker age, and beliefs about self-efficacy for development. Journal of Management, 27 , 123–140.

Mehta, R., Rolph, E. A., & Alan, J. D. (2000). The perceived importance of sales managers’ rewards: A career stage perspective. Journal of Business and Industrial Marketing, 15 (7), 507–524.

Muchiri, M. K., Cooksey, R. W., & Walumbwa, F. O. (2012). Transformational and social processes of leadership as predictors of organizational outcomes. Leadership and Organization Development Journal, 33 (7), 662–683.

Nelson, B. (1996). Dump the cash, load on the praise. Personnel Journal, 75 (7), 65–70.

Noe, R. A. (2009). Employee training and development (5th ed.). Boston, MA: McGraw-Hill.

Orpen, C. (1997). The effects of formal mentoring on employee work motivation, organizational commitment and job performance. The Learning Organization, 4 (2), 53–60.

Panagiotakopoulos, A. (2013). The impact of employee learning on staff motivation in Greek small firms: The employees’ perspective. Development and Learning in Organisations, 27 (2), 13–15.

Pantouvakis, A., & Bouranta, N. (201). The interrelationship between service features, job satisfaction and customer satisfaction: Evidence from the transport sector. TQM Journal, 25 (2), 186–201.

Park, S. M. (2010). The effects of personnel reform systems on Georgia state employees’ attitudes: An empirical analysis from a principal-agent theoretical perspective. Public Management Review, 12 (3), 403–437.

Parvin, M. M., & Kabir, N. M. M. (2011). Factors affecting employee job satisfaction of pharmaceutical sector. Australian Journal of Business and Management Research, 1 (9), 113–123.

Pouliakas, K. (2010). Pay enough, don’t pay too much or don’t pay at all?, The impact of bonus intensity on job satisfaction. Kyklos, 63 (4), 597–626.

Rabby, G. P. (2001). Motivation is response. Industrial and commercial training, 33 (1), 26–28.

Rose, D. S., Sidle, S. D., & Griffith, K. H. (2007). A penny for your thoughts: Monetary incentives improve response rates for company-sponsored employee surveys. Organizational Research Methods, 10 , 225–240.

Rowley, J. (1996a). Motivation of staff in libraries. Library Management, 17 (5), 31–35.

Rowley, J. (1996b). Motivation and academic staff in higher education. Quality Assurance in Education, 4 (3), 11–16.

Rowold, J. (2007). The impact of personality on training-related aspects of motivation: Test of a longitudinal model. Human Resource Development Quarterly, 18 (1), 9–31.

Saari, L. M., & Judge, T. A. (2004). Employee attitudes and job satisfaction. Human Resource Management, 43 (3), 395–407.

Sarkar, S., & Huang, K. L. (2012). Do cultural groups differ in their attitudes towards unions Evidence from Indian and Taiwanese samples. Asian Business and Management, 11 (4), 395–423.

Satyawadi, R., & Ghosh, P. (2012). Motivation and work values in Indian public and private sector enterprises: A comparative study. International Journal of Human Resources Development and Management, 12 (3), 237–253.

Schultz, D. S., & Brabender, V. M. (2013). More challenges since Wikipedia: The effects of exposure to internet information about the rorschach on selected comprehensive system variables. Journal of Personality Assessment, 95 (2), 149–158.

Seyler, D. L., Holton, E. F, I. I. I., Bates, R. A., Burnett, M. F., & Carvalho, M. A. (1998). Factors affecting motivation to transfer training. International Journal of Training and Development, 2 (1), 2–16.

Smith and Rupp. (2003). An examination of emerging strategy and sales performance: Motivation, chaotic change and organizational structure. Marketing Intelligence and Planning, 21 (3), 156–167.

Steidle, A., Gockel, C., & Werth, L. (2013). Growth or security? Regulatory focus determines work priorities. Management Research Review, 36 (2), 173–182.

Swift, P. E., & Hwang, A. (2013). The impact of affective and cognitive trust on knowledge sharing and organizational learning. Learning Organization, 20 (1), 20–37.

Syed, A. A. S. G., Anka, L. M., Jamali, M. B., & Shaikh, F. M. (2012). Motivation as a tool for effective staff productivity in the public sector: A case study of raw materials research and development council of Nigeria. Asian Social Science, 8 (11), 85–95.

Szczepanowski, R., Traczyk, J., Wierzchoń, M., & Cleeremans, A. (2013). The perception of visual emotion: Comparing different measures of awareness. Consciousness and Cognition, 22 (1), 212–220.

Tai, W. T. (2006). Effects of training framing, general self-efficacy and training motivation on trainees’ training effectiveness. Personnel Review, 35 (1), 51–65.

Tharenou, P. (2001). The relationship of training motivation to participation in training and development. Journal of Occupational and Organizational Psychology, 74 (5), 599–621.

Tsai, W.-C., & Tai, W. T. (2003). Perceived importance as a mediator of the relationship between training assignment and training motivation. Personnel Review, 32 (2), 151–163.

Van Vianen, A. E. M., Dalhoeven, B. A. G. W., & De Pater, I. E. (2011). Aging and training and development willingness: Employee and supervisor mindset. Journal of Organizational Behavior, 32 , 226–247.

Vuori, V., & Okkonen, J. (2012). Knowledge sharing motivational factors of using an intra-organizational social media platform. Journal of Knowledge Management, 16 (4), 592–603.

Whitehill, B. V., & McDonald, B. A. (1993). Improving learning persistence of military personnel by enhancing motivation in a technical training program. Simulation Gaming, 24 (3), 294–313.

Wickramasinghe, V. (2009). Predictors of job satisfaction among IT graduates in offshore Outsourced IT firms. Personnel Review, 38 (4), 413–431.

Wiley, C. (1997). What motivates employees according to over 40 years of motivation surveys. International Journal of Manpower, 18 (3), 263–280.

Williams, H. (2013). Achieving supply chain utopia: Companies need to priorities investing in people. Development and Learning in Organizations, 27 (2), 16–19.

Williams, E. S., Konrad, T. R., Linzer, M., McMurray, J., Pathman, D. E., Gerrity, M., et al. (2003). Refining the measurement of physician job satisfaction: Results from the physician work life survey. Medical Care, 37 (11), 1140–1154.

Yamamoto, H. (2013). The relationship between employees’ perceptions of human resource management and their retention: From the viewpoint of attitudes toward job specialties. International Journal of Human Resource Management, 24 (4), 747–767.

Yang, Y.-F., & Islam, M. (2012). The influence of transformational leadership on job satisfaction: The balanced scorecard perspective. Journal of Accounting and Organizational Change, 8 (3), 386–402.

Zhang, H. Q., & Wu, E. (2004). Human resources issues facing the hotel and travel industry in China. International Journal of Contemporary Hospitality Management, 16 (7), 424–428.

Download references

Author information

Authors and affiliations.

ABV-Indian Institute of Information Technology and Management Gwalior, Room No. 152, BH-3, ABV-IIITM Morena Link Road, Gwalior, 474015, Madhya Pradesh, India

Chandra Sekhar

ABV-Indian Institute of Information Technology and Management Gwalior, Block C, ABV-IIITM, Gwalior, 474015, Madhya Pradesh, India

Manoj Patwardhan

ABV-Indian Institute of Information Technology and Management Gwalior, Room No. 05, BH-3, ABV-IIITM Morena Link Road, Gwalior, 474015, Madhya Pradesh, India

Rohit Kr. Singh

You can also search for this author in PubMed   Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Chandra Sekhar .

About this article

Sekhar, C., Patwardhan, M. & Singh, R.K. A literature review on motivation. Glob Bus Perspect 1 , 471–487 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s40196-013-0028-1

Download citation

Published : 14 November 2013

Issue Date : December 2013

DOI : https://doi.org/10.1007/s40196-013-0028-1

Share this article

Anyone you share the following link with will be able to read this content:

Sorry, a shareable link is not currently available for this article.

Provided by the Springer Nature SharedIt content-sharing initiative

• Employee performance
• Organizational performance
• Motivation techniques
• Find a journal
• Publish with us
• Track your research

• GLOBAL SEARCH
• WEB SUPPORT

27 Entrepreneurs Share Their Tips and Tricks for Staying Motivated

24 Entrepreneurs Explain Why They Started Their Own Business

Monday Motivation: Confront the Storm

Monday Motivation: Get Up Again and Win This Time

Monday motivation: no excuses, get it done, monday motivation: it hurts.

19 Entrepreneurs List Their Favorite Technology Innovation

23 Entrepreneurs Reveal How They Came Up With Their Business Name

Monday motivation: change is scary but change is growth.

11 Entrepreneurs Explain What They Love About Being an Entrepreneur

30 Entrepreneurs and Business Owners Explain Why They Started Their Businesses

13 Entrepreneurs Explain What They Love About Being an Entrepreneur

12 Entrepreneurs Reveal Their Major Accomplishments in 2023

22 Entrepreneurs Reveal The Word That Could Represent Them and Their Business in 2023

24 Entrepreneurs Explain What They Love About Being an Entrepreneur

10 Entrepreneurs Reveal the Business Model That’s Best for Their Business

29 Entrepreneurs Explain What They Love About Being an Entrepreneur

17 Entrepreneurs Describe Their Morning Routine

15 Entrepreneurs Share The Movies That Motivates Them

6 Entrepreneurs Reveal How They Incorporate CSR or Social Cause in Their Business

20 Entrepreneurs Explain How Quiet Quitting Affects Entrepreneurship

30 Entrepreneurs Share Their Tips and Tricks for Staying Motivated

13 Entrepreneurs Share Their Thoughts on the Future of Entrepreneurship

4 Entrepreneurs Reveal Best Companies to Start in 2024

7 Entrepreneurs Reveal the Organization, Communities or Associations they Belong to That Help Support Their Business

12 Entrepreneurs Share Their Takeaways From 2023

18 Entrepreneurs Share Their Best Networking Tips and Advice

15 Entrepreneurs Explain the 2024 Trends They See in Their Industry

5 Entrepreneurs Share The One Prediction They Have for Business in 2024

14 Entrepreneurs Share How They Prepare for A Bad Economy

3 Entrepreneurs Reveal The Businesses They’re Starting Next Year

• GUEST POSTS
• WEBSITE SUPPORT SERVICES
• FREE CBNation Buzz Newsletter
• Premium CEO Hack Buzz Newsletter

24 Entrepreneurs Explain Their Motivation for Running a Business

Being an entrepreneur or business owner has its share of ups and downs. While the downs can be pretty low the ups always seem to triumph for a true entrepreneur at heart. Milestones are what entrepreneurs and business owners work towards. Once you finally reach a certain point then reflection can truly begin. Finding the motivation in running your business keeps it from becoming stale in the long run. No matter which part you loves most, loving them all is equally as important.

We asked entrepreneurs and business owners what motivates them about running a business and below are their replies.

Related Posts

#1- seeing the impact of my work.

My motivation to keep going is seeing how our food helps our clients' dogs. When delivering, I can see how their skin is softer and less red, they have slimmed down, their aching joints are little more nimble – these physical changes are so impactful to me that they can get me over the hump. And dog kisses and hugs always put a smile on my face!

Thanks to Lisa Hennessy, Your Pet Chef, LLC. !

#2- Always having to try to figure things out

For instance, one big mistake we made when starting our new business is their failure to understand our value proposition. What is it about our product , service and offer that compels people to say yes? Until we knew this, any marketing efforts or spend in any channels will be like pouring gasoline on wet leaves. For instance, when we first launched, we thought people would like our service because its a cheaper way to get their grass cut. What we found through copy testing in different channels such as ad-words and FB is that the customers' ability to get same day service is a much more effective and compelling subset of our value prop that drives more visitors and more conversions on our landing pages. Nailing your value prop first is crucial.

Thanks to Zach Hendrix, GreenPal !

#3- Networking and connecting

I've always been extremely social and a huge networker– It's been my most fruitful tool in building Cheekd. I'm constantly making connections for those around me and in return, I feel like if I don't know the person I'm looking for someone I know will. And now I’m even giving people all over the world a tool to help them find the most incredible connection that exists- love. My idea has become more than just a business over the years… It’s become my mission.

Thanks to Lori Cheek, Cheekd !

#4- Seeing positive and appreciative reactions

Running your own business means that you can give customers what you believe to be the best products and services. Seeing positive and appreciative reactions from your customers based on what you provide them can be incredibly motivating especially if you are tired or not having the best day.

Thanks to Natalie Athanasiadis,  DVG Melbourne !

#5- Helping other people

My motivation is to help others develop a healthy self-image and impactful career. The mission of PurposeRedeemed is to: Inspire a countercultural view of work that affirms the dignity of every individual and drives sustainable community impact. We believe that work should neither be just a paycheck nor what determines our self-worth. In a culture that measures people by their status and finances, we’re here to show a better way—equipping individuals to identify and pursue their passions; developing leaders with a healthy perspective on identity; and building communities that elevate the conversation on work.

Thanks to Christopher K. Lee, PurposeRedeemed !

#6- My Daughters

The biggest reason is my daughters. I grew up during a time when it wasn't very typical for women to run their own businesses (my own mother was a stay-at-home-mom) and I think it's important to normalize that experience for my girls. Women can be great wives and mothers and also incredibly talented, savvy business owners! I also am constantly motivated by ambition and a sheer refusal to quit. When I face challenges in my business, like losing a client or working with contract employees who are unreliable, I simply see it as a way for me to get more creative to figure out how to move beyond the obstacle. I never shy away from a challenge–it keeps me on my toes and ends up strengthening my business in the long run.

Thanks to Hilary Young, Hilary Young Creative !

#7- Making forex trading simple to women

My motivation in running my business is hearing the joy in a woman's voice who realizes trading Forex was not as difficult as she thought. Empowering women with a skill most never dreamed they could master is a great feeling. Watching women have options to supplement their income without having to leave the comfort of their own home gives us a reason to go through the struggles of running a new business.

Thanks to Robyn Mancell,  Girls Gone Forex !

Most people are afraid to say that as to not sound materialistic. But when you realize that the money you make is already labeled and it has a purpose, you can say it with all confidence. I look at it as M.O.E Money. It's no longer about private jets, yachts or the latest designer handbag. My money is designated to make *M*oments, *O*pportunities and *E*xperiences for those I love and those who are less fortunate. Giving money a purpose, in turn, gives meaning to my business and the work I do. My biggest thrill isn't more stuff. It's seeking ways to use resources to create life-changing possibilities for others. When times get hard, I think about my children and grandchildren and the exposure and experiences I want them to have. It is all the motivation I need to put my nose down and keep hustling.

Thanks to Camille D. Jamerson, CDJ & Associates !

#9-Positive impact and empowerment

I help clients invest their money in alignment with their values, finding innovative, solution-focused companies that matter. Being a woman in finance is never easy, though helping people connect the dots between their assets and their visions for the world in which they want to live is what keeps me energized and excited to grow the field of impact investing.

Thanks to Kristin Hull, Nia Global Solutions !

#10- Missionary zeal and joy of learning

My startup specializes in selling exhibition catalogs – books which I believe are truly inspirational but are not reaching the audience they deserve. That missionary zeal together with the joy of learning as I navigate new challenges and opportunities keeps me going through the long hours. Coffee is a help too!

Thanks to Caroline Keppel-Palmer, Museum Bookstore !

#11- Sticking to our mission despite the challenges

One of my company's missions is to introduce people to the wilderness and inspire them to protect it. The current political climate prioritizes the decommissioning public lands with the goal of selling them to the highest bidder, so our mission is of ever-increasing vital importance. This is what keeps me motivated when other pressing challenges arise.

Thanks to Steve Silberberg, Fitpacking Weight Loss Backpacking Adventures !

#12- Flexibility

As the owner of a company, I get to choose the roles within it that are not only the most interesting to me, but also the most flexible. As a mom of three boys, it’s always been incredibly important to me that I “be there” for them. This meant, when they were younger, I ran and built the business at times when they did not need me (mostly in the evenings after they went to bed). And now that they’re in school and I work mostly during the day, I have the flexibility to volunteer in their classrooms and be home with them when they’re sick. Juggling this schedule for the past 19 years of also raising my boys has taught me that there is plenty of time in the 168 hours each week, to do both.

Thanks to PaigeNeJame, CertaPro Painters of the South Shore and Boston !

#13- Investing in others

Most of the things that are read online about blogging are about ditching the 9-5 and making a ton of money as your own boss on your own time. This is not my motivation however! I have a traditional career as a district manager for a major retailer, overseeing 22 stores across three states…and I happen to love it! The reason that I am turning this blog of mine into a business is because it gives me the opportunity to teach a wider audience a wider set of skills. Investing in others is what I have a passion for, and it’s what gets me to my computer at 5:00am everyday to work on growing Origin Leadership before I get to work driving sales as a District Manager.

Thanks to Nick Glassett, Originleadership.com !

#14- My team and the work itself

My motivation has always stemmed from my team. When I started, that was the most rewarding aspect of my business: having the privilege of working with first-rate individuals who are passionate, intellectual, creative and devoted to our mission. As I get older and establish a better work/life balance, my team is still the reason I am drawn to my work. As their CEO, it's a big job to fulfill my obligations to them (of aggressively growing and leading the company,)…and I don't always succeed at meeting every challenge along the way. But when I do, there is almost no better feeling than feeling the gratitude and respect coming from my ambitious team. And, throughout our journey, the shared responsibility everyone on my team expresses –genuinely treating our company as if it is their own– is an indescribable thing to witness, and incredibly gratifying.

Thanks to Megan Cunningham, Magnet Media, Inc !

#15- My clients

I can easily state that my motivation for my business is *my clients*. I lead small group tours all over the world, mostly in Europe. Although my job cannot be classified as easy, the one thing that keeps me going is the thought of the look on my clients' faces when they travel with me. Many times the impetus for a trip with us is that they have experienced a significant life milestone, They have retired or they are empty nesters and in some cases it is more that a milestone, they have lost a spouse. They see traveling as a way to re-affirm their lives. They are out in the world. They are seeing things that are on their ‘bucket lists'. And the smiles, and sometimes tears, of appreciation for my work makes all the hard parts of my job, worth getting through.

Thanks to Patricia Hajifotiou, The Olive Odysseys !

#16- Lifestyle

What keeps me motivated to run my business is the lifestyle I enjoy because of it. I don't have to wait for a long weekend to go biking, hiking, or play golf. I don't have to schedule my family time around my business. Sure, there are days when I get frustrated but most days, I actually enjoy running my business. And when I look at everything that I have gained because of it, it just makes me value my business even more.

Thanks to John Jonas, Onlinejobs.ph !

#17- Customers Feedback

As an entrepreneur and creator of several twin products, I find that I am motivated by pictures and responses from customers stating that the products have made an actual difference in their lives. Recently I was contacted by a mom of twins who was having the hardest the time leaving the home alone with her baby twins. Her therapist has suggested that she find a way to leave the home with them and get some fresh air. She wrote to us telling us how one of our products (the Twingaroo twin carrier) allowed her to do so. Not only that, when she was out and about she found that people would approach her to ask her about it and compliment her for being able to juggle the twins on her own. We get countless pictures of parents of multiples using our products and that just solidifies why I do what I do- to help other parents of multiples tackle their daily challenges!

Thanks to Julixa Newman,  Stuff 4 Multiples !

#18- The Journey

As an entrepreneur I’ve had the wonderful opportunity to turn my passions into profits, while still helping people. It’s not always been easy, but I’ve learned to look at my setbacks as setups for greater success. It’s the journey, not each step, that has truly been most fulfilling. The freedom to pursue my dreams and make a difference has made the juice well worth the squeeze.

Thanks to Katrina McGhee, LovingonMe !

#19- Work/Life Balance

When the work gets tough, I have a motto that I believe in and live by, as it motivates me when the work gets difficult. The one question I always ask myself is: What is the worst that can happen? Every day, I also always tell myself: If you do things for the right reasons, only the right thing can happen. Do whatever it takes for as long as it takes. I also try my best to maintain a positive attitude, because that is essential for success. Energy is the fuel that feeds our attitude and it needs to be replenished on a daily basis. Having a positive attitude is a conscious choice, so when negative thoughts creep in, I stop them in their tracks and replace them with positive self-talk. I repeat words or phrases that focus on affirming truths about me. I also surround myself with like-minded women who are an inspiration and who will provide encouragement. Positivity allows you to see the potential that lies within you and gives you the faith to step outside of the box to achieve your dreams.

Thanks to Grainne Kelly, BubbleBum !

#20- Helping people gain confidence

The main motivation for running my business is knowing that I’m helping people gain confidence through sport. Swimming helped me gain confidence in life and I want everyone to feel this confidence in their lives too. Not only does swimming lessons teach confidence, it is also a life skill that prevents accidents. I’m passionate about this and also enjoy swimming as a part of my daily life, which makes running my business a breeze.

Thanks to Diana Goodwin, AquaMobile Inc. !

