LDR 531
Nelson Garcia Soto
December 23, 2013
Denna Atkinson
“Motivation is the processes that account for an individual’s intensity, direction, and persistence of effort toward attaining a goal” (Robbins and Judge, 2013, p 202). An effective leader motivates his or her followers or subordinates to perform. Leaders encourage other to be moved by something. The degree of motivation and the type of motivation are both important. The degree of motivation is how much is someone motivated and the type of motivation concerns with what brings that motivation. Both extrinsic and intrinsic motivation are mentioned as catalysts of the explained behavior. Several theories of motivation try to explain the concept and its origins. The purpose of this paper is to explain key ideas of some of the theories as they relate to a team of six members and a mentor who is in a leadership position. The DISC assessment tool will be used to compare and contrast the individuals of the team based on their personalities.
Both extrinsic and intrinsic motivators exist. Extrinsic motivation means doing something that leads to a separable outcome and intrinsic motivation means doing something because it is inherently interesting or enjoyable (Ryan and Deci, 2000). In consequence, the behaviors portrayed are different. Intrinsic motivation comes natural and is even associated with behaviors since one is a child. A child is born with the inherent nature to walk, eat, be curious, etc. This aspect might be related to Maslow’s hierarchy of needs explained later. We also have innate needs for competence, autonomy, and relatedness (Ryan and Deci, 2000). This relates to self-efficacy theory. Extrinsic motivation, on the other hand, depends on a separable outcome or an external force or pressure. These behaviors appear after childhood when we start identifying with roles. In the workplace, extrinsic motivators are often in the form of rewards like pay
References: Alessandra, Tony. The DISC Platinum Rule Behavioral Style Assessment. University of Phoenix - http://UOP.BlanchardAssessments.com Duck, Janet. (2006). Making the Connection: Improving Virtual Team Performance Through Behavioral Assessment Profiling And Behavioral Cues. Developments in Business Simulation and Experiential Learning. Vol. 33. Garcia, Nelson. (December 2, 2013). Professional Development Plan. Unpublished. Ryan, Richard M., Deci, Edward L. (2000). Intrinsic and Extrinsic Motivations: Classic Definitions And New Directions. Contemporary Educational Psychology. University of Rochester. Vol. 25. P 54-67. doi:10.1006/ceps.1999.1020. Robbins, Stephen P; Judge, Timothy A. Organizational Behavior. 15th. Pearson Education.