Istd Response Sheet

PAPER- I (Organizational Behavior)

Response Sheet -1

Question 4: Define motivation. Critically evaluate contribution of Mc Gregor to Motivation.

Answer:

1. MOTIVATION: The term motivation can be defined as an intrinsic or extrinsic force that compel a person to take certain actions to achieve a particular goal. The major factors that induces Motivation in a person are:

1. Desire to achieve a particular goal.

       Example: Desire to achieve a top rank in a university examination.

1. Getting a reward in supporting a particular goal.

        Example: To get a promotion while supporting to achieve an organizational goal.  

1. Full filling basic personal or family needs.

        Example: A workmen working as a laborer to satisfy his basic or family needs.

According to Abraham Maslow a person is motivated to unsatisfied needs, first he tries to satisfy his basic needs & then move to higher levels of Safety, Social, Self-esteem & Self-actualization needs in order.

1. DOUGLAS MC GREGOR’s CONTRIBUTION:

Mc Gregor’s proposed theories of human motivation termed as Theory X & Theory, Which are very useful for Managers in today’s world organizations, these are used as the tools to decide how to deal with employees & to maximize production or services and profit.

According to Theory X the ‘Type X’ employees are inherent lazy & unhappy with their Jobs, they avoid responsibility & initiative at work. The ‘Type X’ managers have to rely upon dictatorial style in which they use threat of punishments to make employee work efficiently. This theory is mostly applicable to uneducated & unskilled workers.

According to Theory Y the ‘Type Y’ employees are self-motivated, take responsibility & initiative to achieve organizational goals. The ‘Type Y’ managers only have to provide resources, support & right conditions in accomplishing organizational objectives. This theory is mostly applicable to skilled & educated employees who takes responsibility

In reality no employee belongs solely to either ‘Type X’ or ‘Type Y’ category & have characteristics of both in varying degree in different situations, so the Mc Gregors’s theory helps mangers to prepare tactics and procedures to be used on a particular type of employee or teams in a particular situation.