#21- Responsibility

Being responsible for the income of my employees and their families is my biggest motivator for ensuring the business is thriving. It's stressful at times but drives me to seek as many opportunities to grow and ensure the company is thriving. It's also quite rewarding knowing I'm able to help support these families and it makes me want to grow my business that much more to hire more employees and help provide for as many people as I can.

Thanks to Brian Gow, Scheel Window & Door !

#22- Survival mode

Despite huge ups and huge downs, I always continue as it would end very shortly. It's my survival mode instinct that keeps me going. It's the accountability toward our mission of defending people's privacy as well as the passionate team working every day for the good.

Thanks to Olivier Plante, Fleksy !

#23- A number of things

There are always ups and downs, and what keeps me going strong is the certainty that I'm doing meaningful work that helps people expand their mind and reach their goals. Another thing that pushes me forward is the promise that I will do my best to create a great today and an even better tomorrow for all the people that surround me. And I also find motivation in what I refer to as the five freedoms: Financial Freedom (for now and for the future). Location Freedom (live and work from wherever I want and is best for me). Time Freedom (flexibility with my schedule). Freedom of Association (focus on the clients I want to work with). Freedom of Purpose (do the work I love and that I'm good at).

Thanks to Helena Escalante,  Entregurus.com !

#24- Helping difficulties

There’s a lot more that motivates me to run my business than just the money. Obviously, making more money means I’m able to provide even more for my loved ones, which is very important to me, but there are also other responsibilities that drive me when running a business. Getting the right  insurance policy can be a stressful process for a lot of people, and Cuuver eases that process by allowing people to compare the wide range of policies that are available to them in a simple and easy way. Knowing that my business helps people deal with something they are finding difficult motivates me to make the business as effective and successful as possible. There is also the matter of ensuring that all of my employees are happy and that my business is helping them to look after their own loved ones. I want to make sure that everyone involved with Cuuver benefits from my business in some way, whether it be a customer or an employee.

Thanks to Steve Pritchard, Cuuver !

What is your motivation for running a business? Tell us in the comments below. Don’t forget to join our  #IamCEO Community

Entrepreneur helping couples strengthen their bonds through fun and less planning, monday motivation: kobe bryant work ethic [video].

Being in love is great. Being in love with your business, when you’re an entrepreneur, is even better. Waking up...

Each business has a story. No matter if the business is a Goliath like Wal-Mart or a local business owned...

The end of every year is the opportunity to reflect on a 365-day journey. 2023 may have been a bad...

18 Entrepreneurs Explain Their Favorite Songs to Get Them Motivated

• Pingback: EntreGurus is Turning 1: Thank You for a Wonderful First Year!

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Privacy Policy Agreement * I agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy .

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed .

Join CBNation Buzz

Our Latest CBNation Content:

• Summer-Ready Websites: Optimization Tips for Increased Traffic
• IAM2119 – CEO Offers Business Funding Solutions to Small Business Owners
• IAM2118 – CEO and Founder Helps Entrepreneurs Monetize their Knowledge
• IAM2117 – CEO Helps Agencies Measure and Improve their Profitability by Streamlining their Operations
• IAM2116 – President and Owner Produces Extensive Digital News Content and Global Coverage of Competitive Aquatic Sports
• IAM2115 – Best-Selling Author and Workshop Facilitator Helps People Transition from Timid to Tenacious

Our Sponsors

Join thousands of subscribers & be the first to get new freebies.

What is CBNation?

We're like a global business chamber but with content... lots of it.

CBNation includes a library of blogs, podcasts, videos and more helping CEOs, entrepreneurs and business owners level up

CBNation is a community of niche sites for CEOs, entrepreneurs and business owners through blogs, podcasts and video content. Started in much the same way as most small businesses, CBNation captures the essence of entrepreneurship by allowing entrepreneurs and business owners to have a voice.

CBNation curates content and provides news, information, events and even startup business tips for entrepreneurs, startups and business owners to succeed.

+ Mission: Increasing the success rate of CEOs, entrepreneurs and business owners.

+ Vision: The media of choice for CEOs, entrepreneurs and business owners.

+ Philosophy: We love CEOs, entrepreneurs and business owners and everything we do is driven by that. We highlight, capture and support entrepreneurship and start-ups through our niche blog sites.

Our Latest Content:

• IAM2114 – Speaker and Client Generation Expert Helps Entrepreneurs Grow Their Businesses
• CEO and Accountant Empowers Communities Through Financial Literacy
• CEO Helps in Building, Protecting, and Growing Small Businesses
• IAM2113 – Author Shares About The Art of Etiquette and Cultural Understanding

Privacy Overview

• Inspiration
• Storytelling
• Entrepreneur

Share on Mastodon

Programs by Topic  

• Corporate Governance
• Design Thinking
• Entrepreneurship
• General Management
• Negotiation
• Organizational Leadership
• Personal Leadership
• Social Impact
• Technology & Operations

Featured Programs  

• Stanford Executive Program
• Stanford LEAD
• See All Programs by Date
• See All Online Programs
• Custom Programs
• Program Formats
• Developing a Program
• Catalyst Programs
• Diversity & Inclusion for Strategic Impact
• Strategic Transformation in Times of Disruption
• Program Experience
• Contact Client Services
• Academic Experience

Life & Learning  

• In-Person Programs
• On-Demand Online Courses
• Live Online Programs

Community  

• Faculty Spotlights
• Participant Spotlights
• Alumni Voices
• Eligibility
• Payment & Cancellation
• Application Process
• International Participants
• Apply Online
• Campus Experience
• Live Online Experience
• Silicon Valley & Bay Area
• Digital Credentials
• On Campus & In Person
• Live Online
• Participants

Motivation: How Can You Foster It to Achieve Goals?

Help your team set and reach goals by understanding what makes or breaks motivation, and how to best sustain it.

March 24, 2023

Illustration by: iStock/akinbostanci

Achieving goals is critical to a team’s – and organization’s – success. As a leader, it’s clear that you need to be able to motivate your team to help them meet their goals. What’s not always clear, however, is what drives motivation and how you can effectively cultivate it in your team.

Szu-chi Huang is an Associate Professor of Marketing and R. Michael Shanahan Faculty Scholar at Stanford Graduate School of Business who also teaches in several Executive Education programs. Huang’s research focuses specifically on motivation science and shared goal pursuit. Her work offers valuable insights into how to effectively wield the power of motivation to set and achieve goals.

Needs and Emotionality Drive Motivation

In order to influence people’s behavior, it’s crucial to try to understand and meet their needs. Emotionality is closely tied to this. When people’s needs are met, they’re happy and full of positive emotions; if needs go unmet, the negative emotions come out. “Recent research shows that emotionality is really key to all our decision making,” Huang explains.

Quote Recent research shows that emotionality is really key to all our decision making. Attribution Szu-chi Huang

It’s also important to realize that needs can be multi-layered. If your company makes running shoes, for example, you’ll want to consider not only your customers’ physiological needs, but also their self-esteem needs, social needs, and self-actualizing needs when developing your product.

Meeting your employees’ needs may look a little different, but the same principle applies. Ensuring resources are available to complete a project, supporting career development, and providing a comfortable and equitable work environment, for instance, will help keep your team’s positive emotions — and motivation levels — high.

Motivation is Dynamic

It’s common for people to think of motivation as static, but it’s not. Huang’s research shows that one structure or system will not motivate everyone equally, nor will it motivate the same person the same way all the time.

As a leader, it’s important to know your team and their needs so that you can tailor your motivational strategies to adjust for personality, skill level, the task at hand, and timing — such as the beginning and the end of the quarter. According to Huang, dynamic feedback is critical for sustaining motivation, and your message will resonate even more if you connect it to your own experience.

Keep Motivation High with a Little Friendly Competition

“We know that competition increases motivation,” Huang says. “It makes attaining a goal more valuable.” Huang’s research shows that both winning and losing can drive motivation, but at different phases of the competition.

In the beginning, people need to see that the competition is winnable and that they have a chance of achieving the goal. Early confidence keeps people engaged, which is why setting an attainable goal is crucial. As the competition progresses, a feeling of winning can actually hinder motivation. While the person or team that’s behind is motivated to catch up, the person or team in the lead might start to relax or lose interest. In this case, changing the benchmarks for the high-achievers can give them something to strive for and keep them motivated until the end.

This applies to competitions in teams and organizations as well, so think about your team’s goals and be creative. Have your team compete against each other, a different department, or try to beat their own previous metrics. There’s no “wrong” approach as long as the rules are clear and intentions are positive.

Put These Insights Into Action

As a leader, you have control and can drive your team’s motivation. Here are some best practices to keep in mind:

• Work to identify, understand, and meet your team’s needs to keep emotions positive and motivation high.
• Set attainable goals. Offer encouraging feedback especially in the early stages of a project to keep everyone engaged.
• When communicating with your team about goals, tailor your message according to the individuals, circumstances, and timing, and adjust as often as needed.
• Use competitions to increase motivation levels, but remember to change benchmarks so people don’t give up or relax too early.
• Encourage your team to think of goals not just as destinations, but as a journey. Review what they did right to achieve the goal so these practices can be repeated and sustained in the future.

Explore More Stories

How thinking like an artist can improve your business decisions.

Strategic (Re)Thinking: Is Your Approach to Organizational Strategy Holding You Back?

Inspiring Change: An Insider’s Look at LEAD Me2We

May 31, 2022 From Dreaming to Doing: How We Set and Achieve Goals In this episode, we look at an essential ingredient of human behavior: motivation.

• Priorities for the GSB's Future
• See the Current DEI Report
• Supporting Data
• Research & Insights
• Share Your Thoughts
• Search Fund Primer
• Teaching & Curriculum
• Affiliated Faculty
• Faculty Advisors
• Louis W. Foster Resource Center
• Defining Social Innovation
• Impact Compass
• Global Health Innovation Insights
• Faculty Affiliates
• Student Awards & Certificates
• Changemakers
• Dean Jonathan Levin
• Dean Garth Saloner
• Dean Robert Joss
• Dean Michael Spence
• Dean Robert Jaedicke
• Dean Rene McPherson
• Dean Arjay Miller
• Dean Ernest Arbuckle
• Dean Jacob Hugh Jackson
• Dean Willard Hotchkiss
• Faculty in Memoriam
• Stanford GSB Firsts
• Certificate & Award Recipients
• Teaching Approach
• Analysis and Measurement of Impact
• The Corporate Entrepreneur: Startup in a Grown-Up Enterprise
• Data-Driven Impact
• Designing Experiments for Impact
• Digital Business Transformation
• The Founder’s Right Hand
• Marketing for Measurable Change
• Product Management
• Public Policy Lab: Financial Challenges Facing US Cities
• Public Policy Lab: Homelessness in California
• Lab Features
• Curricular Integration
• View From The Top
• Formation of New Ventures
• Managing Growing Enterprises
• Startup Garage
• Explore Beyond the Classroom
• Stanford Venture Studio
• Summer Program
• Workshops & Events
• The Five Lenses of Entrepreneurship
• Leadership Labs
• Executive Challenge
• Arbuckle Leadership Fellows Program
• Selection Process
• Training Schedule
• Time Commitment
• Learning Expectations
• Post-Training Opportunities
• Who Should Apply
• Introductory T-Groups
• Leadership for Society Program
• Certificate
• 2024 Awardees
• 2023 Awardees
• 2022 Awardees
• 2021 Awardees
• 2020 Awardees
• 2019 Awardees
• 2018 Awardees
• Social Management Immersion Fund
• Stanford Impact Founder Fellowships and Prizes
• Stanford Impact Leader Prizes
• Social Entrepreneurship
• Stanford GSB Impact Fund
• Economic Development
• Energy & Environment
• Communication
• Collaborative Environment
• Activities & Organizations
• Student Services
• Stanford GSB Residences
• International Students
• Environmental Leadership
• Stanford GSB Artwork
• A Closer Look
• California & the Bay Area
• Voices of Stanford GSB
• Business & Beneficial Technology
• Business & Sustainability
• Business & Free Markets
• Business, Government, and Society Forum
• Get Involved
• Why Stanford MBA
• Second Year
• Global Experiences
• JD/MBA Joint Degree
• MA Education/MBA Joint Degree
• MD/MBA Dual Degree
• MPP/MBA Joint Degree
• MS Computer Science/MBA Joint Degree
• MS Electrical Engineering/MBA Joint Degree
• MS Environment and Resources (E-IPER)/MBA Joint Degree
• Academic Calendar
• Clubs & Activities
• Conferences
• LGBTQ+ Students
• Military Veterans
• Minorities & People of Color
• Partners & Families
• Students with Disabilities
• Student Support
• Residential Life
• Student Voices
• MBA Alumni Voices
• A Week in the Life
• Career Support
• Employment Outcomes
• Cost of Attendance
• Knight-Hennessy Scholars Program
• Yellow Ribbon Program
• BOLD Fellows Fund
• Loan Forgiveness
• Contact the Financial Aid Office
• Evaluation Criteria
• GMAT & GRE
• English Language Proficiency
• Personal Information, Activities & Awards
• Professional Experience
• Letters of Recommendation
• Optional Short Answer Questions
• Application Fee
• Reapplication
• Deferred Enrollment
• Joint & Dual Degrees
• Entering Class Profile
• Event Schedule
• Ambassadors
• New & Noteworthy
• Ask a Question
• See Why Stanford MSx
• Is MSx Right for You?
• MSx Stories
• Leadership Development
• Career Advancement
• Career Change
• How You Will Learn
• Admission Events
• Personal Information
• Information for Recommenders
• GMAT, GRE & EA
• English Proficiency Tests
• After You’re Admitted
• Daycare, Schools & Camps
• U.S. Citizens and Permanent Residents
• Requirements
• Requirements: Behavioral
• Requirements: Quantitative
• Requirements: Macro
• Requirements: Micro
• Annual Evaluations
• Field Examination
• Research Activities
• Research Papers
• Dissertation
• Oral Examination
• Current Students
• Research Resources
• Education & CV
• International Applicants
• Statement of Purpose
• Reapplicants
• Application Fee Waiver
• Deadline & Decisions
• Financial Aid
• Job Market Candidates
• Academic Placements
• Stay in Touch
• Faculty Mentors
• Current Fellows
• Standard Track
• Fellowship & Benefits
• Group Enrollment
• Diversity & Inclusion
• Strategic Transformation
• Stanford Ignite
• Frequently Asked Questions
• Operations, Information & Technology
• Organizational Behavior
• Political Economy
• Awards & Honors
• Classical Liberalism
• The Eddie Lunch
• Accounting Summer Camp
• Videos, Code & Data
• California Econometrics Conference
• California Quantitative Marketing PhD Conference
• California School Conference
• China India Insights Conference
• Homo economicus, Evolving
• Political Economics (2023–24)
• Scaling Geologic Storage of CO2 (2023–24)
• A Resilient Pacific: Building Connections, Envisioning Solutions
• Adaptation and Innovation
• Changing Climate
• Civil Society
• Climate Impact Summit
• Climate Science
• Corporate Carbon Disclosures
• Earth’s Seafloor
• Environmental Justice
• Operations and Information Technology
• Organizations
• Sustainability Reporting and Control
• Taking the Pulse of the Planet
• Urban Infrastructure
• Watershed Restoration
• Junior Faculty Workshop on Financial Regulation and Banking
• Ken Singleton Celebration
• Marketing Camp
• Quantitative Marketing PhD Alumni Conference
• Presentations
• Theory and Inference in Accounting Research
• Publications
• Working Papers
• Case Studies
• Cities, Housing & Society Lab
• Stanford Closer Look Series
• Quick Guides
• Core Concepts
• Journal Articles
• Glossary of Terms
• Executive Education
• Faculty & Staff
• Corporations and Society Initiative
• Researchers & Students
• Research Approach
• Charitable Giving
• Financial Health
• Government Services
• Workers & Careers
• Short Course
• Adaptive & Iterative Experimentation
• Incentive Design
• Social Sciences & Behavioral Nudges
• Bandit Experiment Application
• Conferences & Events
• Reading Materials
• Energy Entrepreneurship
• Faculty & Affiliates
• SOLE Report
• Responsible Supply Chains
• Current Study Usage
• Pre-Registration Information
• Participate in a Study
• Data, Analytics & Research Computing
• Founding Donors
• Location Information
• Participant Profile
• Network Membership
• Program Impact
• Collaborators
• Entrepreneur Profiles
• Company Spotlights
• Seed Transformation Network
• Responsibilities
• Current Coaches
• How to Apply
• Meet the Consultants
• Meet the Interns
• Intern Profiles
• Collaborate
• Research Library
• News & Insights
• Program Contacts
• Databases & Datasets
• Research Guides
• Consultations
• Research Workshops
• Career Research
• Research Data Services
• Course Reserves
• Course Research Guides
• Material Loan Periods
• Fines & Other Charges
• Document Delivery
• Interlibrary Loan
• Equipment Checkout
• Print & Scan
• MBA & MSx Students
• PhD Students
• Other Stanford Students
• Faculty Assistants
• Research Assistants
• Stanford GSB Alumni
• Telling Our Story
• Staff Directory
• Site Registration
• Alumni Directory
• Alumni Email
• Privacy Settings & My Profile
• Digital Communities & Tools
• Success Stories
• The Story of Circles
• Support Women’s Circles
• Stanford Women on Boards Initiative
• Alumnae Spotlights
• Insights & Research
• Regional Chapters
• Identity Chapters
• Industry & Professional
• Entrepreneurial Commitment Group
• Recent Alumni
• Class Notes
• Half-Century Club
• Fall Reunions
• Spring Reunions
• MBA 25th Reunion
• Half-Century Club Reunion
• Faculty Lectures
• Ernest C. Arbuckle Award
• Alison Elliott Exceptional Achievement Award
• ENCORE Award
• Excellence in Leadership Award
• John W. Gardner Volunteer Leadership Award
• Robert K. Jaedicke Faculty Award
• Jack McDonald Military Service Appreciation Award
• Jerry I. Porras Latino Leadership Award
• Tapestry Award
• Student & Alumni Events
• Executive Recruiters
• Interviewing
• Land the Perfect Job with LinkedIn
• Negotiating
• Elevator Pitch
• Email Best Practices
• Resumes & Cover Letters
• Self-Assessment
• Whitney Birdwell Ball
• Margaret Brooks
• Bryn Panee Burkhart
• Margaret Chan
• Ricki Frankel
• Peter Gandolfo
• Cindy W. Greig
• Natalie Guillen
• Carly Janson
• Sloan Klein
• Sherri Appel Lassila
• Stuart Meyer
• Tanisha Parrish
• Virginia Roberson
• Philippe Taieb
• Michael Takagawa
• Terra Winston
• Johanna Wise
• Debbie Wolter
• Rebecca Zucker
• Complimentary Coaching
• Changing Careers
• Work-Life Integration
• Career Breaks
• Flexible Work
• Encore Careers
• Join a Board
• Career Video Library
• D&B Hoovers
• Data Axle (ReferenceUSA)
• EBSCO Business Source
• Global Newsstream
• Market Share Reporter
• ProQuest One Business
• Student Clubs
• Entrepreneurial Students
• Stanford GSB Trust
• Alumni Community
• How to Volunteer
• Springboard Sessions
• Consulting Projects
• 2020 – 2029
• 2010 – 2019
• 2000 – 2009
• 1990 – 1999
• 1980 – 1989
• 1970 – 1979
• 1960 – 1969
• 1950 – 1959
• 1940 – 1949
• Service Areas
• ACT History
• ACT Awards Celebration
• ACT Governance Structure
• Building Leadership for ACT
• Individual Leadership Positions
• Leadership Role Overview
• Purpose of the ACT Management Board
• Contact ACT
• Business & Nonprofit Communities
• Reunion Volunteers
• Ways to Give
• Fiscal Year Report
• Business School Fund Leadership Council
• Planned Giving Options
• Planned Giving Benefits
• Planned Gifts and Reunions
• Legacy Partners
• Giving News & Stories
• Giving Deadlines
• Development Staff
• Submit Class Notes
• Class Secretaries
• Board of Directors
• Career & Success
• Culture & Society
• Finance & Investing
• Health Care
• Leadership & Management
• Operations & Logistics
• Opinion & Analysis
• Opportunity & Access
• Sustainability
• Class Takeaways
• All Else Equal: Making Better Decisions
• If/Then: Business, Leadership, Society
• Grit & Growth
• Think Fast, Talk Smart
• Spring 2022
• Spring 2021
• Autumn 2020
• Summer 2020
• Winter 2020
• In the Media
• For Journalists
• DCI Fellows
• Other Auditors
• Academic Calendar & Deadlines
• Course Materials
• Entrepreneurial Resources
• Campus Drive Grove
• Campus Drive Lawn
• CEMEX Auditorium
• King Community Court
• Seawell Family Boardroom
• Stanford GSB Bowl
• Stanford Investors Common
• Town Square
• Vidalakis Courtyard
• Vidalakis Dining Hall
• Catering Services
• Policies & Guidelines
• Reservations
• Contact Faculty Recruiting
• Lecturer Positions
• Postdoctoral Positions
• Accommodations
• CMC-Managed Interviews
• Recruiter-Managed Interviews
• Virtual Interviews
• Campus & Virtual
• Search for Candidates
• Think Globally
• Recruiting Calendar
• Recruiting Policies
• Full-Time Employment
• Summer Employment
• Entrepreneurial Summer Program
• Global Management Immersion Experience
• Social-Purpose Summer Internships
• Process Overview
• Project Types
• Client Eligibility Criteria
• Client Screening
• ACT Leadership
• Social Innovation & Nonprofit Management Resources
• Develop Your Organization’s Talent
• Centers & Initiatives
• Student Fellowships

• Undergraduate
• High School
• Architecture
• American History
• Asian History
• Antique Literature
• American Literature
• Asian Literature
• Classic English Literature
• World Literature
• Creative Writing
• Linguistics
• Criminal Justice
• Legal Issues
• Anthropology
• Archaeology
• Political Science
• World Affairs
• African-American Studies
• East European Studies
• Latin-American Studies
• Native-American Studies
• West European Studies
• Family and Consumer Science
• Social Issues
• Women and Gender Studies
• Social Work
• Natural Sciences
• Pharmacology
• Earth science
• Agriculture
• Agricultural Studies
• Computer Science
• IT Management
• Mathematics
• Investments
• Engineering and Technology
• Engineering
• Aeronautics
• Medicine and Health
• Alternative Medicine
• Communications and Media
• Advertising
• Communication Strategies
• Public Relations
• Educational Theories
• Teacher's Career
• Chicago/Turabian
• Company Analysis
• Education Theories
• Shakespeare
• Canadian Studies
• Food Safety
• Relation of Global Warming and Extreme Weather Condition
• Movie Review
• Admission Essay
• Annotated Bibliography
• Application Essay
• Article Critique
• Article Review
• Article Writing
• Book Review
• Business Plan
• Business Proposal
• Capstone Project
• Cover Letter
• Creative Essay
• Dissertation
• Dissertation - Abstract
• Dissertation - Conclusion
• Dissertation - Discussion
• Dissertation - Hypothesis
• Dissertation - Introduction
• Dissertation - Literature
• Dissertation - Methodology
• Dissertation - Results
• GCSE Coursework
• Grant Proposal
• Marketing Plan
• Multiple Choice Quiz
• Personal Statement
• Power Point Presentation
• Power Point Presentation With Speaker Notes
• Questionnaire
• Reaction Paper
• Research Paper
• Research Proposal
• SWOT analysis
• Thesis Paper
• Online Quiz
• Literature Review
• Movie Analysis
• Statistics problem
• Math Problem
• All papers examples
• How It Works
• Money Back Policy
• Terms of Use
• Privacy Policy
• We Are Hiring

Business: Motivation in an Organization, Essay Example

Pages: 1

Words: 244

Hire a Writer for Custom Essay

Use 10% Off Discount: "custom10" in 1 Click 👇

You are free to use it as an inspiration or a source for your own work.

