Assignment 01
Lecture Mr. Thilak. S. Subhasinghe
Student Rev. R. Chandawimala (SIBA-BABL-10-04)
Subject Buddhism and Modern Management (111 304 )
Institute Sri Lanka International Buddhsis Academy.
What is Motivation?
Motivation is the word derived from the word motive which means needs, desires, wants
or drives within the individuals. It is the process of stimulating people to action to accomplish
the goals. In the work goal context the psychological factors stimulating the peoples behavior
can be
Success
Recognition
Job-satisfaction
One of the most important functions of management is to create willingness amongst the
employees to perform to the best of their abilities. Therefore the role of a leader is to arouse
interest in performance of employees in their jobs. The process of motivation consists of three
stages:1. A felt need or drive
2. A stimulus in which nodes have to be aroused
3. When needs are satisfied, the satisfaction or accomplishment of goals.
Therefore, we can say that motivation is a psychological phenomenon which means needs and
wants of the individuals have to be tackled by framing an incentive plan.
Motivation Theories
According to subject of Management have some kind of motivation theories. These theories
were introduced by most of scholars in the world. However when considers about history can
motivation theories categorize as
Under the classic motivation theories can introduce following three theories.
1. Physiological needs- These are the basic needs of air, water, food, clothing and shelter. In
other words, physiological needs are the needs for basic amenities of life.
2. Safety needs- Safety needs include physical, environmental and emotional safety and
protection. For instance- Job security, financial security, protection from animals, family
security, health security, etc.
3. Social needs- Social needs include the need for love, affection, care, belongings, and
friendship.
4. Esteem needs- Esteem needs are of two types: internal esteem needs (self- respect,
confidence, competence, achievement and freedom) and external esteem needs
(recognition, power, status, attention and admiration).
5. Self-actualization need- This includes the urge to become what you are capable of
becoming / what you have the potential to become. It includes the need for growth and selfcontentment. It also includes a desire for gaining more knowledge, social- service,
creativity and being aesthetic. The self- actualization needs are never fully suitable. As an
individual grows psychologically, opportunities keep cropping up to continue growing.
According to Maslow, individuals are motivated by unsatisfied needs. As each of these needs
is significantly satisfied, it drives and forces the next need to emerge..
Herzberg classified these job factors into two categories Hygiene factors- Hygiene factors are those job factors which are essential for existence of
motivation at the workplace. These do not lead to positive satisfaction for the long-term. But if
these factors are absent / if these factors are non-existent at the workplace, then they lead to
dissatisfaction. Hygiene factors include:
1. Pay - The pay or salary structure should be appropriate and reasonable. It must be equal
and competitive with those in the same industry in the same domain.
2. Company Policies and administrative policies - The company policies should not be too
rigid. They should be fair and clear. It should include flexible working hours, dress code,
breaks, vacation, etc.
3. Fringe benefits - The employees should be offered health care plans (mediclaim), benefits
for the family members, employee help programs, etc.
4. Physical Working conditions - The working conditions should be safe, clean and hygienic.
The work equipments should be updated and well-maintained.
5. Status - The employees status within the organization should be familiar and retained.
6. Interpersonal relations - The relationship of the employees with his peers, superiors and
subordinates should be appropriate and acceptable. There should be no conflict or
humiliation element present.
7. Job Security - The organization must provide job security to the employees.
Motivational factors- According to Herzberg, the hygiene factors cannot be regarded as
motivators. The motivational factors yield positive satisfaction. These factors are inherent to
work. These factors motivate the employees for a superior performance. These factors are
called satisfiers. These are factors involved in performing the job. Employees find these factors
intrinsically rewarding. The motivators symbolized the psychological needs that were
perceived as an additional benefit. Motivating factors include:
Sense of achievement - The employees must have a sense of achievement. This depends
on the job. There must be a fruit of some sort in the job.
Responsibility - The employees must hold themselves responsible for the work. The
managers should give them ownership of the work. They should minimize control but
retain accountability.
The meaningfulness of the work - The work itself should be meaningful, interesting
and challenging for the employee to perform and to get motivated.
An average employee intrinsically does not like work and tries to escape it whenever
possible.
Since the employee does not want to work, he must be persuaded, compelled, or warned
with a punishment so as to achieve organizational goals. A close supervision is required
on the part of managers. The managers adopt a more dictatorial style.
Many employees rank job security on top, and they have little or no aspiration/
ambition.
Assumptions of Theory Y
Employees can perceive their job as relaxing and normal. They exercise their physical
and mental efforts in an inherent manner in their jobs.
