Motivation is a complex concept to define, psychologically everyone has experienced the emotion and feeling motivation gives individually for different reasons. It is aspired within everyone to fulfill the inspiration or enthusiasm that comes from each individual of us. From resources I have researched it is referred, as "essentially an area of psychology, which attempts to explain why people, of animals, behave in a certain manner."(Hume1995, p9) From Britannica Encyclopedia motivation is defined as the "factors within a human being or animal that arouse and direct goal-oriented behavior." (© 2003 Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.)
Motivation can be categorised and assessed to increase the understanding of the approaches to motivation and the reasons why. The two main categorised theories that will help me with this essay are content theories and process theories. The other two additional theories are behavioural and cognitive. Behavioural theory is mainly on the focus on individual kind and cognitive theory is manly based on the consciousness action taken by an individual.
Content theories focuses on what motivates humans/ employees and process theories focus on how human/ employees needs influence their behaviour. Combining these two theories gives a better insight in the understanding of motivation in the work placement of employees.
*Static * Dynamic *Emphasis on what motivates *Emphasis on the process of motivation * Concern with individual needs * Concern with how motivation occurs and goals
Brooks, 2003 (Figure 3.1 Distinction between process and content p50)
The diagram above shows the difference and dynamic stage it takes in the process of explaining how and what motivates humans.
To assess how useful content and process theories of motivation is in explaining