Motivation in an organization is very essential. Employers need to device ways of motivating their employees to improve individual performance. There are several incentive approaches that can be applied to motivate individuals. These include commissions, bonuses profit – sharing plans, referrals and piecework plans.

Referral is an approach that involves recruiting of new personnel into an organization. Employees are encouraged to recruit new workers and they earn a certain amount of money after their recruited staff get through their probation period. In sales, a sales person would earn a commission depending on the amount of sales made by the staff he recruited.

A company can also give a portion of its profits to employees with an aim of increasing their productivity. This method is known as profit-sharing plan. It can also be used to limit or reduce waste or even recruit new employees. Commission is an incentive method commonly applied to sales people. This is where a sales person earns income depending on their level of sales.

Between the three approaches, the best could be the issue of commission. This is because productivity will be directly tied to commission. This means that the company is at win – win situation since it does not spend much incase there is low productivity. Incase of high productivity, the company will gain more profits and pay commissions which is an advantage to the company. The individual is also motivated to work extra to earn that extra coin hence increasing performance.

Stuck with your Essay?

Get in touch with one of our experts for instant help!

Choosing a Pension Plan, Essay Example

Relationship Between Training, Development and Careers, Essay Example

Time is precious

don’t waste it!

Plagiarism-free guarantee

Privacy guarantee

Secure checkout

Money back guarantee

Related Essay Samples & Examples

Voting as a civic responsibility, essay example.

Words: 287

Utilitarianism and Its Applications, Essay Example

Words: 356

The Age-Related Changes of the Older Person, Essay Example

Pages: 2

Words: 448

The Problems ESOL Teachers Face, Essay Example

Pages: 8

Words: 2293

Should English Be the Primary Language? Essay Example

Pages: 4

Words: 999

The Term “Social Construction of Reality”, Essay Example

Words: 371

How to Write a Powerful MBA Essay—With Examples

The MBA essay is critical to your business school application. Read our guide to writing the perfect MBA essay, with successful admit examples.

Posted April 4, 2024

MBA Week (June 3-6)

Starting monday, june 3.

10:00 PM UTC · 60 minutes

Table of Contents

What is the mba essay.

The MBA admissions essay.

Those words alone are enough to make most MBA candidates run screaming. Writing in general is hard enough. Writing about why you want an MBA? Your short-term goals and career aspirations? What matters to you most, and why? Forget it.

Of course, you still have to write these essays.

The MBA essay is perhaps  the most important part of the business school application. (It's also getting more and more important by the day, with some business schools moving away from traditional, quantitative measuring sticks, like the GMAT and the GRE.) Every other part of the application — your GPA, your test scores, your letters of recommendation — are quantified, cut and dried, or out of your control. The essay is your chance to show up as a fully realized MBA candidate, with hopes, dreams, and vulnerabilities. Admissions committees are not simply assessing your candidacy as a future leader — they're looking to admit human beings. That's where the MBA applicant essays come in.

That being the case, rather than being intimidated by it, treat the essay like the opportunity that it is — the chance for you to highlight your unique, iridescent self; the only moment in the MBA admissions process (prior to the interview) when you can speak directly to the admissions officers; the time when you'll show them who you really are. It's not easy to write something that will do that, of course, but with the tips and tricks in this guide, and some help from one of Leland's vetted, world-class admissions coaches, we know you can do it. Give the essay the time, attention, and respect it deserves, and you'll be on your way to an offer of admission at your dream school.

Without further ado, let's dive in!

Ultimate MBA Essay Guide

See the MBA essay prompts, top tips from experts, and real examples from admits with this comprehensive guide.

How Long Will My MBA Essay Take?

First thing's first: let's talk about timing.

The MBA application is a behemoth; between exams, resumes, gathering your official transcripts, letters of recommendation, and the applications themselves, there's a lot to juggle. That being the case, we suggest you give yourself ample time to draft, write, and revise your essays. The last thing you want is to be rushed to the finish line.

So, give yourself  at least three months to write your MBA essays. That should allow you ample time to draft, write, and edit. For more information on timing your entire b-school application, click here for  A Comprehensive MBA Application Timeline--With Chart .

Now, on to the critical question:

Free trial!

From 110 top coaches

Access a library of videos, templates, and examples curated by Leland’s top coaches.

Example essays.

Example Resumes

Application Prep

Video Courses

What Makes a Great MBA Essay?

At the highest level, the answer is the one that is truest to you. The whole point of these essays is to shine through as an authentic, vibrant human being, so the best essays are the ones that cut through the clutter, and allow you do to that.

Which begs the question — how  do you cut through the clutter and shine through as a vibrant human being? Here are four critical tips to follow as you begin thinking about your essays.

1. Answer the Question

This one sounds obvious, but you'd be surprised how many applicants launch into their story, get carried away, and forget to answer the question. Follow the prompt, and answer the question the admissions committee has asked you. Those prompts can actually be very useful when writing your essays — it's a great deal harder to write when you have no guidance or guardrails. With the MBA essays, you have a very specific question you need to answer. So answer it!

2. Be Specific

Another mistake some MBA applicants make is to stay at a high level in their essays, keeping their writing abstract and therefore inaccessible to the admissions committee. If at any point, an admissions officer could replace your name with the name of another applicant, then your essay isn't getting deep enough. It's not enough, for instance, to say that you suffered adversity in high school, or that you really, really want a Wharton MBA. You need to explain, in detail, the adversity you faced, and give concrete and unique reasons why you think Wharton is the right program for you. The best essays offer hyper-specific examples and anecdotes, with details and anecdotes that no other candidate could bring to the table. To get those anecdotes, we recommend using the STAR template, as explained below:

• Situation : What was the situation you were facing? Where were you? How old were you? If you were in a professional role during this anecdote, what was the role, and how long had you been in it? If you were volunteering, at what organization? How long had you been volunteering there? Why did you start? Offer all the relevant information that the admissions readers will need to understand your story.
• Task : What was the task at hand? What went wrong? In your professional role, what was the challenge you faced? In that volunteering experience, what were the hurdles you had to overcome? You can't have a good story without conflict or tension, so after you set up the anecdote, explain what that conflict or tension was (and remember, be specific!).
• Action : What was the action you took to resolve the problem? What did you have to do to fix that issue at work? How did you clear that hurdle in your volunteer experience? Again, be specific about how you came through on the other side of that conflict/tension — and while you're doing it, highlight your leadership capabilities as much as possible! Remember that top MBA programs are looking for future leaders who can assess a situation and decisively take action. (We'll say a bit more about this below, in the Personal Statement section.
• Result : What was the result of your action? If you were facing a growth problem at work, were you able to increase sales? If so, by what percentage? If you were advocating for diversity and inclusion at your local charity, what new programs did you implement to help with that effort, and what was the enrollment like in those new programs? Detail what happened in your anecdote with as much specificity as possible — and quantify, quantify, quantify!

3. Get Vulnerable

Most MBA admissions essay prompts are written with the goal of getting to know as much about you as possible in the shortest number of words. To do that, you're going to have to share real things from your life — to get personal, intimate, and vulnerable. Do not shy away from this. If you're starting to get emotional during the reflection, drafting, and writing process, good — that means you're on the right track. Keep going. Pro tip: If it’s making you cry, it will make them cry. Another good rule of thumb is to put something real and true on the table. Admissions officers have to read literally thousands of applications from thoroughly qualified individuals, some of whom might come from similar roles to yours, with letters of recommendation from equally impressive supervisors. In order to cut through that noise, you'll have to share something honest. If you're doing it right, this can feel risky. At some point, you’ll likely think to yourself: “Can I say that?” The answer is: “Yes.” Of course, there is a line, you don’t want to be crass or offensive but err on the side of being open and authentic. The very worst thing you can do is be overly cautious, and write something you think will please the admissions committee. These poor people have to read thousands of essays. If yours is just like everyone else’s, they’ll fall asleep. Don’t let that happen. Wake them up by putting yourself —your true, bright, vibrant, quirky self—on the page.

4. Don't Exaggerate

Finally, do not exaggerate, over-inflate, or lie. This goes without saying, but admissions committees are looking for honest candidates. The surest way to get rejected is to lie about something. (Business schools do a background check on you before you're properly admitted, so they will find out.) Don't be the person who over-inflates on their essays, then has their offer letter rescinded.

The Types of MBA Essays

All right — since we've covered high-level approaches to the MBA essays, it's time to dig into the various types.

There are three general categories of MBA essays you'll see across the board.

1. Personal Statement

These questions ask you to offer up something sincere about yourself. They'll often touch on such things as your values and your character. In these, you'll want to be as authentic as possible, while also highlighting attributes like leadership, intellectual vitality, and teamwork, that business schools are looking for. Here are a few examples of personal statement essays:

• As we review your application, what more would you like us to know as we consider your candidacy for the Harvard Business School MBA program? (HBS)
• What matters most to you, and why? (Stanford GSB)

2. Why an MBA/Why This School

The next category of essays is the "Why an MBA" / "Why This School" set.

In these, schools first want to hear about how an MBA will fit into your career, both short and long term. Top MBA programs are looking for candidates who will: first of all, be gainfully employed upon graduating, second of all, have an illustrious career that will make their institution look good and encourage future generations of applicants to apply, and third, be consistent and generous donors. That being the case, they want to know about your career trajectory, and how an MBA will fit into it.

Pro tip: Here, you want to be ambitious and inspiring in laying out your future career, but not naïve. Walk the line between shooting for the stars and sounding dreamlike and uninformed.

In this set of questions, you'll also encounter questions geared at figuring out why you would want to attend a specific school. MBA programs want to know that you're serious about attending their school — yield, or the percentage of admitted candidates who accept their offers of admission, is an important metric for them — but they also want to envision how you'll contribute to their admitted class. What will you uniquely bring to the table, the things that you'll do that the other candidates wouldn’t be able to offer?

We've heard former deans of business schools say that, in choosing a class, they're curating a world-class dinner party, and that each person invited to the dinner party has to bring something different. What will you bring to the dinner party?

Pro tip: To demonstrate that you've done your research, and to help the admissions committee envision you in their program, indicate which classes you might take when earning your MBA and why, which professors you might hope to study with, and in which clubs you might participate.

Here are a few examples of "why MBA / why this school" essays:

• How is a Columbia MBA going to help you? (Columbia)
• What do you hope to gain professionally from the Wharton MBA? (Wharton)
• Why Stanford? Describe your aspirations and how your Stanford GSB experience will help you realize them. (Stanford GSB)

3. Behavioral/Other

Finally, most other essays will either be behavioral, asking you about experiences, traits, strengths, weaknesses, and achievements. There's a wide variety of topics here, but all the guidelines from above apply, with the final note to always prioritize authenticity (as mentioned in the Personal Statement section) and leadership ability (remember, business schools are choosing future leaders). Here are a few examples of behavioral/other essays:

• Describe the biggest commitment you have ever made. (Yale SOM)
• Tell us about your favorite book, movie, or song and why it resonates with you. (Columbia)
• Think about times you’ve created a positive impact, whether in professional, extracurricular, academic, or other settings. What was your impact? What made it significant to you or to others? (Stanford GSB)

Top MBA Program Essay Prompts (Updated 2022)

To help you get started, we've compiled the required prompts from a few top MBA programs below:

1. Harvard Business School (HBS)

As we review your application, what more would you like us to know as we consider your candidacy for the Harvard Business School MBA program? (900 words)

For more information, visit A Guide to the HBS Essay .

2. Stanford Graduate School of Business

What matters to you most, and why? (650 words)

Why Stanford? (400 words)

Read What Matters Most When Writing the GSB Essays.

How do you plan to use the Wharton MBA program to help you achieve your future professional goals? You might consider your past experience, short and long-term goals, and resources available at Wharton. (500 words)

Taking into consideration your background – personal, professional, and/or academic – how do you plan to make specific, meaningful contributions to the Wharton community? (400 words)

For Wharton-specific advice, visit A Guide to the Wharton Essays .

4. Columbia Business School

Essay 1: Through your resume and recommendation, we have a clear sense of your professional path to date. What are your career goals over the next three to five years and what, in your imagination, would be your long-term dream job? (500 words)

Essay 2: The Phillips Pathway for Inclusive Leadership (PPIL) is a new co-curricular program designed to ensure that every CBS student develops the skills to become an ethical and inclusive leader. Through PPIL, students attend programming focused on five essential diversity, equity, and inclusion skills: Creating an Inclusive Environment, Mitigating Bias, Communicating Across Identities, Addressing Systemic Inequity, and Managing Difficult Conversations. Tell us about a time you were challenged around one of these five skills. Describe the situation, the actions you took, and the outcome. (250 words)

Essay 3: We believe Columbia Business School is a special place. CBS proudly fosters a collaborative learning environment through curricular experiences like our clusters and learning teams , an extremely active co-curricular and student life environment, and career mentorship opportunities like our Executives-in-Residence program .Why do you feel Columbia Business School is a good fit for you academically, culturally, and professionally? Please be specific. (250 words)

5. Chicago Booth

How will the Booth MBA help you achieve your immediate and long-term post-MBA career goals? (250-word minimum)

An MBA is as much about personal growth as it is about professional development. In addition to sharing your experience and goals in terms of your career, we’d like to learn more about you outside of the office. Use this opportunity to tell us something about who you are… (250-word minimum)

Read more at A Guide to the Booth Essays .

6. Kellogg Northwestern

Kellogg’s purpose is to educate, equip and inspire brave leaders who create lasting value. Provide a recent example where you have demonstrated leadership and created value. What challenges did you face and what did you learn? (450 words)

Values are what guide you in your life and work. What values are important to you and how have they influenced you? (450 words)

Read How to Nail Your Kellogg MBA Application Essays

7. MIT Sloan

MIT Sloan seeks students whose personal characteristics demonstrate that they will make the most of the incredible opportunities at MIT, both academic and non-academic. We are on a quest to find those whose presence will enhance the experience of other students. We seek thoughtful leaders with exceptional intellectual abilities and the drive and determination to put their stamp on the world. We welcome people who are independent, authentic, and fearlessly creative — true doers. We want people who can redefine solutions to conventional problems, and strive to preempt unconventional dilemmas with cutting-edge ideas. We demand integrity, respect, and passion.

Taking the above into consideration, please submit a cover letter seeking a place in the MIT Sloan MBA program. Your letter should conform to standard business correspondence, include one or more professional examples that illustrate why you meet the desired criteria above, and be addressed to the Admissions Committee (300 words or fewer, excluding address and salutation)

Applicants are required to upload a 1 minute (60 seconds) video as part of their application. In your video, you should introduce yourself to your future classmates, tell us about your past experiences, and touch on why MIT Sloan is the best place for you to pursue your degree.

How to Start Your MBA Essay

So you've read about the types of essays, and seen some of the prompts from top MBA programs. Now it's time to actually start diving into the essay.

The very first thing to do, before putting pen to paper, is to look inward.

Why do  you want an MBA? What role will this degree play in your professional growth? How do you imagine it will shape your life? What do you want out of your career? What is the most important thing in the world to you?

Yes, these are life’s deep-end questions, but you’ll need to tackle them in these essays, so before you start writing, take the time to think through them. Go for a run, swim some laps, bake a cake—however you get into the flow — and start a dialogue with yourself. Put down your work, turn your phone off, and give your mind permission to go to the places it usually avoids. That’s a good place to start. That’s where the answers are.

Pro tip: The first sentence is the hardest one to write. When you're starting out if it can intimidating and anxiety-producing. The trick is to simply put  anything  down — and don't look back. Keep putting one sentence after the other. You can edit later: let whatever comes to you out onto the page. If you’re struggling with self-critique, dim your computer screen until you can’t even see the words you’re typing. Then keep going.

Additional Tips & Tricks

Once you've started your essay, it's a matter of persistence: keep writing, then keep drafting and editing until you have something you're really proud of.

To help you with that process, here are a few more tips and tricks:

• Take Breaks

When you hit the wall — you will hit the wall — stop. This is your brain telling you it needs to do something else. Walk your dog. Take a lap around your room. Eat some cheese. Your body needs sleep every night to function; your mind is the same way. That next leap of inspiration will come exactly at the moment when you’re least expecting it.

• Read it Out Loud

When you finally have a draft, print it and read it out loud to yourself. Your ear will catch things your eyes miss. Reading out loud is the best way to pick up on spelling errors, clunky transitions, and paragraphs that still need ironing out. It’s also a good way to envision how the admissions committee will experience your essay.

Don’t be precious with your essay. Send it to anyone willing to read it. Solicit as much feedback as you can. If you don’t like what people have to say, you don’t have to incorporate it, but you need an impartial third party to give notes on what they’re seeing, thinking, and feeling. (You’re too close to things to do it for yourself.) This is where a Leland coach comes very much in handy!

• Complete Everything Early

This is more of a timing consideration, but you do not want to trip at the finish line because your internet went down the night before the deadline, or your credit card was denied when paying your application fee (it's happened before). Don't let that be you!

Here is another article to get you started, written by an expert essays coach: 7 MBA Essay Tips to Make You Stand Out in 2022 .

Example MBA Essays

Finally, here are two essays to help inspire you. The first, a personal statement essay, was submitted by an admit to Berkeley Haas' Executive MBA program; the second, a career goals / why MBA essay, was submitted by an admit to Chicago Booth's deferred MBA program.

