Verified Document

Forces That Motivate The Topic Of How Term Paper

Forces That Motivate The topic of how people are motivated is one that has investigated by curious minds for as long as man relied on others to achieve some of their goals. The theory has been put forth that, in the end, there are only two forces that motivate people, self-interest and fear. This paper will argue that in fact, these two forces are really one. In addition, there is another, third facet of self-interest that is sometimes overlooked - the love for others.

Understanding how people are motivated is a crucial piece to successfully interacting and collaborating in society. As adults, one must take into account how best to motivate those around us in order to achieve our goals in this world.

If people were not motivated to perform tasks that were not appealing to them, imagine what the world would be like. Although at first people may be able to only indulge themselves in activities they enjoy, eventually those would cease to be available, due to the intricate relationship of each individual with another. For example, food would become scarce as perhaps no one would take enjoyment in producing it.

It's this give and take that allows the world to function that is the essence of motivation.

To do this, one must first do that. To reap this reward, one must first put in this effort. This motivation is typically broken down into two factors that have been described as primary motivators for people - fear and self-interest.

Fear is a motivator that all people are aware of. It occurs...

Moses utilized fear as he "got his people's undivided attention by putting the fear of a wrathful God in them." (Maccoby, Gittell, & Ledeen) It is the fear of having to pay a fine or going to jail that deters many people from driving over the speed limit. Workers fear being fired or not receiving a needed raise or promotion, and as such often work longer and harder. Fear even motivates students, as many are fearful of receiving a bad grade and therefore apply themselves more to their studies than they would if this fear didn't exist. However, when one truly considers it, isn't fear simply an echo of self-interest?
Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs can best describe self-interest motivators. In it, Maslow describes five levels of self-interest needs. A pyramidal shape, Maslow theorized that once the bottom level need is fulfilled, a person then seeks the next higher level, and so on.

In his theory, Maslow's five levels included: physiological needs, safety needs, needs of love, affection and belongingness, needs for esteem, and needs for self-actualization.

According to Maslow, the first level that needs to be fulfilled is their physiological needs. "These are biological needs. They consist of needs for oxygen, food, water, and a relatively constant body temperature. They are the strongest needs because if a person were deprived of all needs, the physiological ones would come first in the person's search for satisfaction."…

Sources used in this document:
Works Cited

Maccoby, M., Gittel, J.H. & Ledeen, M.A. "Leadership and the Fear Factor." MIT Sloan Management Review 45(2) Winter 2004: p. 14-17. Business Source Premier. EBSCOHost. University of Phoenix, Phoenix, AZ. May 26, 2004 http://www.epnet.com.

Simons, J.A., Irwin, D.B., & Drinnien, B.A. "Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs." Psychology - The Search for Understanding. (1987). 9 March 2004 http://honolulu.hawaii.edu/intranet/committees/FacDevCom/guidebk/teachtip/maslow.htm.
Cite this Document:
Copy Bibliography Citation

Related Documents

Sales Management Motivating the Sales Force
Words: 2033 Length: 5 Document Type: Term Paper

Sales Management: Motivating the Sales Force Motivating the sales force is often based on providing the sales force with rewards based on performance and this is an important motivational tool. At the same time, it must be recognized that for this to be effective, other needs must first be taken care of. To investigate this idea further, several motivational theories will be described with each applied to the sales force. This

Motivated Audiences
Words: 790 Length: 2 Document Type: Term Paper

motivated audience has positive attitudes about the speaker and/or the topic. Motivated audience supports the speaker. They too can be moved inspired, stimulated and enthused through the persuasive efforts of the speakers: with a motivated audience a speaker directs and maintains their support. It takes a skill to have this motivated audience. It seems to time that there must be two major determinants present: firstly, that the audience has need,

Forced Religion or Spiritualism on Academic and Social Learning in...
Words: 2899 Length: 10 Document Type: Research Paper

They do this without paying attention to the person that undergoes difficulties in their lives and are simply certain that religion is the only way through which one will no longer find life problematical. Religious tutors believe that religion is the best method of assisting adolescents who come across an impediment at a certain moment. Most are actually determined to force religion into teenagers, with the confidence that it

Motivates People It Is Generally
Words: 2808 Length: 10 Document Type: Research Paper

Most managers motivate their subalterns with promises of rewards, generally financial rewards. In service entities, leaders are commencing to motivate their subalterns through non-financial elements, such as flexible working schedules, promotions opportunities or challenging tasks. Within the it firms, software developers are constantly motivated by the ability to become integrated in the project they desire. Service companies also offer incentives of socialization during company picnics or other get-togethers. The emphasis on

Stay Motivated' Over the Course of a
Words: 1340 Length: 5 Document Type: Dissertation

stay motivated' over the course of a long and involved research project. The main questions I face are finding an adequately-sized population of individuals to study who are willing and able (logistically and emotionally) to participate in my research project on the effects of human trafficking. Once I have my test population I believe that my assurance and comfort level about completing the dissertation will be greater. However, even

Motivation "Motivating the Seemingly Unmotivated
Words: 5064 Length: 15 Document Type: Thesis

Extrinsic rewards should only be used when other efforts to actively engage students in learning has failed; (3) In the event extrinsic rewards must be utilized, they should be "just powerful enough to control behavior" and should be eliminated in phases before all intrinsic motivation is lost. Jones, Vermette, and Jones posit in their article, "An Integration of "Backwards Planning' Unit Design with the "Two Step" Lesson Planning Framework," planning and

Sign Up for Unlimited Study Help

Our semester plans gives you unlimited, unrestricted access to our entire library of resources —writing tools, guides, example essays, tutorials, class notes, and more.

Get Started Now