May the Best Man Win: Hypothesizing on the Effects of Different Motivational Approaches
Michael Moore
PSY 200
Gregory Williams
Word Count: 912
May the Best Man Win: Hypothesizing on the Effects of Different Motivational Approaches.
Motivation is a topic which has been studied and commented on from as early as the time of Plato. (McClelland, 1961, p.36) While the forces that drive individual motivation are the subject of a multitude of theories, it has been commonly accepted that motivation is based upon some kind of hierarchy of needs. This hierarchy causes individuals to focus their energies on the lowest level of unfulfilled needs before moving up to the next level. (Maslow, 1970, p.59) My paper will focus on a hypothetical situation involving four individuals with highly disparate motivational systems, each competing for a promotion at work. My characters for this study include Ella, who follows a biological theory of motivation; Marcelo, who follows a psychosocial theory of motivation; Masoko, who follows an interactionist theory of motivation, and finally Sam, whose motivation is governed by a mix of the above three theories. The question I will answer in my essay is which of these four individuals is most likely to win the promotion. I will further speculate on the source of their motivations, and in the case of Sam I will explain how the separate motivational theories that he follows interact with each other.
As a person governed by the biological theory of motivation, Ella is trapped on the lowest level of Maslow’s hierarchy of needs, and is therefore primarily concerned with providing sustenance and shelter for herself and possibly a family. According to the biological theory of motivation, once an individual satisfies their basic needs, they lose their motivation. (Morris, Engstrom, Taylor, Mujaddad, Ahmed, & Carr) Ella most likely has at some point lived in poverty or gone without adequate nourishment, hence her focus on biological motivation. Unfortunately for her, this motivation only allows for her to desire to achieve enough to meet her most basic needs. Once these needs are met, Ella will be content with her life and will not look to go out of her way to continue to improve her situation. Winning the promotion that she is competing for is most likely not one of her higher priorities, as the social stature and extra income which accompany the promotion would be seen by her as unnecessary. Ella would be my last choice to win the promotion.
Marcelo, an example of psychosocial motivations, is a creature whose view of self is defined by his role and stature in society. Marcelo is not happy succeeding merely for the joy of succeeding, but rather feels that his success must be appreciated by those around him. To Marcelo, success only counts when it advances his position in society. Marcelo most likely comes from a background of high competitiveness, and has possibly been made to feel inadequate by a parent or some other role model. Marcelo will view the promotion as a prize which he will go to any lengths to win. Unfortunately for Marcelo, this all-encompassing focus on his own advancement has most likely marked him as someone who doesn’t mind playing dirty, possibly even causing harm to his coworkers to get ahead. Ultimately Marcelo and people like him earn bad reputations, which is why I did not pick him to win the promotion.
As someone whose actions are governed by the interactionist theory of motivation, Masoko is a “people person” in the truest sense. Masoko lives for the daily interactions with coworkers, friends, and family alike. Masoko is most likely well-liked by peers, and possibly even favored by some to win the promotion. Unfortunately, Masoko is not as driven to achieve in a professional sense. Masoko would most likely be concerned with how a promotion might affect the relationships she has developed at work. Whether by creating jealousy, or merely having to leave friends behind as she advances, Masoko would not want her relationships damaged and might subconsciously sabotage her own chances to win the promotion. Masoko’s development has probably included some very close relationships which have in turn made her value personal interaction.
The last character in my hypothetical competition is Sam. Sam operates using a mixture of the above three motivational theories. With that in mind, Sam is not only the healthiest of the four candidates competing for the promotion; he is also probably the most deserving. To begin with Sam sees the bigger picture in life. He understands that while his current position adequately meets his biological needs, the increased income of a promotion will do much to assure that those needs remain fulfilled in the future. Sam further realizes that the promotion will serve to increase his standing in society. This motivates Sam because he realizes that the increased respect which he will earn from his peers will aid in the positive self image that he ultimately hopes to develop. Sam will not however step on as many toes as someone who is solely devoted to advancement, as he respects the relationships which he builds in the workplace. His mixture of motivational theories allow him to focus on his basic needs, work on achieving more advanced levels of fulfillment, and maintain close relationships with the people around him all at the same time. Sam was probably raised in a more nurturing environment than the other applicants, as he has more fully developed in his journey through Maslow’s hierarchy.
While two of the individuals in my paper, Sam and Marcelo, share the same higher-level motivation, by combining this motivation with other lower-level ones, Sam proves to be the best candidate, and without a doubt the most likely to win my hypothetical promotion.
References
McClelland,
D. C. (1961). The achieving society.
Maslow,
A. H. (1970). Motivation and personality.
Morris,
J., Engstrom, K., Taylor, S., Mujaddad, R., Ahmed, H., & Carr,