Employees may not require only threat, external control and coercion to work, but they
can use self-direction and self-control if they are dedicated and sincere to achieve the
organizational objectives.
If the job is rewarding and satisfying, then it will result in employees loyalty and
commitment to the organization.
An average employee can learn to admit and recognize the responsibility. In fact, he
can even learn to obtain responsibility.
The employees have skills and capabilities. Their logical capabilities should be fully
utilized. In other words, the creativity, resourcefulness and innovative potentiality of
the employees can be utilized to solve organizational problems.
Thus, we can say that Theory X presents a pessimistic view of employees nature and behavior
at work, while Theory Y presents an optimistic view of the employees nature and behavior at
work.
Existence needs- These include the need for basic material necessities. In short, it
includes an individuals physiological and physical safety needs.
Relatedness needs- These include the aspiration individuals have for maintaining
significant interpersonal relationships (be it with family, peers or superiors), getting
public fame and recognition. Maslows social needs and external component of esteem
needs fall under this class of need.
Growth needs- These include need for self-development and personal growth and
advancement. Maslows self-actualization needs and intrinsic component of esteem
needs fall under this category of need.
Managers must understand that an employee has various needs that must be satisfied at the
same time. According to the ERG theory, if the manager concentrates solely on one need at a
time, this will not effectively motivate the employee. Also, the frustration- regression aspect of
ERG Theory has an added effect on workplace motivation. For instance- if an employee is not
provided with growth and advancement opportunities in an organization, he might revert to the
relatedness need such as socializing needs and to meet those socializing needs, if the
environment or circumstances do not permit, he might revert to the need for money to fulfill
those socializing needs. The sooner the manager realizes and discovers this, the most
immediate steps they will take to fulfill those needs which are frustrated until such time that
the employee can again pursue growth.
The individuals who are motivated by power have a strong urge to be influential and
controlling. They want that their views and ideas should dominate and thus, they want to lead.
Such individuals are motivated by the need for reputation and self-esteem. Individuals with
greater power and authority will perform better than those possessing less power. Generally,
managers with high need for power turn out to be more efficient and successful managers. They
are more determined and loyal to the organization they work for. Need for power should not
always be taken negatively. It can be viewed as the need to have a positive effect on the
organization and to support the organization in achieving its goals.
The individuals who are motivated by affiliation have an urge for a friendly and supportive
environment. Such individuals are effective performers in a team. These people want to be
liked by others. The managers ability to make decisions is hampered if they have a high
affiliation need as they prefer to be accepted and liked by others, and this weakens their
objectivity. Individuals having high affiliation needs prefer working in an environment
providing greater personal interaction. Such people have a need to be on the good books of all.
They generally cannot be good leaders.
The willingness to work towards attainment of goals is the main source of job motivation.
Clear, particular and difficult goals are greater motivating factors than easy, general and
vague goals.
Specific and clear goals lead to greater output and better performance. Unambiguous,
measurable and clear goals accompanied by a deadline for completion avoids
misunderstanding.
Goals should be realistic and challenging. This gives an individual a feeling of pride and
triumph when he attains them, and sets him up for attainment of the next goal. The more
challenging the goal, the greater is the reward generally and the more is the passion for
achieving it.
Better and appropriate feedback of results directs the employee behavior and contributes
to higher performance than the absence of feedback. Feedback is a means of gaining
reputation, making clarifications and regulating goal difficulties. It helps employees to
work with more involvement and leads to greater job satisfaction.
Participation of setting goal, however, makes the goal more acceptable and leads to more
involvement.
i.
potential of performing the task. The higher the level of self-efficiency, greater will be
the efforts put in by the individual when they face challenging tasks. While, lower the
level of self-efficiency, less will be the efforts put in by the individual or he might even
quit while meeting challenges.
ii.
Goal commitment- Goal setting theory assumes that the individual is committed to the
goal and will not leave the goal. The goal commitment is dependent on the following
factors:
1. Goals are made openly, known and broadcasted.
2. Goals should be set-self by individual rather than designated.
3. Individuals set goals should be consistent with the organizational goals and vision.
4. Reinforcement Theory
motivate the employee. This theory is a strong tool for analyzing controlling mechanism for
individuals behavior. However, it does not focus on the causes of individuals behavior.