Haas Admit:

A person’s identity is shaped by many different aspects, including family, culture, personal interests, and surrounding environments. Please share a facet of your identity or story that is essential to who you are. (300 words) My upbringing in India, filled with countless myths and legends, had a profound influence on me. The most formative tale was about a sage who prays for years to the goddess of knowledge, but in vain. In the end, the goddess didn’t appear for the sage because he was turning his prayer beads the wrong way! As a child, this story upset me: the sage worked so hard and had the right intentions. As an adult, though, I’ve come to realize that the goddess of knowledge was right: you can’t succeed unless you do things the right way. Seven years ago, two friends and I started a company, XXXX: a digital health platform that would allow patients to store medical records online and consult doctors remotely. We had early success—we brought on 2,000 patients at XXXX, a gynecology clinic in XXXX—but ultimately we didn’t have the resources to properly scale, and had to shut the company down. Among the many lessons I learned, the most valuable was that ideas and hard work are common; businesses succeed or fail based on execution—on doing things the right way. Two years ago, I relearned this lesson in the most painful way possible: when my marriage ended. My wife and I loved each other, but we weren’t there for each other when it mattered most. Our feelings weren’t enough—we had to back them up with the right actions. It’s disheartening when you have good intentions but still fall short. When this happens, though, you have to keep trying—because eventually you will do things the right way. I carry the story of the sage with me always, not as a harsh lesson, but as a motivating goal: one that keeps me striving towards doing things the right way.

Booth Admit:

How will the Booth MBA help you achieve your immediate and long-term post-MBA career goals? (250 word minimum)

I want to start a geothermal company that will help lead the energy transition away from fossil fuels and toward renewable energy—by targeting existing oil wells as sites for geothermal plants. Oil fields are close to electric grids and have high nearby subsurface temperatures, making them ideal sites for geothermal plants. By building geothermal infrastructure nearby, my company will produce cleaner, cheaper energy, making it more profitable for operators to switch from oil to geothermal. As oil companies decommission their wells, I’ll negotiate for their land rights, so I can use their existing wells for new geothermal vents. I want my company to prove the case for economically viable, carbon neutral energy production. After getting an MBA I want to start a geothermal company which will help me lead the energy transition away from fossil fuels to renewable energy. I plan to target developed oil fields in Texas, where, in many places, producing wells are flowing enough hot fluid to generate clean energy. Using this geothermal heat, the carbon footprint of oil and gas extraction will decrease as fewer fossil fuels are utilized to power surrounding infrastructure. As the wells approach their economic life, I will negotiate the lease from various operators, saving them millions in plug and abandonment costs, and retrofit the wells for direct geothermal energy production via closed loop binary fluid systems, bringing emissions to zero. To accomplish this goal, I need to shore up my knowledge of energy economics and entrepreneurial finance, develop a strong sense of leadership, and build a network of like minded individuals that will help me lead the transition and I believe I can get those things at Chicago Booth. My immediate career goal is to develop my first co-production site in Shelby County, Texas at the Blanton well site, which produces abnormally heated fluid from the flanks of an active salt dome. Before investing in capital expenditures, developing a strong sense of energy economics and broader markets is necessary to verify financial feasibility. University of Chicago, through the Graduate-Student-At-Large: Business program, is already allowing me to accomplish this goal with my enrollment in “Microeconomics” with Professor Andrew McClellan. His instruction helped me understand the impact taxes and subsidies have on market equilibrium, an important aspect of renewable energy as green energy tax incentives continue to change on a yearly basis. As my company continues to grow, having a strong finance and accounting foundation is imperative to building and sustaining a healthy company. Electives such as “Accounting for Entrepreneurship: From Start-Up through IPO” will provide the skills I need to be successful by following the life-cycle of a business that originates as a start-up, and covers topics such as building an initial accounting infrastructure. I understand that execution of the business is as important as developing the idea and proof of concept, and Booth is the best place for me to develop financial fluency. Leading the energy transition will require a strong sense of leadership. Not only will I need to lead those I get to work with over my career, but to lead the energy transition, and reverse the impact fossil fuels have had thus far, I must have the emotional intelligence to inspire others to join me in my journey. The “Interpersonal Dynamics” course at Booth will allow me to develop my communication skills and better understand the emotions and perceptions of my colleagues. These skills, synthesized with leadership development acquired in “Leadership Practicum” will prepare me to act as a relational leader, who understands the needs of others. As a relational leader I hope to foster an environment which promotes happiness, and maximizes efficiency, not only to make our efforts in changing the world more successful, but to excite other people to join our cause.

To find the greatest chance of success in leading the energy transition, I will need a network of like-minded individuals who can provide a diversity of thought. Chicago Booth provides the opportunity to develop that network through different community experiences. The Energy Club’s “Energy Forward” conference, which designates time to topics in oil and gas and renewable energy will allow me to hear from industry leaders, build meaningful relationships with peers and contribute my sector experience to the public forum as I learn from those around me. Opportunities through the Entrepreneurship and Venture Capital Group such as “SeedCon” will help me connect with successful entrepreneurs and early-stage investors whose ideas and funding might change the course of my venture’s trajectory. Even in the GSALB program I have had the opportunity to connect with other students in various sectors, including the energy industry. I hope to continue to strengthen those connections and continue building new ones with matriculation into the full time program.

Here are several other articles that you may find helpful as you put together your MBA application:

• The Most Frequently Asked Questions on MBA Applications
• How to Answer the "Why an MBA?" Essay Question
• My Top Piece of Advice for MBA Applicants
• How I Nailed My MBA Interview and Gained Admission to Top 10 Business Schools
• 4 Expert Tips on Paying for Business School

Browse hundreds of expert coaches

Leland coaches have helped thousands of people achieve their goals. A dedicated mentor can make all the difference.

Browse Related Articles

January 9, 2024

How to Nail Your Kellogg MBA Application Essays

Tips and tricks that will help you craft the best application essays possible and get admitted into Kellogg.

January 28, 2024

How to Nail Your Stanford GSB Short Answer Questions

Learn how to stand out with your Stanford GSB short answer questions.

January 4, 2024

HBS 2+2 Deferred MBA Essay Prompts & Tips (2024)

As of 2024, HBS has changed its deferred MBA essay prompts away from the traditional, "What else should we know about you?" to three smaller essays. Read more and nail your HBS 2+2 application here.

May 10, 2024

How to Ace Your HBS MBA Interview

Interviewing for the deferred program at Harvard Business School? Ace your interview with these helpful tips and tricks, including sample questions from actual interviews—only on Leland.

May 11, 2024

An Overview of the HBS 2+2 Program—and How to Kick Off Your Application

HBS 2+2 is one of the most prestigious deferred MBA programs in the country. Here's an overview, with some tips on how to start your application.

May 9, 2024

How to Get the Perfect MBA Letter of Recommendation—With Examples

The ultimate guide to the MBA recommendation letter, including examples of letters that helped applicants earn admission to top 10 MBA programs.

March 12, 2024

MBA Essay Too Long? Here's How to Fix It

The word count of most MBA application essays is very limited. This article by an expert Leland MBA coach will give you 8 tips to help you keep your essays under the limit while still maintaining a compelling story.

January 31, 2024

How to Nail the "Why Wharton" MBA Essay

Learn how to craft a compelling 'Why Wharton' MBA essay that sets you apart from the competition. Elevate your application to stand out.

May 4, 2023

Why ChatGPT Can’t Write Your Personal Statement

While ChatGPT is multifaceted, there is a compelling argument against using AI for your personal statements. Here is one expert's take on the revolutionary technology and application essays.

Top 10 Deferred MBA Programs in the US—and How to Get In (2024)

Aiming for an MBA, even while you're still in college? Perfect—learn all about deferred admission MBA programs and receive key insights into the DMBA application process.

Craft a Powerful Essay for Stanford GSB: What Matters Most & Why?

A GSB MBA, expert admissions coach, and pro writer, outlines his top advice for nailing the challenging and broad Stanford essay prompt, to help you get into one of the most prestigious MBA programs in the world.

A Guide to the Columbia Business School Essays (2023-2024)

Coach Melanie E. walks you through each Columbia Business School essay prompt for the 2023-2024 cycle, breaking down what adcoms are looking for and offering expert advice on how to nail your responses.

• Search Menu

Sign in through your institution

• Browse content in Arts and Humanities
• Browse content in Archaeology
• Anglo-Saxon and Medieval Archaeology
• Archaeological Methodology and Techniques
• Archaeology by Region
• Archaeology of Religion
• Archaeology of Trade and Exchange
• Biblical Archaeology
• Contemporary and Public Archaeology
• Environmental Archaeology
• Historical Archaeology
• History and Theory of Archaeology
• Industrial Archaeology
• Landscape Archaeology
• Mortuary Archaeology
• Prehistoric Archaeology
• Underwater Archaeology
• Zooarchaeology
• Browse content in Architecture
• Architectural Structure and Design
• History of Architecture
• Residential and Domestic Buildings
• Theory of Architecture
• Browse content in Art
• Art Subjects and Themes
• History of Art
• Industrial and Commercial Art
• Theory of Art
• Biographical Studies
• Byzantine Studies
• Browse content in Classical Studies
• Classical Literature
• Classical Reception
• Classical History
• Classical Philosophy
• Classical Mythology
• Classical Art and Architecture
• Classical Oratory and Rhetoric
• Greek and Roman Archaeology
• Greek and Roman Epigraphy
• Greek and Roman Law
• Greek and Roman Papyrology
• Late Antiquity
• Religion in the Ancient World
• Digital Humanities
• Browse content in History
• Colonialism and Imperialism
• Diplomatic History
• Environmental History
• Genealogy, Heraldry, Names, and Honours
• Genocide and Ethnic Cleansing
• Historical Geography
• History by Period
• History of Agriculture
• History of Education
• History of Emotions
• History of Gender and Sexuality
• Industrial History
• Intellectual History
• International History
• Labour History
• Legal and Constitutional History
• Local and Family History
• Maritime History
• Military History
• National Liberation and Post-Colonialism
• Oral History
• Political History
• Public History
• Regional and National History
• Revolutions and Rebellions
• Slavery and Abolition of Slavery
• Social and Cultural History
• Theory, Methods, and Historiography
• Urban History
• World History
• Browse content in Language Teaching and Learning
• Language Learning (Specific Skills)
• Language Teaching Theory and Methods
• Browse content in Linguistics
• Applied Linguistics
• Cognitive Linguistics
• Computational Linguistics
• Forensic Linguistics
• Grammar, Syntax and Morphology
• Historical and Diachronic Linguistics
• History of English
• Language Variation
• Language Families
• Language Acquisition
• Language Evolution
• Language Reference
• Lexicography
• Linguistic Theories
• Linguistic Typology
• Linguistic Anthropology
• Phonetics and Phonology
• Psycholinguistics
• Sociolinguistics
• Translation and Interpretation
• Writing Systems
• Browse content in Literature
• Bibliography
• Children's Literature Studies
• Literary Studies (Modernism)
• Literary Studies (Asian)
• Literary Studies (European)
• Literary Studies (Eco-criticism)
• Literary Studies (Romanticism)
• Literary Studies (American)
• Literary Studies - World
• Literary Studies (1500 to 1800)
• Literary Studies (19th Century)
• Literary Studies (20th Century onwards)
• Literary Studies (African American Literature)
• Literary Studies (British and Irish)
• Literary Studies (Early and Medieval)
• Literary Studies (Fiction, Novelists, and Prose Writers)
• Literary Studies (Gender Studies)
• Literary Studies (Graphic Novels)
• Literary Studies (History of the Book)
• Literary Studies (Plays and Playwrights)
• Literary Studies (Poetry and Poets)
• Literary Studies (Postcolonial Literature)
• Literary Studies (Queer Studies)
• Literary Studies (Science Fiction)
• Literary Studies (Travel Literature)
• Literary Studies (War Literature)
• Literary Studies (Women's Writing)
• Literary Theory and Cultural Studies
• Mythology and Folklore
• Shakespeare Studies and Criticism
• Browse content in Media Studies
• Browse content in Music
• Applied Music
• Dance and Music
• Ethics in Music
• Ethnomusicology
• Gender and Sexuality in Music
• Medicine and Music
• Music Cultures
• Music and Culture
• Music and Religion
• Music and Media
• Music Education and Pedagogy
• Music Theory and Analysis
• Musical Scores, Lyrics, and Libretti
• Musical Structures, Styles, and Techniques
• Musicology and Music History
• Performance Practice and Studies
• Race and Ethnicity in Music
• Sound Studies
• Browse content in Performing Arts
• Browse content in Philosophy
• Aesthetics and Philosophy of Art
• Epistemology
• Feminist Philosophy
• History of Western Philosophy
• Metaphysics
• Moral Philosophy
• Non-Western Philosophy
• Philosophy of Action
• Philosophy of Law
• Philosophy of Religion
• Philosophy of Science
• Philosophy of Language
• Philosophy of Mind
• Philosophy of Perception
• Philosophy of Mathematics and Logic
• Practical Ethics
• Social and Political Philosophy
• Browse content in Religion
• Biblical Studies
• Christianity
• East Asian Religions
• History of Religion
• Judaism and Jewish Studies
• Qumran Studies
• Religion and Education
• Religion and Health
• Religion and Politics
• Religion and Science
• Religion and Law
• Religion and Art, Literature, and Music
• Religious Studies
• Browse content in Society and Culture
• Cookery, Food, and Drink
• Cultural Studies
• Customs and Traditions
• Ethical Issues and Debates
• Hobbies, Games, Arts and Crafts
• Natural world, Country Life, and Pets
• Popular Beliefs and Controversial Knowledge
• Sports and Outdoor Recreation
• Technology and Society
• Travel and Holiday
• Visual Culture
• Browse content in Law
• Arbitration
• Browse content in Company and Commercial Law
• Commercial Law
• Company Law
• Browse content in Comparative Law
• Systems of Law
• Competition Law
• Browse content in Constitutional and Administrative Law
• Government Powers
• Judicial Review
• Local Government Law
• Military and Defence Law
• Parliamentary and Legislative Practice
• Construction Law
• Contract Law
• Browse content in Criminal Law
• Criminal Procedure
• Criminal Evidence Law
• Sentencing and Punishment
• Employment and Labour Law
• Environment and Energy Law
• Browse content in Financial Law
• Banking Law
• Insolvency Law
• History of Law
• Human Rights and Immigration
• Intellectual Property Law
• Browse content in International Law
• Private International Law and Conflict of Laws
• Public International Law
• IT and Communications Law
• Jurisprudence and Philosophy of Law
• Law and Society
• Law and Politics
• Browse content in Legal System and Practice
• Courts and Procedure
• Legal Skills and Practice
• Primary Sources of Law
• Regulation of Legal Profession
• Medical and Healthcare Law
• Browse content in Policing
• Criminal Investigation and Detection
• Police and Security Services
• Police Procedure and Law
• Police Regional Planning
• Browse content in Property Law
• Personal Property Law
• Study and Revision
• Terrorism and National Security Law
• Browse content in Trusts Law
• Wills and Probate or Succession
• Browse content in Medicine and Health
• Browse content in Allied Health Professions
• Arts Therapies
• Clinical Science
• Dietetics and Nutrition
• Occupational Therapy
• Operating Department Practice
• Physiotherapy
• Radiography
• Speech and Language Therapy
• Browse content in Anaesthetics
• General Anaesthesia
• Neuroanaesthesia
• Browse content in Clinical Medicine
• Acute Medicine
• Cardiovascular Medicine
• Clinical Genetics
• Clinical Pharmacology and Therapeutics
• Dermatology
• Endocrinology and Diabetes
• Gastroenterology
• Genito-urinary Medicine
• Geriatric Medicine
• Infectious Diseases
• Medical Oncology
• Medical Toxicology
• Pain Medicine
• Palliative Medicine
• Rehabilitation Medicine
• Respiratory Medicine and Pulmonology
• Rheumatology
• Sleep Medicine
• Sports and Exercise Medicine
• Clinical Neuroscience
• Community Medical Services
• Critical Care
• Emergency Medicine
• Forensic Medicine
• Haematology
• History of Medicine
• Medical Ethics
• Browse content in Medical Dentistry
• Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery
• Paediatric Dentistry
• Restorative Dentistry and Orthodontics
• Surgical Dentistry
• Browse content in Medical Skills
• Clinical Skills
• Communication Skills
• Nursing Skills
• Surgical Skills
• Medical Statistics and Methodology
• Browse content in Neurology
• Clinical Neurophysiology
• Neuropathology
• Nursing Studies
• Browse content in Obstetrics and Gynaecology
• Gynaecology
• Occupational Medicine
• Ophthalmology
• Otolaryngology (ENT)
• Browse content in Paediatrics
• Neonatology
• Browse content in Pathology
• Chemical Pathology
• Clinical Cytogenetics and Molecular Genetics
• Histopathology
• Medical Microbiology and Virology
• Patient Education and Information
• Browse content in Pharmacology
• Psychopharmacology
• Browse content in Popular Health
• Caring for Others
• Complementary and Alternative Medicine
• Self-help and Personal Development
• Browse content in Preclinical Medicine
• Cell Biology
• Molecular Biology and Genetics
• Reproduction, Growth and Development
• Primary Care
• Professional Development in Medicine
• Browse content in Psychiatry
• Addiction Medicine
• Child and Adolescent Psychiatry
• Forensic Psychiatry
• Learning Disabilities
• Old Age Psychiatry
• Psychotherapy
• Browse content in Public Health and Epidemiology
• Epidemiology
• Public Health
• Browse content in Radiology
• Clinical Radiology
• Interventional Radiology
• Nuclear Medicine
• Radiation Oncology
• Reproductive Medicine
• Browse content in Surgery
• Cardiothoracic Surgery
• Gastro-intestinal and Colorectal Surgery
• General Surgery
• Neurosurgery
• Paediatric Surgery
• Peri-operative Care
• Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery
• Surgical Oncology
• Transplant Surgery
• Trauma and Orthopaedic Surgery
• Vascular Surgery
• Browse content in Science and Mathematics
• Browse content in Biological Sciences
• Aquatic Biology
• Biochemistry
• Bioinformatics and Computational Biology
• Developmental Biology
• Ecology and Conservation
• Evolutionary Biology
• Genetics and Genomics
• Microbiology
• Molecular and Cell Biology
• Natural History
• Plant Sciences and Forestry
• Research Methods in Life Sciences
• Structural Biology
• Systems Biology
• Zoology and Animal Sciences
• Browse content in Chemistry
• Analytical Chemistry
• Computational Chemistry
• Crystallography
• Environmental Chemistry
• Industrial Chemistry
• Inorganic Chemistry
• Materials Chemistry
• Medicinal Chemistry
• Mineralogy and Gems
• Organic Chemistry
• Physical Chemistry
• Polymer Chemistry
• Study and Communication Skills in Chemistry
• Theoretical Chemistry
• Browse content in Computer Science
• Artificial Intelligence
• Computer Architecture and Logic Design
• Game Studies
• Human-Computer Interaction
• Mathematical Theory of Computation
• Programming Languages
• Software Engineering
• Systems Analysis and Design
• Virtual Reality
• Browse content in Computing
• Business Applications
• Computer Games
• Computer Security
• Computer Networking and Communications
• Digital Lifestyle
• Graphical and Digital Media Applications
• Operating Systems
• Browse content in Earth Sciences and Geography
• Atmospheric Sciences
• Environmental Geography
• Geology and the Lithosphere
• Maps and Map-making
• Meteorology and Climatology
• Oceanography and Hydrology
• Palaeontology
• Physical Geography and Topography
• Regional Geography
• Soil Science
• Urban Geography
• Browse content in Engineering and Technology
• Agriculture and Farming
• Biological Engineering
• Civil Engineering, Surveying, and Building
• Electronics and Communications Engineering
• Energy Technology
• Engineering (General)
• Environmental Science, Engineering, and Technology
• History of Engineering and Technology
• Mechanical Engineering and Materials
• Technology of Industrial Chemistry
• Transport Technology and Trades
• Browse content in Environmental Science
• Applied Ecology (Environmental Science)
• Conservation of the Environment (Environmental Science)
• Environmental Sustainability
• Environmentalist Thought and Ideology (Environmental Science)
• Management of Land and Natural Resources (Environmental Science)
• Natural Disasters (Environmental Science)
• Nuclear Issues (Environmental Science)
• Pollution and Threats to the Environment (Environmental Science)
• Social Impact of Environmental Issues (Environmental Science)
• History of Science and Technology
• Browse content in Materials Science
• Ceramics and Glasses
• Composite Materials
• Metals, Alloying, and Corrosion
• Nanotechnology
• Browse content in Mathematics
• Applied Mathematics
• Biomathematics and Statistics
• History of Mathematics
• Mathematical Education
• Mathematical Finance
• Mathematical Analysis
• Numerical and Computational Mathematics
• Probability and Statistics
• Pure Mathematics
• Browse content in Neuroscience
• Cognition and Behavioural Neuroscience
• Development of the Nervous System
• Disorders of the Nervous System
• History of Neuroscience
• Invertebrate Neurobiology
• Molecular and Cellular Systems
• Neuroendocrinology and Autonomic Nervous System
• Neuroscientific Techniques
• Sensory and Motor Systems
• Browse content in Physics
• Astronomy and Astrophysics
• Atomic, Molecular, and Optical Physics
• Biological and Medical Physics
• Classical Mechanics
• Computational Physics
• Condensed Matter Physics
• Electromagnetism, Optics, and Acoustics
• History of Physics
• Mathematical and Statistical Physics
• Measurement Science
• Nuclear Physics
• Particles and Fields
• Plasma Physics
• Quantum Physics
• Relativity and Gravitation
• Semiconductor and Mesoscopic Physics
• Browse content in Psychology
• Affective Sciences
• Clinical Psychology
• Cognitive Neuroscience
• Cognitive Psychology
• Criminal and Forensic Psychology
• Developmental Psychology
• Educational Psychology
• Evolutionary Psychology
• Health Psychology
• History and Systems in Psychology
• Music Psychology
• Neuropsychology
• Organizational Psychology
• Psychological Assessment and Testing
• Psychology of Human-Technology Interaction
• Psychology Professional Development and Training
• Research Methods in Psychology
• Social Psychology
• Browse content in Social Sciences
• Browse content in Anthropology
• Anthropology of Religion
• Human Evolution
• Medical Anthropology
• Physical Anthropology
• Regional Anthropology
• Social and Cultural Anthropology
• Theory and Practice of Anthropology
• Browse content in Business and Management
• Business History
• Business Strategy
• Business Ethics
• Business and Government
• Business and Technology
• Business and the Environment
• Comparative Management
• Corporate Governance
• Corporate Social Responsibility
• Entrepreneurship
• Health Management
• Human Resource Management
• Industrial and Employment Relations
• Industry Studies
• Information and Communication Technologies
• International Business
• Knowledge Management
• Management and Management Techniques
• Operations Management
• Organizational Theory and Behaviour
• Pensions and Pension Management
• Public and Nonprofit Management
• Strategic Management
• Supply Chain Management
• Browse content in Criminology and Criminal Justice
• Criminal Justice
• Criminology
• Forms of Crime
• International and Comparative Criminology
• Youth Violence and Juvenile Justice
• Development Studies
• Browse content in Economics
• Agricultural, Environmental, and Natural Resource Economics
• Asian Economics
• Behavioural Finance
• Behavioural Economics and Neuroeconomics
• Econometrics and Mathematical Economics
• Economic Methodology
• Economic Systems
• Economic History
• Economic Development and Growth
• Financial Markets
• Financial Institutions and Services
• General Economics and Teaching
• Health, Education, and Welfare
• History of Economic Thought
• International Economics
• Labour and Demographic Economics
• Law and Economics
• Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics
• Microeconomics
• Public Economics
• Urban, Rural, and Regional Economics
• Welfare Economics
• Browse content in Education
• Adult Education and Continuous Learning
• Care and Counselling of Students
• Early Childhood and Elementary Education
• Educational Equipment and Technology
• Educational Strategies and Policy
• Higher and Further Education
• Organization and Management of Education
• Philosophy and Theory of Education
• Schools Studies
• Secondary Education
• Teaching of a Specific Subject
• Teaching of Specific Groups and Special Educational Needs
• Teaching Skills and Techniques
• Browse content in Environment
• Applied Ecology (Social Science)
• Climate Change
• Conservation of the Environment (Social Science)
• Environmentalist Thought and Ideology (Social Science)
• Natural Disasters (Environment)
• Social Impact of Environmental Issues (Social Science)
• Browse content in Human Geography
• Cultural Geography
• Economic Geography
• Political Geography
• Browse content in Interdisciplinary Studies
• Communication Studies
• Museums, Libraries, and Information Sciences
• Browse content in Politics
• African Politics
• Asian Politics
• Chinese Politics
• Comparative Politics
• Conflict Politics
• Elections and Electoral Studies
• Environmental Politics
• European Union
• Foreign Policy
• Gender and Politics
• Human Rights and Politics
• Indian Politics
• International Relations
• International Organization (Politics)
• International Political Economy
• Irish Politics
• Latin American Politics
• Middle Eastern Politics
• Political Theory
• Political Methodology
• Political Communication
• Political Philosophy
• Political Sociology
• Political Behaviour
• Political Economy
• Political Institutions
• Politics and Law
• Politics of Development
• Public Administration
• Public Policy
• Quantitative Political Methodology
• Regional Political Studies
• Russian Politics
• Security Studies
• State and Local Government
• UK Politics
• US Politics
• Browse content in Regional and Area Studies
• African Studies
• Asian Studies
• East Asian Studies
• Japanese Studies
• Latin American Studies
• Middle Eastern Studies
• Native American Studies
• Scottish Studies
• Browse content in Research and Information
• Research Methods
• Browse content in Social Work
• Addictions and Substance Misuse
• Adoption and Fostering
• Care of the Elderly
• Child and Adolescent Social Work
• Couple and Family Social Work
• Direct Practice and Clinical Social Work
• Emergency Services
• Human Behaviour and the Social Environment
• International and Global Issues in Social Work
• Mental and Behavioural Health
• Social Justice and Human Rights
• Social Policy and Advocacy
• Social Work and Crime and Justice
• Social Work Macro Practice
• Social Work Practice Settings
• Social Work Research and Evidence-based Practice
• Welfare and Benefit Systems
• Browse content in Sociology
• Childhood Studies
• Community Development
• Comparative and Historical Sociology
• Economic Sociology
• Gender and Sexuality
• Gerontology and Ageing
• Health, Illness, and Medicine
• Marriage and the Family
• Migration Studies
• Occupations, Professions, and Work
• Organizations
• Population and Demography
• Race and Ethnicity
• Social Theory
• Social Movements and Social Change
• Social Research and Statistics
• Social Stratification, Inequality, and Mobility
• Sociology of Religion
• Sociology of Education
• Sport and Leisure
• Urban and Rural Studies
• Browse content in Warfare and Defence
• Defence Strategy, Planning, and Research
• Land Forces and Warfare
• Military Administration
• Military Life and Institutions
• Naval Forces and Warfare
• Other Warfare and Defence Issues
• Peace Studies and Conflict Resolution
• Weapons and Equipment

