“Ability is what you are capable of doing
Motivation detemines what you do.
Attitude determines how well you do it.”
Many psychologists have established the existence of a prioritized hierarchy of needs that motivate individuals towards satisfactory performance. In particular, Abraham Harold Maslow (1908-1970), often quoted in project management literature, put forward a hierarchy depicted as a pyramid. This displayed basic psychological needs at the base and worked up to ‘self-actualization’ at the top.
Another motivational theory frequently referenced in PM literature is Frederick Irving Herzberg’s (1923-2000) Motivation-Hygiene Theory. According to this theory, the absence of hygiene factors can lead to dissatisfaction, but their presence alone does not significantly boost employee motivation. These include salary, working conditions, and leadership style. These factors are fundamental requirements to avoid dissatisfaction.
In contrast, motivational factors directly affect employee performance and satisfaction, fostering a positive attitude at work. Examples include responsibility, recognition, and creative work.
It might not be irrelevant to note how these two approaches relate. We can map Herzberg’s two factors onto Maslow’s pyramid
Self-actualization
Creative work
Opportunity for development
Involvement in planning own work
Esteem needs
Challenging work
Opportunity for advancement
Recognition, award, status symbols
Sharing background of decisions, own decision opportunity
Love and social needs
Teamwork
Supportive co-workers
Networking opportunities
Beyond the project interaction opportunities
Safety needs
Job security
Safe working conditions, co-workers’ friendship
Sound policies and practices
Fringe benefits
Physiological needs
Labor supporting devices
Work-Life balance
Adequate compensation package
Cognitive needs such as creativity, foresight, curiosity, and meaning. Individuals who enjoy activities that require deliberation and brainstorming have a greater need for cognition. Individuals who are unmotivated to participate in the activity, on the other hand, have a low demand for cognitive abilities.
Aesthetic needs to beautify one’s life. This would consist of having the ability to appreciate the beauty within the world around oneself, on a day-to-day basis.
These needs are less related to workplace motivation or are not clearly distinct but can be embedded in other need levels. For example, helping with learning, improving knowledge of the world, and seeking truth beneath the surface address cognitive needs. Or workplace orderliness, cleanliness, and harmony satisfy aesthetic needs, but these aren’t strong motivating factors.
The need for transcendence isn’t really meant to be fulfilled in the workplace. Here, we set aside abstract political promises, focusing on a professional context. However, an interesting project management aspect has recently emerged that relates to this topic: the ability to handle unpredictability, a skill now in focus with the onset of pandemics, wars, and a chaotic world. This adds to the usual IQ (problem-solving ability) and EQ (emotional intelligence), with the addition of SQ, or spiritual intelligence.
SQ is the ability to analyze situations, recognize the possibility of change, and potentially modify circumstances to control a situation. Characteristics of SQ include:
The relationship between SQ abilities and project management knowledge is illustrated in this diagram.
After the 1960s the discussion of motivation moved towards “on-the-job
development” from the general to the specific motivation and interpersonal and management competences.
This is the contingency approach (Fred Edward Fiedler, 1922 – 2017) to motivation recognizes that there is no one-size-fits-all method to motivate individuals in the workplace. Instead, it suggests that the effectiveness of a motivational strategy depends on various situational factors. This approach adapts to the unique needs of employees, the nature of tasks, and the organizational environment.
We can illustrate the complexity of motivation and the many factors that influence it with Edwin A. Locke’s (1938) diagram of the motivation process.
Maslow acknowledged the multifaceted motivational system behind human actions, but his model was somewhat static, which he realized when he introduced the transcendence level. Modern motivational approaches, while recognizing Maslow’s pyramid, focus on practices that consider specific environmental and interpersonal relationships. Studies and models examining leadership styles and their impact demonstrate how to manage and implement these aspects.
Imre Szalay