• < Previous
• Next chapter >

Essay 1.1 What Is Motivation, Where Does It Come from, and How Does It Work?

• Published: January 2023
• Cite Icon Cite
• Permissions Icon Permissions

Motivation is the process that drives, selects, and directs goals and behaviors. Motivation typically arises out of the person’s needs, and it then comes to life through the person’s specific goals. In this essay, the authors examine the concept of “needs” as the crucible from which motivated behavior arises because all individuals are born with needs that jump-start the goal-oriented, motivated behaviors that are critical to survival and thriving. These are both physical needs (such as hunger and thirst) and psychological needs (such as the need for social relationships, optimal predictability, and competence). The aim of motivation is therefore to bring about a desired (need, goal) state. Motivation underlies and organizes all aspects of a person’s psychology. As it does so, motivation “glues” a person together as a functioning individual in their culture and context.

Signed in as

Institutional accounts.

• GoogleCrawler [DO NOT DELETE]
• Google Scholar Indexing

Personal account

• Sign in with email/username & password
• Get email alerts
• Save searches
• Purchase content
• Activate your purchase/trial code
• Add your ORCID iD

Institutional access

Sign in with a library card.

• Sign in with username/password
• Recommend to your librarian
• Institutional account management
• Get help with access

Access to content on Oxford Academic is often provided through institutional subscriptions and purchases. If you are a member of an institution with an active account, you may be able to access content in one of the following ways:

IP based access

Typically, access is provided across an institutional network to a range of IP addresses. This authentication occurs automatically, and it is not possible to sign out of an IP authenticated account.

Choose this option to get remote access when outside your institution. Shibboleth/Open Athens technology is used to provide single sign-on between your institution’s website and Oxford Academic.

• Click Sign in through your institution.
• Select your institution from the list provided, which will take you to your institution's website to sign in.
• When on the institution site, please use the credentials provided by your institution. Do not use an Oxford Academic personal account.
• Following successful sign in, you will be returned to Oxford Academic.

If your institution is not listed or you cannot sign in to your institution’s website, please contact your librarian or administrator.

Enter your library card number to sign in. If you cannot sign in, please contact your librarian.

Society Members

Society member access to a journal is achieved in one of the following ways:

Sign in through society site

Many societies offer single sign-on between the society website and Oxford Academic. If you see ‘Sign in through society site’ in the sign in pane within a journal:

• Click Sign in through society site.
• When on the society site, please use the credentials provided by that society. Do not use an Oxford Academic personal account.

If you do not have a society account or have forgotten your username or password, please contact your society.

Sign in using a personal account

Some societies use Oxford Academic personal accounts to provide access to their members. See below.

A personal account can be used to get email alerts, save searches, purchase content, and activate subscriptions.

Some societies use Oxford Academic personal accounts to provide access to their members.

Viewing your signed in accounts

Click the account icon in the top right to:

• View your signed in personal account and access account management features.
• View the institutional accounts that are providing access.

Signed in but can't access content

Oxford Academic is home to a wide variety of products. The institutional subscription may not cover the content that you are trying to access. If you believe you should have access to that content, please contact your librarian.

For librarians and administrators, your personal account also provides access to institutional account management. Here you will find options to view and activate subscriptions, manage institutional settings and access options, access usage statistics, and more.

Our books are available by subscription or purchase to libraries and institutions.

• About Oxford Academic
• Publish journals with us
• University press partners
• What we publish
• New features  
• Open access
• Rights and permissions
• Accessibility
• Advertising
• Media enquiries
• Oxford University Press
• Oxford Languages
• University of Oxford

Oxford University Press is a department of the University of Oxford. It furthers the University's objective of excellence in research, scholarship, and education by publishing worldwide

• Copyright © 2024 Oxford University Press
• Cookie settings
• Cookie policy
• Privacy policy
• Legal notice

This Feature Is Available To Subscribers Only

Sign In or Create an Account

This PDF is available to Subscribers Only

For full access to this pdf, sign in to an existing account, or purchase an annual subscription.

• Call to +1 844 889-9952

Motivation Role in Management

Introduction.

Motivation is the act of influencing someone to take an action to achieve a certain goal (Montana& Chanov, 2008). Motivation of employees depends on the nature of the job, the organization culture of the company and personal characteristics. In this case study, there are various theories that influence and show how employees can be motivated in the work place.

Maslow’s Hierarchy of needs theory

According to Maslow (1954), Maslow’s model of hierarchy is a motivation theory that explains human motivation and behavior. According to Abraham Maslow, motivation comes from unsatisfied needs. He came up with a model with needs arranged on a pyramid with the bottom having the most primitive and on top the mature needs. These needs have to be satisfied from the lowest level (basic needs) to the highest (self actualization).

The first level needs are the physiological needs that the human body requires to survive like food, water, sex and breathing. The second levels are the safety levels that include clothes, shelter, financial security and good health. The third level is love and belonging needs where one wants to form relationships, friendship and belonging. The fourth level comprises the esteem needs which is the need to feel respected, have confidence, achievement and self esteem.

The last order of needs is self actualization, where an individual has reached his full potential and is more concerned with personal growth and becoming the best one can be. After satisfying one level of needs, the next level comes in to replace lower level.

The needs in this hierarchy are both external and internal and the basic needs are the most compelling. In this case, Tom has no motivation at work, he has satisfied his basic and safety needs and management should seek to satisfy his esteem needs. This is through promotions and recognition of accomplishments. Once he satisfies the needs, it stops being a primary motivator.

Dick feels the need to belong, and this makes him an excellent team player but he is not that productive working alone. If self esteem needs are met, he will perform exemplary. Harry’s main motivation is money and his safety needs have not yet being met; therefore, he can be motivated through the provision of various compensation option and other non monetary benefits.

Herzberg’s two factor theory

This theory explains that satisfaction and dissatisfaction at the work place are caused by different factors which are independent of each other. Absence of the factor that causes satisfaction does not necessarily mean dissatisfaction of the worker. The theory focuses on outcomes that lead to high levels of motivation and satisfaction and those outcomes that prevent employee satisfaction.

The hygiene factors are extrinsically motivated to acquire material/social rewards and also avoid punishment. They form the physical/psychological context in which work is performed. Motivation factors are related to the job and how challenging it is. They are intrinsically motivated and determined by the workers’ will to work.

Tom has his hygiene needs met, since he has a good pay and job security, but for him to be totally motivated, the motivation has to be intrinsically motivation. In this way he is able to meet his motivation and hygiene factors to be productive. Motivation needs are met through the creation of interesting and challenging work. Redesigning Tom’s job description to have more responsibilities and be challenging will motivate them to work harder and he will not have to do bare minimum at work.

Dick also needs more motivation needs met, by increasing individual responsibility and job autonomy and he will learn to be productive on his own. His hygiene factors have been met through the compensations schemes in the company but he needs to be intrinsically motivated to work individually as well as in a team. Harry’s hygiene needs have not been met as he does have interest in the work he does but is more concerned about the pay.

A balance of meeting his hygiene factors through desired compensation schemes and motivation needs by provision of opportunities to grow is important. Harry will become a better and productive employee once he starts focusing on those needs related to work will making sure he is well compensated to avoid job dissatisfaction.

McClelland’s motivational Theory

This is a theory put forward by psychologist David McClelland that explains what motivates human beings. They are motivated by three things: the need for power, achievement and affiliation. These needs are learned and reinforced by society (Beck, 1999). We have all three but one will be more pronounced. Having needs for power and achievement are good motivators in management, while that of affiliation can be detrimental to management.

This can be caused by the lack of objectivity in management as one tries to subjective with the subordinates. A person shows needs for power by the urge to lead and impact people or situations. Having power over other people is also a characteristic of the need for power; however, institutional power is that which a person strives to lead his team/company.

The need for achievement is by the need to excel/ succeed and achieve. It is often characterized by the setting of high but realistic goals. A person with such needs works better alone or with other high achievers. The need for affiliation is the need to feel liked, respected and appreciated. People with such characteristics are very good team players and thrive in customer service oriented environments.

Tom has a strong desire for affiliation; he portrays this by how he always puts his family 1 st and treats them as the center of his world. Since he is a warm and charming person, he can be given responsibilities that require people with good people skills like marketing. His need to create and maintain relationships makes him an effective negotiator/marketer.

Dick, like his colleague Tom, has a need for affiliation, this makes him an excellent team player, but he should be motivated to work alone. As a manager, I will try and find out what he excels at and create that needs to achieve in that particular field. Harry has a need for financial achievement and believes that he should be well compensated for his work and contribution to the company.

Porter and Lawler’s expectancy model

This theory borrows some parts of Victor Vroom’s theory that explains how motivation of behavior selection is determined by the desirability of the outcome. It focuses on the input, performance and the outcome. High motivation is when employees’ reasoning that high efforts into a task result in high performance, which is rewarded with desired rewards. According to Koontz & Weirich (2010), motivation is the product of anticipated worth a person places on a goal and the chances he/she sees of achieving that goal.

Porter and Lawler’s expectancy theory states that the value of the reward, nature of the task, effort required to complete that task, ability to perform that task and the probability of the effort yield a reward determines that the level of effort that an employee puts in a task. The rewards have to be desired and deserved, for them to be a motivating factor (Porter & Lawler, 1968).

Tom is more motivated by a reward that has a direct impact on the family. He puts in just enough effort to remain at his job and earn a salary to meet the family’s needs. He can be motivated with a reward system probably of a family vacation after meeting several targets. This is likely to motivate him since he desires and deserves the reward. Dick can be motivated by a reward that makes him stand out from the rest of the employees.

This will boost his confidence, so when faced with a similar task in the future, he will put more effort, since he has the confidence to do it and get the desired reward of recognition. In Harry’s case, I would try and increase intrinsic rewards that motivate him to work harder by recognizing and rewarding his hard work. He could do well with clearly defined duties, so that he can measure his achievements as against set goals.

Empowerment as a motivational tool and goal setting participation

Goal setting theory by Edwin Locke & Gary Latham proposes that a manager can increases motivation and enhance productivity by setting specific challenging goals (Daft &Lane, 2010).

Clear goals motivate employees, especially if they are involved in the goal setting and managers help them stay on track and receive feedback. Goal setting motivates people by giving them direction, towards which to focus their effort and energy to achieve the goals (Goldstein, 1994). The goals energize behavior and employees are able to devote their efforts to important tasks, and are able to prioritize. All these lead to high satisfaction and morale, which results in motivation.

Empowering the employees leads to higher motivation and increased effectiveness as they seek the best ways to accomplish tasks and creativity in handling issues. Empowerment is power sharing, delegation of authority to subordinates in an organization. The staff is empowered through the provision of information that helps them operate functionally in the company. Proper training equips them with skills to enable to perform their best.

They have access to substantive power that allows them to make decisions concerning their work. Empowerment gives autonomy to the employees, Dick would respond positively to empowerment and it would give him a chance to take up tasks on his own. The fact that there is always someone telling what to do, he does not take the initiative to do things individually. The empowerment gives him the power to decide the best way to do things will make him more responsible and dependable.

Tom and Harry would benefit from participating in goal setting. They are able what the company expects from them and they will work towards achieving that. With clear, specific and attainable goals that the employees have participated in crafting they will feel a sense of ownership and be able to own the productivity process.

Hersey & Blanchard’s situational leadership model

Leadership style depends on the maturity level of the group or individual (Mackay & Alexander, 2007). The leadership styles range from telling, selling, participation and delegation. None of the leadership style can be used on alone; a good leader must be flexible to meet the needs of his organization. Successful leaders adjust their style according to task maturity/readiness off the followers. These styles should be adjusted over time as the followers mature.

Tom is skilled but unwilling to work, so as a manager, I would use the Selling management style with him. This is done by providing direction, two ways communication combined with telling style on some tasks that he may be reluctant to take on. Dick is very skilled and works well under supervision, so to enable him develop the ability to work alone I would use participation and delegation leadership style. Harry is very assertive and does his job well, therefore, he would respond well to participation and delegation.

Transformational leadership vs. Transactional leadership

Transformational leadership is where the leaderships challenge the employee and organization set up and seeks to transform them. These leaders motivate people to do more than they originally intended or even thought possible. Such a leadership enhances morale, motivation and performance. The leader comes up with vision and mentors the employees, so they feel part of the mission and have a collective Identity.

The leaders are mentors to the followers, and this leadership is characterized by the change of values, expectation and motivation. The leaders share the vision with the followers and inspire them to sacrifice self interest for the sake of the group. This emphasizes employee motivation and performance, and by mentoring the followers they are able to achieve their full potential.

In transformational leadership, the leader provides individualizes consideration to the employees, also mentors them to improve and become leaders. Employees or followers are able to tap into their leader’s inspiration, learn from him and be inspired to be better. The leader communicates the goal and the team in turn finds the way forward together. This leadership assumes that people will follow a person that inspires them, and is a role model.

Transactional leadership is based on the interaction between the leader and the employer. It is based on the assumption that people are motivated by reward or punishment. It involves the management having a clear cut structure that defines the roles of the subordinates and the expected reward/ punishment. The chain of command is strictly followed. Transformational leadership is more effective as it increases commitment, loyalty and satisfied followers. All these increase employee effectiveness.

Transactional leadership emphasizes on the exchange and the influence is based on personal interest (Bass, 2006). Tom would find the transactional leadership more appealing, because is not very motivated in his work and this would make him want to work hard for the rewards. Dick would respond well to transformation leadership where he can be mentored to reach his full potential.

He would learn to be more confident and able to communicate effectively with his fellow workers and clients. Harry would find transformational leadership more appealing since the employees have role models and individualized attention. He is able to discover his potential and work on improving himself.

Servant Leadership

Servant leadership achieves more by giving priority to the employees needs than any other type of leadership style. Managers that value and respect their employees enjoy improved performances of their organization. This management philosophy implies a comprehensive view of the quality of people, work and community (Greenleaf, 1977).

When employees are treated extremely well by the leadership, they in turn treat the customers very well and the company prospers. The employees develop a corporate culture and this fosters team work. This type of leadership encourages strong employees’ relations while boosting morale and a greater sense of commitment among them.

The subordinates would all respond differently to this type of leadership and the impact is different. It is hard to figure out Tom, but a servant leader can be able to figure him out through listening. Servant leaders are intend on listening to others to identify the will of the group. According to Greenleaf (1977), all employees have some intrinsic value to the company beyond their tangible contributions as workers. Dick can be coached by the leader to grow his confidence and me more assertive, becoming a very productive employee.

According to Mumford (2010), power is the capacity of one person to influence behavior or attitudes of others. French & Raven (1959) classify power in leadership in five categories: legitimate, expert, coercive, reward and referent power. Coercive power involves the follower avoiding punishment from the leader and does not encourage performance it just discourages bad behavior. Reward power is the power that involves the employee seeking rewards provided by the person in power.

The employees desires are the rewards and this influence their behavior and motivation. These rewards come in various forms such as pay/bonuses, status, praise and promotions. Expert power is power that involves followers’ beliefs that the person in power has the knowledge and expertise. Referent powers are when followers admire/like the person in power and try to identify with him. The people chose to follow the person in power. Legitimate power is that which comes from the title or position in the organization.

Tom and Dick would respond well to Coercive power as they are both not assertive and will only do something when they are told to do it. They do not go out of their way to think and do something that they think should be done. Tom does the bare minimum just to get by, while Dick is not dependable to work on his own. Harry would respond positively to reward power, since his is highly motivated by money. If he knows that doing a certain task will result in a reward, he will be highly motivated to do it.

I have assumed a leadership role in Ace systems and from the information I have gathered, there are many issues in the management of the company. Some of the issues raised relate to leadership, motivation and management of the company. The first problem is the low motivation levels of employees. The employees are also not so productive on their own and lack the creativity and assertiveness to sell their departments to top managements or to their colleagues.

Another issue is the compensation schemes in place do not seem to be working as well for all employees. There seems to be a communication problem between employees and management and the employees, like in the case of Harry who keeps harassing the management concerning pay rise and compensation and is viewed as a nuisance. There is a need for changes in the following areas of management: motivation, planning and goal setting, performance appraisal, compensation schemes and leadership style (Kreitner, 2007).

As the leader, it is paramount to identify what drives the employees, and what motivates them. Discover the intrinsic and extrinsic motivators that are important to them. In this scenario, the best motivation strategy involves empowering employees, an effective reward system, work place flexibility and redesigning of the jobs (Mackay & Alexander, 2007). Empowering employees involves giving them autonomy, trust and authority to perform certain tasks.

Through corporate entrepreneurship, employees are encouraged to embrace new ideas and autonomy to carry them out as long as they are not contrary to the company’s objectives. Another effective tool of empowering employees is equipping them with information and skills to be more productive on their own, without constant supervision. The learning process should be continuous through trainings and on the job teaching (Banks, 1997).

According to Murrel & Meredith (2000), to empower employees the manager needs to enable talent and capability, foster accomplishment, build effective relationships. I should also be a leader, coach and a mentor to the employees. Reward system should focus on positive reinforcement (encourages desired behavior) as people expect an outcome out of doing something. The reward system should be specific, meaningful, achievable, reliable and timely.

The objectives of the reward system are to attract and retain most valuable employees. Research shows that those companies with a high level reward system attract and retain most people in the recruitment process (Milkovich & Wigdor, 1991). Rewards should be based on performance so that the most hardworking and valuable performance are satisfied and continue being more productive. Reward system can also be tailored to reduce absenteeism and promote productivity by maximizing satisfaction.

Another objective of the reward system is to motivate performance when employees associate important rewards with performance they will be motivated to work harder. The system should also equate effort and performance expectancy. The amount of effort or energy put into a certain task should be correlated with the improved performance that is tied to a reward. The system should also consider the different preferred outcomes by the employees.

Every employee is unique and what one considers an attractive or desired reward may not be the same with another employee. The base of the reward system is very important since it determines what behavior it to be rewarded and reinforced. This is important because the employees will tend to portray the behavior that is rewarded and ignore that which is not desired.

The reward system should be based on the company’s objective since the management gets what it pays for. The reward system can be based on the job, skills or performance based. When its performance based the criteria can be group or individual merits (Jenkins et al., 1992)

Redesigning jobs increases employee motivation through Job rotation, enlargement and enrichment. This is because the same routine causes monotony and boredom which results in loss of morale. Job enlargement is done by increasing the variety of tasks for the employee. It may reduce the monotony but does not increase the challenge in the job. Talented employees become de-motivated and have low morale if the job is too simple and unchallenging (Ghuman, 2010).

Job rotation is when employees are assigned different jobs on a temporary basis. This brings new enthusiasm and renewed interest as they learn new thing at different capacities in an organization. This develops a versatile worker who can work in any department in the company.

Tom, my subordinate can benefit from this type of redesigning off his job, since he is really bored and this is characterized by his obvious lack of motivation and absenteeism. Job enrichment is also known as vertical loading where the employee gets more responsibility and variety of tasks. This improves performance and morale and works well with employees seeking more challenging work. The company might incur costs in the retraining of the employees to enable them to perform well.

Flexible work places allow employees to set and control their work hours to accommodate the workers needs. This is through flexi time, telecommuting, compressed work hours and other seasonal schedules. Flex time allows the employee to choose the hours they want to work centered on core time. Core time is when all employees should be available in the office and they have the option of modifying the starting time and quitting time.

Compressed workweek allows work to be completed in less than the standard 40hours per a five day week. The common one is forty hours in a 4 day week. This results in decreased absenteeism and improved performance. The other option is job sharing or twinning where a job is split between two or more people with similar qualifications. This type of arrangement gives the company an opportunity to get talented workers who they cannot have on full time basis (Dunnette & Hough, 1998 ).

The employees are also able to strike a balance between work and their families. Telecommuting is also another option that allows workers to have part of the work done outside the office for example work-at –home plan. The flexi place plan increases productivity and most employees report less distractions and are more disciplined in their work. These flexi work place practices reduce burn out, increase morale and job satisfaction

Conflicts that can cripple the organization

The conflicts affecting the organization are personality, communication and are mainly caused by generational problems. Generational problems are as a result of the generation gaps between various employees and management. Each generation has its own beliefs and different major events that shaped their lives. Lack of a working relationship between the different generations in the work place strains communication and effective functioning of the company.

As the new manager I need to understand first what each generations view are and see how there can be a harmonious coexistence in the work place. The oldest generation is the veterans; those born before 1945.They were shaped by the depression and the Second World War. They are very conservative, follow rules, obedient and have great respect for authority.

The baby boomers generation is those born after the war between 1946 and 1964. They are team oriented, with a fresh perspective, very optimistic and overly sensitive about feedback. They form the highest number of top executives in the world and have workaholic tendencies. This generation was followed by generation Xs who were born between 1965-1980. They are the first generation to try and achieve life/ work balance and only work as hard as needed. They are optimistic, entrepreneurial and creative lot.

It is believed that they are not very loyal to their employees and constantly question authority. They are followed by generation Y of those born between 1980-1999, who are extremely comfortable with technology and have the notion that they should be valued by the company. They need constant and continuous feedback and are very result focused.

With this information, the management can now understand different behavior from different employees and is able to reinforce the desired behavior and tap into their strengths. They have different concepts in regards to attitudes towards work, team work, loyalty towards the employer, communication, training styles and needs.

Effective management of the generational conflict

The first management task is accommodating employee differences, by learning their unique needs and meeting them accordingly. This could explain Tom’s behavior, he believes in the culture of the hippie period in the baby boomers generation The hippies did not value the importance of work and it was viewed as a means to earn a living only and a burden. I will have to choose a mix of several management styles to be able to deal with each employee.

Communication and respect are also effective in management of this conflict. According to Tolbize (2008), conflicts are likely to arise from error of attribution and perception rather than individual differences. The most appropriate communication is aggressive communication that brings out the new perspectives from the younger generation and wisdom from the older generation. It is important to understand that asking questions/ questioning authority are not a sign of disrespect or wanting to cause trouble.

Harry in the case scenario is an employee who questions authority and asks many questions. It is good to avoid making decisions made on assumptions before finding out the motives behind a certain kind of behavior. I should also be careful how I handle the feedback and communication with the younger generation, they always want to be in the know and appreciate fast feedback on email, text or Instant Messaging.

Training also takes different modes with different generations. The older generation may prefer classroom instruction, the younger would prefer technology based training and learning. All generations respond well to team work, discussion groups and peer interactions. The younger generation prefers leadership training while the older generation would rather have skills training in the area of their expertise.

Another effective way of managing this conflict is by retaining of employees right from selection and recruitment. As the leader of Ace Systems need to start treating employees as valued members of the organization, this way they will want to stay in the company. As long as employees feel valued, recognized, supported and appreciated they will want to stay in the company despite their generation.

Banks, L. (1997). Motivation in the work place; inspiring your Employees . American Media Publishing: New York.

Bass, M.B, & Roggio, R.E (2006). Transformational Leadership . (2 nd ed.). Lawrence Erlbaum associates: New Jersey.

Beck, R. C. (1999 ). Motivation theories and principles . (4 th . ed.)Prentice Hall: New Jersey.

Dunnette, L. & Hough, M. (1998 ). Handbook of Industrial and Organizational Psychology . 2 nd (ed.).Consulting Psychology Press: California.

Daft, R. L. & Lane, P. (2010).  Management . Cengage Learning: Canada.

French, J. R. P. & Raven, B. Jr. (2001).  The bases of social p ower. In Asherman, I. & Asherman, S. Negotiation source book (2nd ed.).Hdr press: Massachusetts.

Ghuman, K. (2010).  Management: Concepts, Practices & Cases . Tata McGraw Education Private Limited. New Delhi.

Goldstein, J. (1994). The Unshackled organization. Productivity, Inc: Portland.

Greenleaf, R. K (1977).  Servant Leadership : A journey into the nature of legitimate power and greatness . Paul press: New Jersey.

Jenkins, G. D., Ledford, G. E., Gupta, N. & Doty, D. H. (1992). Skill Based Pay: Practices, Payoffs, Pitfalls and Prescriptions. American Compensation Association: Scottsdale.

Kreitner, R. (2007). Management. (10 th ed.). Harold Burch: New York.

Koontz, H. & Weirich, H. (2010). Essentials of management . Tata Mcgraw: New Delhi.

Mackay, A., & Alexander, D. W. (2007). Motivation, Ability and confidence building in people. Elsevier: UK.

Maslow, A. H. (1954). Motivation and Personality . Harper &Row: New York.

Milkovich, G. T. & Wigdor, A. K. (1991). Pay for Performance: Evaluating Performance Appraisal and Merit Pay . National Academy Press: Washington DC.

Montana, J. P. & Chanov, H.B. (2008). Management (4 th ed.).Barons Education series: New York.

Murrel, K. L. & Meredith, M. (2000). Empowering Employees . McGraw Hill: New York.

Mumford, M. D. (2010). Leadership 101 . Springer Publishing Company: New York.

Porter, L. W & Lawler, E.E. (1968). Managerial Attitudes and Performances. R. D. Irwin: California.

Tolbize, A. (2008).  Generational Differences in the workplace . University of Minnesota: Minneapolis.

Cite this paper

Select style

• Chicago (A-D)
• Chicago (N-B)

BusinessEssay. (2022, December 16). Motivation Role in Management. https://business-essay.com/motivation-role-in-management/

"Motivation Role in Management." BusinessEssay , 16 Dec. 2022, business-essay.com/motivation-role-in-management/.

BusinessEssay . (2022) 'Motivation Role in Management'. 16 December.

BusinessEssay . 2022. "Motivation Role in Management." December 16, 2022. https://business-essay.com/motivation-role-in-management/.

1. BusinessEssay . "Motivation Role in Management." December 16, 2022. https://business-essay.com/motivation-role-in-management/.

Bibliography

BusinessEssay . "Motivation Role in Management." December 16, 2022. https://business-essay.com/motivation-role-in-management/.

• Improving Employee Performance: Effective Training
• Organization X Applying Change Concepts and Theories
• Fast-Food Company’s Organizational Change
• UAE Airline Company’s Change Management
• Legitimating of Learning in Organizational Change
• Dubai Electricity and Water Authority: Quality Manual
• Equality and Diversity in the UAE Organizations
• What Are the Factors Affecting the Organizational Culture?
• Dubai Port World’s Leadership Styles and Behaviors
• The Division of Labor in Organizations

Motivation Theories Essay

• To find inspiration for your paper and overcome writer’s block
• As a source of information (ensure proper referencing)
• As a template for you assignment

Introduction

Theories of motivation – elton mayo, abraham maslow, theories’ application in creative technology, motivation theory in marketing, motivation tools and techniques, references list.

Motivation is the force that drives people into action and encourages them into exerting more effort towards carrying out something. Motivated employees feel more comfortable and will have feelings of happiness and fulfillment. Besides, motivated workers tend to produce quality results, and are more productive than their counterparts are.

Different factors exist that can determine how an individual is motivated; for instance, everyone has basic needs like; food and shelter which can be catered for by pay. However, other diverse motivators exist that stimulate people into action. A creative environment can encourage motivation especially in design where a high level of creativity is critical.

Some workers will do well given the problem solving nature of their jobs and support initiative against challenges. Besides, creative staff will find the diverse nature of their occupation encouraging because they have the opportunity to try special responsibilities.

According to Elton Mayo, employees are not only motivated by pay, but could also be highly motivated if their social needs are fulfillment especially when they are at the workplace (Sheldrake, 2003). Mayo introduced a new way of looking at employees and argued that managers and supervisors need to have an interest in employees. This involves valuing their opinions and treating them in a worthwhile manner by recognizing that they take pride in inter-personal interactions.

While coming up with the theory, Mayo experimented at the Western Electric Hawthorne factory in Chicago. He separated two groups of women employees and viewed the outcome to productivity intensity in varying environments like working conditions and lighting. Contrary to his expectations, he was surprised to note the productivity of the employees improved or remained constant even with varying lighting and other working conditions. He then concluded that employees are highly motivated by various factors.

Among his top picks are better communication between employees and their managers. When employees feel there exists consultation on their roles and responsibilities with the managers, they tend to perform better also if given the chance to give feedback.

The second factor he discovered was the fact that employees responded very well to increased manager participation in their working lives. Besides the two, Mayo also identified teamwork as a motivator in working environments. He stated that corporate and businesses should reorganize to encourage teamwork, which is a theory that closely links to paternalistic management style.

In the 1950’s, Abraham Maslow with Frederick Herzberg came up with the neo-human relations school. According to Montana and Charnov (2008), “The school focused on employees’ psychological needs” (p. 408). In his theory, Maslow illustrates five stages in human needs that workers need to fulfill at the workplace.

Maslow then structured the needs into a hierarchy. When a lower need is fulfilled that an employee will be motivated to the next stage or need. For instance, a person threatened by hunger will have a great motivation to achieve a basic wage to satisfy the need to eat by buying food. in this sense, the person will have less motivation towards getting a formal or secure employment.

At the bottom, of Maslow’s hierarchy of needs, physiological needs are the lowest and the most basic; this involves the basic needs of humans, which he argued must be satisfied to sustain life. After the physiological needs are satisfied, attention now shifts towards safety.

In a job environment, this could mean the workers are motivated to such things like living in a safe area, secure job and medical insurance as well as saving for the future. Mackay (2007) noted that “If employees feel there is not enough security provided by their jobs, higher needs will remain unattended” (p.281). Social needs are third in the hierarchy.

Maslow’s theory explains that once the lower levels are satisfied, social needs become a motivator as people have other needs for friends or the need to belong. Esteem needs come after employees feeling the need to be recognized and build their reputation. At the peak of the hierarchy, Maslow describes that this is where people pursue the need to self -actualize.

However, Montana and Charnov (2008) state that “Maslow’s theory stipulates that need to self- actualize is not fully realized as people are constantly pursuing changing endeavors” (p.191). The needs here are mostly related to truth, justice and meaning.

In creative businesses, such as website design, businesses should strive towards giving incentives that meet the needs of the staff to motivate them to progress up the hierarchy.

Furthermore, Maslow’s theory dictates that, it is essential for managers to realize that workers respond differently to different incentives to increase output. Besides, all workers progress up the hierarchy at different paces. According to Mayo’s theory, creative employees should be encouraged to work in teams. Sheldrake (2003) found out that “creativity seems to be strengthened by teamwork” (p.122).

When applying motivation theories in marketing, few changes are necessary. As explained by O’Neil and Drillings (1994) “different employees in different departments will be motivated by different incentives” (p.233). In the marketing of merchandise, high levels of motivation are required from the staff.

A good salary package and attractive benefits attracted from the sales will be necessary in ensuring maximum productivity is reached. On the contrary, employees in creative fields require a serene working environment among other incentives to maximize on productivity.

Pleasure technique is one of the oldest. The tool ensures a pleasurable reward for productivity and in turn creates motivation in employees to become more productive, besides when employees feel that their efforts are being rewarded they will tend to produce more and more.

According to Daft and Lane (2007) “performance incentives play a key role in ensuring high levels of motivation” (p. 102). It works best by creating an appeal to people’s selfishness, and by giving employees an opportunity to earn more, you as an employer will earn more.

In addition, setting deadlines will help achieve more as workers will tend to realize more productivity and are able to concentrate more when nearing a deadline. This can be achieved by creation of smaller deadlines that lead to a bigger result. It is important for managers to encourage team spirit and create an environment of teamwork.

Mackay (2007) noted that “when people work in a team they tend to be more effective” (p. 253) and besides, they don’t want to pull others down by not putting enough effort. Encouraging creativity is very essential, as employees feel more comfortable within an optimistic environment. The last tool for effective motivation is communication. Managers should uphold open channels of communication. This enables one to fix the problems as soon as they arise and it creates a better working environment.

It is important for every business to take note of the theory to implement. Depending on its line of trade, various incentives may be given to employees to maximize production.

Daft, R. L., & Lane, P. G. (2007). The leadership experience . Florence, KY: Cengage Learning

Mackay, A. (2007). Motivation, Ability and Confidence Building in People . London: Taylor & Francis

Montana, P. J., &Charnov, B. H. (2008). Management. Hauppauge, NY: Barron’s Educational Series

O’Neil, H. F., Drillings, M. (1994). Motivation: Theory and Research. New York, NY: Routledge

Sheldrake, J. (2003). Management theory . Florence, KY: Cengage Learning

• Mayo Clinic: Marketing of the Healthcare System
• "Emma" by Jane Austen: Main Character Analysis
• Healthcare Institutions: Problems Facing Management
• Leadership and Cultural Differences
• Career Planning and Succession Management
• Running of Multinational Internet Firm
• Time Management Theories and Models Report
• Examination of the Portfolio Approach to IT Projects
• Chicago (A-D)
• Chicago (N-B)

IvyPanda. (2018, June 1). Motivation Theories. https://ivypanda.com/essays/motivation-theories/

"Motivation Theories." IvyPanda , 1 June 2018, ivypanda.com/essays/motivation-theories/.

IvyPanda . (2018) 'Motivation Theories'. 1 June.

IvyPanda . 2018. "Motivation Theories." June 1, 2018. https://ivypanda.com/essays/motivation-theories/.

1. IvyPanda . "Motivation Theories." June 1, 2018. https://ivypanda.com/essays/motivation-theories/.

Bibliography

IvyPanda . "Motivation Theories." June 1, 2018. https://ivypanda.com/essays/motivation-theories/.

• Business Essentials
• Leadership & Management
• Credential of Leadership, Impact, and Management in Business (CLIMB)
• Entrepreneurship & Innovation
• Digital Transformation
• Finance & Accounting
• Business in Society
• For Organizations
• Support Portal
• Media Coverage
• Founding Donors
• Leadership Team

• Harvard Business School →
• HBS Online →
• Business Insights →

Business Insights

Harvard Business School Online's Business Insights Blog provides the career insights you need to achieve your goals and gain confidence in your business skills.

• Career Development
• Communication
• Decision-Making
• Earning Your MBA
• Negotiation
• News & Events
• Productivity
• Staff Spotlight
• Student Profiles
• Work-Life Balance
• AI Essentials for Business
• Alternative Investments
• Business Analytics
• Business Strategy
• Business and Climate Change
• Design Thinking and Innovation
• Digital Marketing Strategy
• Disruptive Strategy
• Economics for Managers
• Entrepreneurship Essentials
• Financial Accounting
• Global Business
• Launching Tech Ventures
• Leadership Principles
• Leadership, Ethics, and Corporate Accountability
• Leading Change and Organizational Renewal
• Leading with Finance
• Management Essentials
• Negotiation Mastery
• Organizational Leadership
• Power and Influence for Positive Impact
• Strategy Execution
• Sustainable Business Strategy
• Sustainable Investing
• Winning with Digital Platforms

Innovation in Business: What It Is & Why It’s Important

• 08 Mar 2022

Today’s competitive landscape heavily relies on innovation. Business leaders must constantly look for new ways to innovate because you can't solve many problems with old solutions.

Innovation is critical across all industries; however, it's important to avoid using it as a buzzword and instead take time to thoroughly understand the innovation process.

Here's an overview of innovation in business, why it's important, and how you can encourage it in the workplace.

What Is Innovation?

Innovation and creativity are often used synonymously. While similar, they're not the same. Using creativity in business is important because it fosters unique ideas . This novelty is a key component of innovation.

For an idea to be innovative, it must also be useful. Creative ideas don't always lead to innovations because they don't necessarily produce viable solutions to problems.

Simply put: Innovation is a product, service, business model, or strategy that's both novel and useful. Innovations don't have to be major breakthroughs in technology or new business models; they can be as simple as upgrades to a company's customer service or features added to an existing product.

Access your free e-book today.

Types of Innovation

Innovation in business can be grouped into two categories : sustaining and disruptive.

• Sustaining innovation: Sustaining innovation enhances an organization's processes and technologies to improve its product line for an existing customer base. It's typically pursued by incumbent businesses that want to stay atop their market.
• Disruptive innovation: Disruptive innovation occurs when smaller companies challenge larger businesses. It can be classified into groups depending on the markets those businesses compete in. Low-end disruption refers to companies entering and claiming a segment at the bottom of an existing market, while new-market disruption denotes companies creating an additional market segment to serve a customer base the existing market doesn't reach.

The most successful companies incorporate both types of innovation into their business strategies. While maintaining an existing position in the market is important, pursuing growth is essential to being competitive. It also helps protect a business against other companies affecting its standing.

Learn about the differences between sustaining and disruptive innovation in the video below, and subscribe to our YouTube channel for more explainer content!

The Importance of Innovation

Unforeseen challenges are inevitable in business. Innovation can help you stay ahead of the curve and grow your company in the process. Here are three reasons innovation is crucial for your business:

• It allows adaptability: The recent COVID-19 pandemic disrupted business on a monumental scale. Routine operations were rendered obsolete over the course of a few months. Many businesses still sustain negative results from this world shift because they’ve stuck to the status quo. Innovation is often necessary for companies to adapt and overcome the challenges of change.
• It fosters growth: Stagnation can be extremely detrimental to your business. Achieving organizational and economic growth through innovation is key to staying afloat in today’s highly competitive world.
• It separates businesses from their competition: Most industries are populated with multiple competitors offering similar products or services. Innovation can distinguish your business from others.

Innovation & Design Thinking

Several tools encourage innovation in the workplace. For example, when a problem’s cause is difficult to pinpoint, you can turn to approaches like creative problem-solving . One of the best approaches to innovation is adopting a design thinking mentality.

Design thinking is a solutions-based, human-centric mindset. It's a practical way to strategize and design using insights from observations and research.

Four Phases of Innovation

Innovation's requirements for novelty and usefulness call for navigating between concrete and abstract thinking. Introducing structure to innovation can guide this process.

In the online course Design Thinking and Innovation , Harvard Business School Dean Srikant Datar teaches design thinking principles using a four-phase innovation framework : clarify, ideate, develop, and implement.

• Clarify: The first stage of the process is clarifying a problem. This involves conducting research to empathize with your target audience. The goal is to identify their key pain points and frame the problem in a way that allows you to solve it.
• Ideate: The ideation stage involves generating ideas to solve the problem identified during research. Ideation challenges assumptions and overcomes biases to produce innovative ideas.
• Develop: The development stage involves exploring solutions generated during ideation. It emphasizes rapid prototyping to answer questions about a solution's practicality and effectiveness.
• Implement: The final stage of the process is implementation. This stage involves communicating your developed idea to stakeholders to encourage its adoption.

Human-Centered Design

Innovation requires considering user needs. Design thinking promotes empathy by fostering human-centered design , which addresses explicit pain points and latent needs identified during innovation’s clarification stage.

There are three characteristics of human-centered design:

• Desirability: For a product or service to succeed, people must want it. Prosperous innovations are attractive to consumers and meet their needs.
• Feasibility: Innovative ideas won't go anywhere unless you have the resources to pursue them. You must consider whether ideas are possible given technological, economic, or regulatory barriers.
• Viability: Even if a design is desirable and feasible, it also needs to be sustainable. You must consistently produce or deliver designs over extended periods for them to be viable.

Consider these characteristics when problem-solving, as each is necessary for successful innovation.

The Operational and Innovative Worlds

Creativity and idea generation are vital to innovation, but you may encounter situations in which pursuing an idea isn't feasible. Such scenarios represent a conflict between the innovative and operational worlds.

The Operational World

The operational world reflects an organization's routine processes and procedures. Metrics and results are prioritized, and creativity isn't encouraged to the extent required for innovation. Endeavors that disrupt routine—such as risk-taking—are typically discouraged.

The Innovative World

The innovative world encourages creativity and experimentation. This side of business allows for open-endedly exploring ideas but tends to neglect the functional side.

Both worlds are necessary for innovation, as creativity must be grounded in reality. You should strive to balance them to produce human-centered solutions. Design thinking strikes this balance by guiding you between the concrete and abstract.

Learning the Ropes of Innovation

Innovation is easier said than done. It often requires you to collaborate with others, overcome resistance from stakeholders, and invest valuable time and resources into generating solutions. It can also be highly discouraging because many ideas generated during ideation may not go anywhere. But the end result can make the difference between your organization's success or failure.

The good news is that innovation can be learned. If you're interested in more effectively innovating, consider taking an online innovation course. Receiving practical guidance can increase your skills and teach you how to approach problem-solving with a human-centered mentality.

Eager to learn more about innovation? Explore Design Thinking and Innovation ,one of our online entrepreneurship and innovation courses. If you're not sure which course is the right fit, download our free course flowchart to determine which best aligns with your goals.

About the Author

Extrinsic and Intrinsic Motivation in the Workplace

How it works

Everyone has a different way of motivating themselves. For this assignment, I am going to be discussing the differences between extrinsic and intrinsic motivation in the workplace and how they help achieve goals. I chose this topic, because I find it interesting how different things can motivate people. I first heard of these different motivators when we watched a TED talk done by Dan Pink in class. One of the things that Pink is trying to get across is, “There is a mismatch between what science knows and what business does.

” (Pink), and I will further discuss why that is in this paper.

First, I am going to be discussing intrinsic motivation. Intrinsic motivation is the desire to accomplish something because it matters, the individual enjoys it, they find it interesting, or it is a part of something important (Pink). Intrinsic motivators are more likely to motivate people by the work itself, by the internal satisfaction an individual gets when they accomplish a task, and by the feeling that they are achieving something (“Motivation in the Workplace”). According to Pink, there are three elements that science shows that lead to better performance and personal satisfaction: autonomy, mastery, and purpose (Popova). Autonomy is the desire to control our own lives. Mastery means the urge to continue to improve at something that matters. And purpose is the want to do what we do in hopes that it serves as something meaningful for more than just ourselves. (Pink)

Now, I am going to be discussing extrinsic motivation. Extrinsic motivation requires rewards for jobs done well, such as a raise, or a promotion. It can also be the threat of demotion if the job isn’t done on time or to the best quality (Palizban). Someone who extrinsically motivated will also be wanting praise from their peers or their boss when their task is complete (“Motivation in the Workplace”). According to Pink, extrinsic motivators don’t often work and more often do harm. In Pink’s video he discusses how a group of people did a study on employees. They offered them a small, medium, and a large reward. The employees aiming for the largest reward showed the poorest performance (Pink). According to Pink’s research, extrinsic rewards, such as “if-then” rewards, crush all creativity and self-motivation, and it doesn’t matter the task or age. Pink’s research showed that “if-then” rewards tend to: decrease performance, worsen behavior, inspire cheating, taking shortcuts and unethical behavior to an individual, even become addictive, and lastly “if-then” rewards could make individuals take on short-term thinking (Topham).

I am now going to discuss what I learned about how a leader can extrinsically and intrinsically motivate their team. If the leader is wanting to extrinsically motivate a group, they need to determine the groups and everyone’s goals and the outcomes that are expected. The leader needs to establish a set of rewards for the individual or group who does the best and give consequences to the underachievers, this could be in the form of more training. Setting goals, helping people get motivated to achieve tasks, and acknowledging them for their achievements is a proven method that betters a business. But, if the leader in charge only motivates their team extrinsically, the company could face difficulties. Extrinsic motivators, by themselves, forces people to look at the achievements, and pay little attention to the quality of the performance. This could create an environment where the motivation is not evenly distributed, meaning the top members are highly motivated, and the average members get demotivated (Palizban).

If a leader is wanting to intrinsically motivate a group, they need to create an environment where the members get excited by doing the work they do. It’s the rush of energy they get when they perform a task and the satisfaction they get inside when they achieve it. According to many HR experts, individuals are more likely to be intrinsically motivated if the company has a captivating vision, clear objectives, and a supportive team. It is idea to have an intrinsically motivated team, but it is difficult to just rely on a team to be internally motivated. Without extrinsic motivators like goals and recognition, it’s difficult to keep a business afloat (Palizban).

The best way to motivate a group is by using both intrinsic and extrinsic motivators. To do this, the leader should create an exciting vision and clear goals (extrinsic) and enhance the company’s culture and environment so that the members love what they do and set their own individual goals (intrinsic). The leader should also show appreciation for the members based on their efforts and achievements (extrinsic) and on their contribution and behavior such as collaboration that are like the company’s values (intrinsic) (Palizban).

I chose this topic to help better my knowledge on how people motivate themselves and others. I learned how leaders can help motivate their teams, because not everyone is motivated by the same things. I found it interesting how Dan Pink thinks that extrinsic motivation isn’t good for motivating people in the workplace, but other sites show that when both motivators are used, it could result in success. 

Cite this page

Extrinsic and Intrinsic Motivation in the Workplace. (2021, Mar 26). Retrieved from https://papersowl.com/examples/extrinsic-and-intrinsic-motivation-in-the-workplace/

"Extrinsic and Intrinsic Motivation in the Workplace." PapersOwl.com , 26 Mar 2021, https://papersowl.com/examples/extrinsic-and-intrinsic-motivation-in-the-workplace/

PapersOwl.com. (2021). Extrinsic and Intrinsic Motivation in the Workplace . [Online]. Available at: https://papersowl.com/examples/extrinsic-and-intrinsic-motivation-in-the-workplace/ [Accessed: 1 Jun. 2024]

"Extrinsic and Intrinsic Motivation in the Workplace." PapersOwl.com, Mar 26, 2021. Accessed June 1, 2024. https://papersowl.com/examples/extrinsic-and-intrinsic-motivation-in-the-workplace/

"Extrinsic and Intrinsic Motivation in the Workplace," PapersOwl.com , 26-Mar-2021. [Online]. Available: https://papersowl.com/examples/extrinsic-and-intrinsic-motivation-in-the-workplace/. [Accessed: 1-Jun-2024]

PapersOwl.com. (2021). Extrinsic and Intrinsic Motivation in the Workplace . [Online]. Available at: https://papersowl.com/examples/extrinsic-and-intrinsic-motivation-in-the-workplace/ [Accessed: 1-Jun-2024]

Don't let plagiarism ruin your grade

Hire a writer to get a unique paper crafted to your needs.

Our writers will help you fix any mistakes and get an A+!

Please check your inbox.

You can order an original essay written according to your instructions.

Trusted by over 1 million students worldwide

1. Tell Us Your Requirements

2. Pick your perfect writer

3. Get Your Paper and Pay

Hi! I'm Amy, your personal assistant!

Don't know where to start? Give me your paper requirements and I connect you to an academic expert.

short deadlines

100% Plagiarism-Free

Certified writers

Advertisement

Read the Verdict Sheet in the Trump Manhattan Criminal Trial

• Share full article

Former President Donald J. Trump was convicted on Thursday on all 34 counts of falsifying business records by a jury of 12 New Yorkers, who deliberated over two days.

A PDF version of this document with embedded text is available at the link below:

Download the original document (pdf)

Verdict Sheet SUPREME COURT OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK PART 59 THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK COUNTY NEW YORK INDICTMENT No. 71543-23 against JUSTICE JUAN MERCHAN DATE 05/29/2024 DONALD J. TRUMP Defendant COUNT NUMBER CRIME GUILTY NOT GUILTY 1 FALSIFYING BUSINESS RECORDS -1ST DEGREE (Invoice: 2/14/17; $70,000) ✓ 2 FALSIFYING BUSINESS RECORDS -1ST DEGREE (Voucher No. 842457; $35,000) 3 FALSIFYING BUSINESS RECORDS -1ST DEGREE (Voucher No. 842460; $35,000) 4 FALSIFYING BUSINESS RECORDS -1ST DEGREE (Check No. 000138; $70,000) ✓ 5 FALSIFYING BUSINESS RECORDS -1ST DEGREE (Invoice: 3/16/17; $35,000) 6 FALSIFYING BUSINESS RECORDS -1ST DEGREE (Voucher No. 846907) ✓ 7 FALSIFYING BUSINESS RECORDS -1ST DEGREE (Check No. 000147; $35,000) ✓ 8 FALSIFYING BUSINESS RECORDS - 1ST DEGREE (Invoice: 4/13/17; $35,000) 9 FALSIFYING BUSINESS RECORDS - 1ST DEGREE (Voucher No. 858770) ✓ 10 FALSIFYING BUSINESS RECORDS -1ST DEGREE (Check No. 002740; $35,000) ✓ 11 FALSIFYING BUSINESS RECORDS - 1ST DEGREE (Invoice: 5/22/17; $35,000) ✓ 12 FALSIFYING BUSINESS RECORDS -1ST DEGREE (Voucher No. 855331) ADA Juchun Stringlass DC: Emil Boy (543) DATE: 5130124 FOREPERSON: B400 PAGE 1 OF 3

Verdict Sheet SUPREME COURT OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK PART 59 THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK COUNTY NEW YORK INDICTMENT No. 71543-23 against JUSTICE JUAN MERCHAN DONALD J. TRUMP DATE 05/29/2024 Defendant COUNT NUMBER CRIME GUILTY NOT GUILTY 13 FALSIFYING BUSINESS RECORDS - 1ST DEGREE (Check No. 002700; $35,000) 14 FALSIFYING BUSINESS RECORDS -1ST DEGREE (Invoice: 6/16/17; $35,000) 15 FALSIFYING BUSINESS RECORDS -1ST DEGREE (Voucher No. 858772) ✓ 16 FALSIFYING BUSINESS RECORDS -1ST DEGREE (Check No. 002741; $35,000) ✓ 17 FALSIFYING BUSINESS RECORDS - 1ST DEGREE (Invoice: 7/11/17; $35,000) 18 FALSIFYING BUSINESS RECORDS -1ST DEGREE (Voucher No. 861096) ✓ 19 FALSIFYING BUSINESS RECORDS -1ST DEGREE (Check No. 002781; $35,000) 20 FALSIFYING BUSINESS RECORDS - 1ST DEGREE (Invoice: 8/1/17; $35,000) ✓ 24 21 FALSIFYING BUSINESS RECORDS -1ST DEGREE (Voucher No. 863641) ✓ 22 22 FALSIFYING BUSINESS RECORDS -1ST DEGREE (Check No. 002821; $35,000) ✓ 23 FALSIFYING BUSINESS RECORDS -1ST DEGREE (Invoice: 9/11/17; $35,000) 24 FALSIFYING BUSINESS RECORDS -1ST DEGREE (Voucher No. 868174) ADA Joshur Steinglass S DC: Emil Bon ✓ DATE: 5/30/24 FOREPERSON: B400 PAGE 2 OF 3

Verdict Sheet SUPREME COURT OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK PART 59 COUNTY NEW YORK THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK INDICTMENT No. 71543-23 against JUSTICE JUAN MERCHAN DATE DONALD J. TRUMP 05/29/2024 Defendant COUNT NUMBER CRIME 25 FALSIFYING BUSINESS RECORDS - 1ST DEGREE (Check No. 002908; $35,000) 26 26 FALSIFYING BUSINESS RECORDS -1ST DEGREE (Invoice: 10/18/17; $35,000) GUILTY NOT GUILTY 27 27 FALSIFYING BUSINESS RECORDS -1ST DEGREE (Voucher No. 872654) ✓ 28 FALSIFYING BUSINESS RECORDS -1ST DEGREE (Check No. 002944; $35,000) ✓ 29 29 30 30 31 FALSIFYING BUSINESS RECORDS -1ST DEGREE (Invoice: 11/20/17; $35,000) FALSIFYING BUSINESS RECORDS - 1ST DEGREE (Voucher No. 876511) FALSIFYING BUSINESS RECORDS -1ST DEGREE (Check No. 002980; $35,000) 32 32 FALSIFYING BUSINESS RECORDS -1ST DEGREE (Invoice: 12/1/17; $35,000) ✓ 33 FALSIFYING BUSINESS RECORDS - 1ST DEGREE (Voucher No. 877785) ✓ 34 FALSIFYING BUSINESS RECORDS - 1ST DEGREE (Check No. 003006; $35,000) ADA Jeshun Steinglass DC: Emil Ban FB DATE: 5/30/24 FOREPERSON: B400 PAGE 3 OF 3

Our Coverage of the Trump Hush-Money Trial

Guilty Verdict : Donald Trump was convicted on all 34 counts  of falsifying records to cover up a sex scandal that threatened his bid for the White House in 2016, making him the first American president to be declared a felon .

Next Steps: The judge in the case set Trump’s sentencing for July 11, and Trump already indicated that he plans to appeal. Here’s what else may happen .

Reactions: Trump’s conviction reverberated quickly across the country and over the world . Here’s what Trump , voters , New Yorkers , Republicans  and the White House  had to say.

The Presidential Race : The verdict will test America’s traditions, legal institutions and ability to hold an election under historic partisan tension , reshuffling a race that has been locked in stasis and defined by a polarizing former president.

Making the Case: Over six weeks and the testimony of 20 witnesses, the Manhattan district attorney’s office wove a sprawling story  of election interference and falsified business records.

Legal Luck Runs Out: The four criminal cases that threatened Trump’s freedom had been stumbling along, pleasing his advisers. Then his good fortune expired .

Connecting the Dots: As rumors circulated of Trump’s reported infidelity, two accounts of women  being paid to stay silent about their encounters became central to his indictment.

An official website of the United States government

Here's how you know

Official websites use .gov A .gov website belongs to an official government organization in the United States.

Secure .gov websites use HTTPS A lock ( Lock A locked padlock ) or https:// means you’ve safely connected to the .gov website. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites.

• The Attorney General
• Organizational Chart
• Budget & Performance
• Privacy Program
• Press Releases
• Photo Galleries
• Guidance Documents
• Publications
• Information for Victims in Large Cases
• Justice Manual
• Business and Contracts
• Why Justice ?
• DOJ Vacancies
• Legal Careers at DOJ

Retired Navy Admiral and Business Executives Arrested in Connection with Alleged Bribery Scheme

             WASHINGTON – Robert Burke, 62, of Coconut Creek, Florida, a retired Navy Admiral, and two business executives – Yongchul “Charlie” Kim, 50, and Meghan Messenger, 47, both of New York, – were arrested this morning on charges related to their alleged roles in a bribery scheme that involved a U.S. government contract. The charges are contained in a five-count indictment, unsealed today, and relate to an alleged scheme in which the Admiral accepted future employment at the executives’ company in exchange for awarding them a government contract.   

             The indictment was announced by U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves, Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Nicole M. Argentieri, head of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, Deputy Director of Investigative Operations Grant A. Fleming of the Defense Criminal Investigative Service (DCIS), Special Agent in Charge Stanley A. Newell of the DCIS Transnational Operations Field Office, Special Agent in Charge Greg Gross of the Naval Criminal Investigative Service (NCIS) Economic Crimes Field Office, and Assistant Director Michael D. Nordwall of the FBI’s Criminal Investigative Division made the announcement.  

              From 2020 to 2022, Robert Burke was a four-star Admiral who oversaw Naval operations in Europe, Russia, and most of Africa, and commanded thousands of civilian and military personnel. Yongchul “Charlie” Kim and Meghan Messenger were the co-CEOs of a company (“Company A”) that provided a workforce training pilot program to a small component of the Navy from August 2018 through July 2019. The Navy terminated a contract with Company A in late 2019 and directed Company A not to contact Burke.

            Despite the Navy’s instructions, Kim and Messenger then allegedly met with Burke in Washington, D.C., in July 2021, in an effort to reestablish Company A’s business relationship with the Navy. At the meeting, the charged defendants allegedly agreed that Burke would use his position as a Navy Admiral to steer a sole-source contract to Company A in exchange for future employment at the company. They allegedly further agreed that Burke would use his official position to influence other Navy officers to award another contract to Company A to train a large portion of the Navy with a value Kim allegedly estimated to be “triple digit millions.” 

            In furtherance of the conspiracy, in December 2021, Burke allegedly ordered his staff to award a $355,000 contract to Company A to train personnel under Burke’s command in Italy and Spain. Company A performed the training in January 2022. Thereafter, Burke allegedly promoted Company A in a failed effort to convince a senior Navy Admiral to award another contract to Company A. To conceal the scheme, Burke allegedly made several false and misleading statements to the Navy, including by creating the false appearance that Burke played no role in issuing the contract and falsely implying that Company A’s employment discussions with Burke only began months after the contract was awarded. 

            In October 2022, Burke began working at Company A at a yearly starting salary of $500,000 and a grant of 100,000 stock options. 

            “As alleged in the indictment, Admiral Burke used his public office and his four-star status for his private gain,” said U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves. “The law does not make exceptions for admirals or CEOs.  Those who pay and receive bribes must be held accountable.  The urgency is at its greatest when, as here, senior government officials and senior executives are allegedly involved in the corruption.” 

            “Today’s indictment exemplifies our unwavering commitment to eradicating fraud within the DoD,” said Deputy Director, Grant A. Fleming, Department of Defense, Office of Inspector General’s, Defense Criminal Investigative Service (DCIS). “Together with our federal partners, DCIS will persist in dismantling attempts to defraud the U.S. Government.”

            “NCIS takes every allegation of corruption within the Department of the Navy seriously, regardless of rank or position,” said Special Agent in Charge Greg Gross of the NCIS Economic Crimes Field Office. “NCIS and our partners remain committed to rooting out criminality that degrades public trust in the Department of the Navy.”

            “Burke allegedly steered a lucrative contract to Kim and Messenger's company in exchange for the promise of future employment and then lied to try to conceal the scheme,” said FBI Special Agent in Charge David J. Scott. “As a four-star admiral, Burke not only cheated U.S. taxpayers but also did a disservice to military personnel under his command. As this indictment demonstrates, the FBI and our partners remain committed to investigating and prosecuting corrupt officials regardless of their rank or title.”

            Burke, Kim, and Messenger are each charged with conspiracy to commit bribery and bribery. Burke is also charged with performing acts affecting a personal financial interest and concealing material facts from the United States. If convicted, Burke faces a maximum penalty of 30 years in prison, and Kim and Messenger each face a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison.

            This case is being investigated by the Defense Criminal Investigative Service, Naval Criminal Investigative Service, and the FBI’s Washington Field Office.

            It is being prosecuted by Trial Attorneys Trevor Wilmot and Kathryn E. Fifield of the Criminal Division’s Public Integrity Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Joshua Rothstein for the District of Columbia are prosecuting the case.

            An indictment is merely an allegation and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

Related Content

Ade Salim Lilly, 35, of Queens, NY, pleaded guilty today in U.S. District Court in threatening to kill a Congressional staff member and for making repeated harassing phone calls to...

A three-count indictment was unsealed yesterday in U.S. District Court charging a District woman and a Maryland man with conspiring to launder proceeds from a scheme to steal government benefit...

Kirk Perry, 59, of Lorain, Ohio, and his nephew Jamarea Grant, 30, of Cleveland, Ohio, were arrested this morning on wire fraud and conspiracy charges filed in U.S. District Court...

Why I quit Goldman Sachs

I became a VP in six years. Then the 'boys only' culture drove me out.

Goldman Sachs has a problem.

Only 29% of the 2022 partner class was women — just slightly more than the previous two classes — and a flood of women leaders have recently taken their talents elsewhere . Dina Powell McCormick, head of sovereign business and sustainability efforts, left last year. Beth Hammack, a longtime partner, exited after she was passed over for the CFO role. Stephanie Cohen , once a likely CEO successor, left in March after 25 years. The Wall Street Journal recently reported that two-thirds of female partners had left or lost the title since 2018. The same was true for only 50% of male partners.

Two years ago, I joined the ranks of the women leaving Goldman. My career propelled me from an intern to a vice president in just six years, but it wasn't a walk in the park. I didn't feel like my innately feminine, sensitive self could cut it at Goldman, so I stashed her aside and stepped into an alternate persona. Under my desk, I would keep a pair of black pumps that I called my "Hollywood heels." When I put them on every morning, I channeled a thick-skinned character who thrived in a man's world.

It worked, but it was draining. Eventually, I decided I'd had enough; I left to write novels and build my own coaching and consulting business. It's been liberating to work in my authentic style, and it's made me realize how much of myself I was keeping small while at Goldman.

The lack of female leadership in the financial industry is nothing new, but many companies have been making strides. Citi has a female CEO and surpassed its 2022 goal to increase the number of women in leadership positions. Morgan Stanley has steadily increased its share of women in senior management. And two women are likely candidates to succeed JPMorgan Chase CEO Jamie Dimon. But at Goldman, the problem has only gotten worse.

Related stories

In 2023, Goldman paid $215 million to settle a lawsuit filed in 2010 that alleged it had discriminated against thousands of female employees. Earlier this year, CEO David Solomon told the Journal: "Advancing women into our most senior ranks is an area where we have not accomplished our goals." But as I watch senior women continue their exodus from Goldman, I'm not sure the company actually wants to change.

Bringing women in the door isn't Goldman's problem — in its most recent hiring report, 50% of its entry-level analysts were women. The problem is that it can't keep women, especially those in leadership roles, around.

In my first role, I was the only woman on a team of 20 investors. Without role models to reflect different ways to be a leader, I felt like I had to mimic the masculine way to succeed. I wore a pantsuit and muted my personality; I played golf, talked football, and cried in the bathroom stall so I wouldn't be seen shedding tears at my desk. My out-of-the-box ideas were discouraged. I was told to stick to the Excel templates and precisely formatted PowerPoint decks, and to stop using exclamation points in my emails. My schedule was whatever the male leadership pushed: 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. during the week and long hours most weekends.

Many financial firms have a rigid culture, but Goldman's takes it to the next level — and women tend to bear the brunt.

When I took my first week of vacation after being at Goldman for over a year, my manager lectured me for not replying to emails or updating financial models during my personal time off. I told him that I had been hiking off the grid with my mom and hadn't had much cell service. "Next time, choose a vacation spot with better reception," he told me. Jaw clenched, I agreed.

Many financial firms have a rigid culture, but Goldman's takes it to the next level — and women tend to bear the brunt. Take the firm's strict return-to-office policy as an example. While many companies have modernized to embrace hybrid and remote work , Goldman has not. This disproportionately hurts women, as research has found women are more likely to thrive and stay at companies longer when they have hybrid and flexible working environments. In a 2023 survey by International Workplace Group, 72% of women polled said they would look for a new job if their company took away their option for hybrid work. And a recent McKinsey survey found that two of the top priorities for the women in the poll when picking a job were the ability to work remotely and control when they work.

Rather than changing its "be in the office every day and grind it out" culture to better suit women, Goldman puts the onus on us to change ourselves to fit the model.

Jacki Zehner, a former Goldman partner turned CEO of the women's networking platform ShePlace, recently wrote about the company on LinkedIn. The biggest reason women leave, she said, is "not feeling valued."

This resonated with me. Feeling — and being — undervalued means women miss out on promotions. McKinsey calls this the "broken rung": For every 100 men promoted from an entry level role to manager in 2023, only 87 women were promoted, according to their survey of 27,000 workers in the US and Canada. This disparity out of the gate creates a leadership-pipeline problem down the road.

While leadership styles vary from person to person, research suggests that women and men tend to lead differently. In her book, "When Women Lead," the CNBC reporter Julia Boorstin says women are more likely to lead with empathy, vulnerability, gratitude, communal leadership, and a greater sense of purpose. Boorstin's reporting found that women were more likely than men to invest in mentorship and have more diverse teams. The differences translate to financial results: In a recent study, McKinsey found that companies with at least 30% female leaders tended to outperform financially.

Goldman says it understands the importance of female leadership. "When women lead, everything changes," its corporate site says. The company offers a women's network, encourages male allyship, and talks a big game about diversity. But Goldman leadership seems to want the benefits of gender diversity without the hard work of supporting diverse leadership styles. For all the talk, I never noticed it trickle down to how it actually felt to work there. My female coworkers and I talked about it frequently — Goldman was squandering our talents by making us conform to the small box of how finance was supposed to be done. It felt like they were glad to have recruited such bright, multidimensional women but had no interest in empowering our gifts.

When we contemplated what it would take to rise into the senior ranks, we knew we would be compromising too much.

As I moved up at Goldman, I tried to incorporate more of my true self at work, whether that meant letting out my bubbly laugh or writing a "Goldman Sachs joy newsletter" to boost morale. Many colleagues appreciated my style, especially when I worked for a year in the London office. But in New York, I met resistance. When colleagues found my poetry on Instagram, they made negative comments to me about how emotional the poems were. When I brought in cookies for my team, I was told I should have been building financial models instead of baking.

These are small examples, but that's where bias often lives — in the million little ways women are told to tweak themselves to be more like men. The implication is that our way is lesser. I became a VP at 28, but I was burned out — not from the work itself but from the parts of me I had to dim along the way. The internal balancing act pushed me out.

Nearly two dozen of my women friends at the VP and managing-director levels have also left Goldman to join companies — or start companies — where they have more freedom, whether that means hybrid work, greater autonomy, or the ability to be promoted based on the quality of their work, rather than who they knew.

Goldman was a great place for us to start our careers, but when we contemplated what it would take to rise into the senior ranks, we knew we would be compromising too much.

From what I've seen, the C-suite men who reinforce Goldman's culture generally have good intentions. They assume that because their way worked for them, everyone else should follow suit. But when a woman doesn't fit the typical pattern or mold for CEO or partner, she's passed over.

As more women leave Goldman, the business itself suffers. Data shows that companies in the top 10% financially have more women in leadership positions. These companies excel because their women leaders act differently. Sometimes they see things that others miss. Just look at the 2008 financial crash .

If Goldman can manage to grow its ranks of women leaders, more women will follow. Deloitte found that for each woman added to a financial firm's C-suite, there's a positive, quantifiable impact on the number of senior women in levels just below the C-suite. We all need role models to show us what's possible. Women like Asahi Pompey and Yassaman Salas, Goldman partners whose commitment to being themselves radiates like a superpower, and Rebecca Anderton-Davies , a managing director who also shines as an author and yogi, show me there's hope.

Since I left two years ago, Goldman has been good to me. They bought copies of my book and hosted me to speak with interns. But when one intern asked how I "brought my full self to work" — one of Goldman's favorite slogans — I sidestepped the question. The truth was, I didn't bring my full self. Most of the time, I kept my feminine side tucked away, and I was rewarded for it.

Since leaving, I've been able to let my full self shine. I delivered a TEDx talk comparing Wall Street dealmaking to modern dating — something I would not have had the autonomy to do if I were still at Goldman. And rather than matching my schedule to Goldman's rigid model, I'm able to honor the natural ebbs and flows of my productivity. My feminine side is no longer a liability; it's an asset. I lead creativity and breathwork workshops, write women-centered novels, and mentor clients to help them build their dream careers.

I'm grateful to Goldman for launching my career, but it has a lot of room for improvement. And until it turns things around, don't be surprised when talented women keep walking out. We know there are other places we can go.

Lindsay MacMillan is an author, speaker, and coach.

About Discourse Stories

Through our Discourse journalism, Business Insider seeks to explore and illuminate the day’s most fascinating issues and ideas. Our writers provide thought-provoking perspectives, informed by analysis, reporting, and expertise. Read more Discourse stories here .

More from Finance

Most popular

• Main content

Trump found guilty: Read the court transcript of the hush money trial's final day

History was made Thursday afternoon when a Manhattan jury handed down a guilty verdict to former president Donald Trump .

Judge Juan Merchan was poised to dismiss the jury for the evening on their second day of deliberating when he received the note.

The jury found Trump guilty of 34 counts of falsifying business records to disguise the hush money payment issued to porn star Stormy Daniels ahead of the 2016 election as legal expenses. Trump is expected to appeal the decision .

Cameras were not allowed in the courtroom, but you can experience the historic moment through court transcripts :

Understanding the verdict: What was Trump found guilty of? See the 34 business records the jury decided he falsified

Prep for the polls: See who is running for president and compare where they stand on key issues in our Voter Guide

Read Trump trial transcript of guilty verdict proceedings

You can read all testimony transcripts on the New York Court media website .

Trump found guilty: Catch up on the trial's sex stories, secret tapes and court drama

See the first verdict sheet of a former president

What's next for donald trump.

Judge  Juan Merchan  has scheduled Trump's sentencing for July 11, and Trump is out free until then.

Because this is Trump's first felony offense, his sentence is likely to be as light as probation or home confinement. If he does receive a prison  sentence , it would probably be less than a year.

Trump is also likely to appeal the conviction, further pushing down any chance he serves jailtime before the election.

Contributing: Aysha Bagchi

• Personal Finance
• Today's Paper
• T20 World Cup
• Partner Content
• Entertainment
• Social Viral
• Pro Kabaddi League

Chadha Papers consolidated net profit declines 79.46% in the March 2024 quarter

Disclaimer: No Business Standard Journalist was involved in creation of this content

Lupin gets Rs 477-cr IT demand for AY 2022

Syngene intl gets rs 16-cr demand order from it dept, infosys to receives tax refund from it dept of rs 6,329 cr, comprehensive guide to corporate tax registration and filing in the uae, bloomberg ranks scube capital's funds as no1 performing fixed income fund across asia pacific, cosboard industries reports standalone net loss of rs 0.16 crore in the march 2024 quarter, m&amp;m total sales rises 17% yoy to 71,682 units in may'24, la opala rg standalone net profit declines 18.97% in the march 2024 quarter, modern threads (i) standalone net profit declines 53.06% in the march 2024 quarter, cil's coal production rises 7.5% yoy in may'24; offtake at 68.2 mt.

Don't miss the most important news and views of the day. Get them on our Telegram channel

First Published: Jun 01 2024 | 1:38 PM IST

Explore News

• Suzlon Energy Share Price Adani Enterprises Share Price Adani Power Share Price IRFC Share Price Tata Motors Share Price Tata Steel Share Price Yes Bank Share Price Infosys Share Price SBI Share Price Tata Power Share Price
• Latest News Company News Market News India News Politics News Cricket News Personal Finance Technology News World News Industry News Education News Opinion Shows Economy News Lifestyle News Health News
• Today's Paper About Us T&C Privacy Policy Cookie Policy Disclaimer Investor Communication GST registration number List Compliance Contact Us Advertise with Us Sitemap Subscribe Careers BS Apps
• ICC T20 World Cup 2024 T20 World Cup 2024 Schedule Budget 2024 Lok Sabha Election 2024 IPL Points Table 2024 T20 World Cup 2024 Points Table

Donald Trump found guilty in historic New York hush money case

A New York jury on Thursday found Donald Trump guilty on all 34 felony counts of falsifying business records — the first time a former U.S. president has been convicted of a crime.

The jury reached its verdict in the historic case after 9½ hours of deliberations, which began Wednesday. 

He'll be sentenced on July 11, four days before the Republican National Convention. He faces penalties from a fine to four years in prison on each count, although it's expected he would be sentenced for the offenses concurrently, not consecutively.

Follow live updates here.

"This was a disgrace. This was a rigged trial by a conflicted judge who was corrupt,” Trump fumed to reporters afterward.

The verdict was read in the Manhattan courtroom where Trump has been on trial since April 15. He had pleaded not guilty to 34 counts of falsifying business records related to a hush money payment his former lawyer Michael Cohen made to adult film star Stormy Daniels in the final weeks of the 2016 presidential election.

Trump looked down with his eyes narrowed as the jury foreperson read the word "guilty" to each count.

The judge thanked the jurors for their service in the weekslong trial. “You gave this matter the attention it deserved, and I want to thank you for that,” Judge Juan Merchan told them. Trump appeared to be scowling at the jurors as they walked by him on their way out of the courtroom.

Trump's attorney Todd Blanche made a motion for acquittal after the jury left the room, which the judge denied.

Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg would not comment on what type of sentence he might seek, saying his office would do its talking in court papers.

"While this defendant may be unlike any other in American history, we arrived at this trial and ultimately today at this verdict in the same manner as every other case that comes to the courtroom doors — by following the facts and the law in doing so, without fear or favor," Bragg said. Asked for his reaction to the verdict, Bragg, who was inundated with threats from Trump supporters during the probe, said, "I did my job. We did our job."

Trump, the presumptive Republican nominee for president, immediately set out fundraising off the news, posting on his website that he's "a political prisoner" and urging his followers to give money.

Legal experts have told NBC News that even if Trump is sentenced to time behind bars, he'd most likely be allowed to remain out of jail while he appeals the verdict, a process that could take months or more. That means the sentence would most likely not interfere with his ability to accept the Republican nomination for president at the July convention.

And it likely wouldn't impact his ability to be elected. "There are no other qualifications other than those in the Constitution,” Chuck Rosenberg, a former U.S. attorney and NBC News & MSNBC Legal Analyst said following Thursday’s verdict.

President Joe Biden's campaign praised the verdict in a statement but stressed that Trump needs to be defeated in November.

“In New York today, we saw that no one is above the law," said the campaign's communications director, Michael Tyler, but the "verdict does not change the fact that the American people face a simple reality. There is still only one way to keep Donald Trump out of the Oval Office: at the ballot box."

In his closing argument this week, prosecutor Joshua Steinglass told the jury that “the law is the law, and it applies to everyone equally. There is no special standard for this defendant.”

“You, the jury, have the ability to hold the defendant accountable,” Steinglass said.

Trump had maintained that the DA’s office had no case and that there had been no crime. “President Trump is innocent. He did not commit any crimes,” Blanche said in his closing statement, arguing the payments to Cohen were legitimate.

Prosecutors said the disguised payment to Cohen was part of a “planned, coordinated long-running conspiracy to influence the 2016 election, to help Donald Trump get elected through illegal expenditures, to silence people who had something bad to say about his behavior, using doctored corporate records and bank forms to conceal those payments along the way.”

“It was election fraud. Pure and simple,” prosecutor Matthew Colangelo said in his opening statement.

While Trump wasn’t charged with conspiracy, prosecutors argued he caused the records to be falsified because he was trying to cover up a violation of state election law — and falsifying business records with the intent to cover another crime raises the offense from a misdemeanor to a felony. 

Trump was convicted after a sensational weekslong trial that included combative testimony from Cohen, Trump’s self-described former fixer, and Daniels, who testified that she had a sexual encounter with Trump in 2006 after she met him at a celebrity golf tournament. Trump has denied her claim, and his attorney had suggested that Cohen acted on his own because he thought it would make “the boss” happy.

Other witnesses included former White House staffers, among them adviser Hope Hicks, former Trump Organization executives and former National Enquirer publisher David Pecker.  

Trump didn’t take the witness stand to offer his own account of what happened, even though he proclaimed before the trial began that he would “absolutely” testify. The defense’s main witness was Robert Costello, a lawyer whom Cohen considered retaining in 2018. Costello, who testified that Cohen had told him Trump had nothing to do with the Daniels’ payment, enraged Merchan by making disrespectful comments and faces on the stand. At one point, the judge cleared the courtroom during Costello’s testimony and threatened to hold him in contempt. 

Cohen testified that he lied to Costello because he didn’t trust him and that he’d lied to others about Trump’s involvement at the time because he wanted to protect his former boss.

Cohen was the lone witness to testify to Trump’s direct involvement in the $130,000 payment and the subsequent reimbursement plan. Blanche spent days challenging his credibility, getting Cohen to acknowledge he has a history of lying, including under oath.

Cohen said he was paid the Daniels cash in a series of payments from Trump throughout 2017 that the Trump Organization characterized as payments pursuant to a retainer agreement “for legal services rendered.”

Prosecutors said there was no such agreement, and Cohen’s version of events was supported by documentary evidence and witness testimony. 

Blanche contended that the series of checks then-President Trump paid Cohen in 2017 “was not a payback to Mr. Cohen for the money that he gave to Ms. Daniels” and that he was being paid for his legal work as Trump’s personal lawyer.

Testimony from Jeff McConney, a former senior vice president at Trump’s company, challenged that position. McConney said the company’s chief financial officer, Allen Weisselberg, told him that Cohen was being reimbursed for a $130,000 payment, and prosecutors entered Weisselberg’s handwritten notes about the payment formula as evidence. Cohen said Trump agreed to the arrangement in a meeting with him and Weisselberg just days before he was inaugurated as the 45th president.

Weisselberg didn't testify. He’s in jail on a perjury charge related to his testimony in New York Attorney General Letitia James’ civil fraud case against Trump and his company. Cohen, McConney and other witnesses said Weisselberg, who spent decades working for Trump, always sought his approval for large expenditures. 

In all, the prosecution called 20 witnesses, while the defense called two.

Trump had frequently claimed, falsely, that the charges against him were a political concoction orchestrated by Biden to keep him off the campaign trail. But Trump eventually managed to bring the campaign to the courtroom, hosting top Republicans, including House Speaker Mike Johnson of Louisiana and Sens. JD Vance of Ohio and Rick Scott of Florida, as his guests in court. Trump also used court breaks to tout political messages to his supporters, while his surrogates sidestepped Merchan’s gag order by attacking witnesses, individual prosecutors and Merchan’s daughter.

Merchan fined Trump $10,000 during the trial for violating his order, including attacks on Cohen and Daniels, and warned he could have him locked up if he continued violating the order.

Cohen celebrated the verdict in a post on X. "Today is an important day for accountability and the rule of law. While it has been a difficult journey for me and my family, the truth always matters," Cohen wrote.

Trump was indicted in March of last year after a yearslong investigation by Bragg and his predecessor, Cyrus Vance. The charges were the first ever brought against a former president, although Trump has since been charged and pleaded not guilty in three other cases. None of the three — a federal election interference case in Washington, D.C., a state election interference case in Georgia and a federal case alleging he mishandled classified documents and national security information — appear likely to go to trial before the Nov. 5 presidential election.

Adam Reiss is a reporter and producer for NBC and MSNBC.

Gary Grumbach produces and reports for NBC News, based in Washington, D.C.

Dareh Gregorian is a politics reporter for NBC News.

Tom Winter is a New York-based correspondent covering crime, courts, terrorism and financial fraud on the East Coast for the NBC News Investigative Unit.

Jillian Frankel is a 2024 NBC News campaign embed.