The managers use the following methods for controlling the behavior of the employees:
Positive Reinforcement- This implies giving a positive response when an individual shows
the positive and required behavior. For example - Immediately praising an employee for
coming early for the job. This will increase the probability of outstanding behavior
occurring again. The reward is a positive reinforce, but not necessarily. If and only if the
employees behavior improves, the reward can said to be a positive reinforcer. Positive
reinforcement stimulates occurrence of a behavior. It must be noted that more spontaneous
is the giving of reward, the greater reinforcement value it has.
same with that of other peer of equal cadre/category. D/I ratio (output-input ratio) is used to
make such a comparison.
EQUITY THEORY
Ratio Comparison
Perception
O/I a = O/I b
Equity
Negative Tension state: Equity is perceived when this ratio is equal. While if this ratio
is unequal, it leads to equity tension. J. Stacy Adams called this a negative tension state which
motivates him to do something right to relieve this tension. A comparison has been made
between 2 workers A and B to understand this point.
Referents: The four comparisons an employee can make have been termed as referents
according to Goodman. The referent chosen is a significant variable in equity theory. These
referents are as follows:
An employee might compare himself with his peer within the present job in the current
organization or with his friend/peer working in some other organization or with the past jobs
held by him with others. An employees choice of the referent will be influenced by the appeal
of the referent and the employees knowledge about the referent.
Moderating Variables: The gender, salary, education and the experience level are
moderating variables. Individuals with greater and higher education are more informed. Thus,
they are likely to compare themselves with the outsiders. Males and females prefer same sex
comparison. It has been observed that females are paid typically less than males in comparable
jobs and have less salary expectations than males for the same work. Thus, a woman employee
that uses another women employee as a referent tends to lead to a lower comparative standard.
Employees with greater experience know their organization very well and compare themselves
with their own colleagues, while employees with less experience rely on their personal
experiences and knowledge for making comparisons.
Choices: The employees who perceive inequity and are under negative tension can make the
following choices:
Change their outcome (Produce quantity output and increasing earning by sacrificing
quality when piece rate incentive system exist)
Change self perception (For instance - I know that Ive performed better and harder than
everyone else.)
Change perception of others (For instance - Jacks job is not as desirable as I earlier
thought it was.)
Vroom was of view that employees consciously decide whether to perform or not on the job.
This decision solely depended on the employees motivation level which in turn depends on
three factors of expectancy, valence and instrumentality.
4. How does the bhikkhu dress the wounds? Seeing a form with the eye does not take the sign
and details. To one abiding uncontrolled in the faculty of the eye, evil demerit of covetousness
and displeasure may trickle down, to its control he feels, protects the faculty of the eye. Hearing
a sound with the ear-Cognizing a smell with the nose-Coignizing a taste with the tongue, -Cognizing a touch with the body, Cognizing an idea with the mind, does not take the sign or
the details. To one abiding uncontrolled in the faculty of the mind, evil demerit, of
covetousness. and displeasure may trickle down. To its control he feels, protects the faculty of
the mind. Thus the bhikkhu dress wounds.
5. Bhikkhus, how does the bhikkhu make smoke? Here the bhikkhu, explains the Teaching to
others as he has learned and experienced, Thus the bhikkhu makes smoke.
6. Bhikkhus, how does the bhikkhu know the ford: The bhikkhu approaches learned bearers of
the Teaching and Discipline, who know the headings, from time to time, to question and cross
question, to know the meanings. So that those venerable ones would explain the hidden
meanings and would dispel doubts. Thus the bhikkhu knows the ford.
7. Bhikkhus, how does the bhikkhu experience joy? In the Teaching and Discipline declared
by the Thus Gone One the bhikkhu experiences meanings, in the Teaching and the resulting
joy from it. Thus the bhikkhu experiences joy.
8. How does the bhikkhu know the paths. Here the bhikkhu knows the noble eightfold path as
it really is. Thus the bhikkhu knows the path.
9. How is the bhikkhu clever in finding pastures? Here the bhikkhu knows, as it really is, the
four establishments of mindfulness. Thus the bhikkhu is clever in finding pastures.
10. How does the bhikkhu make no mistake of not leaving a reminder? Here the bhikkhu
accepts robes, morsel food, dwellings and requisites when ill, offered by householders out of
faith, knowing the amount to accept. Thus the bhikkhu makes no mistake of not leaving a
remainder.
11. How does the bhikkhu not pay attention to the forefathers of the Community. Here the
bhikkhu attends with bodily actions of loving kindness, verbal actions of loving kindness, and
mental actions of loving kindness, towards the leaders of the Community. Those with a long
standing and needing special attention. Thus the bhikkhu attends to the forefathers of the
Community.
It is possible that the bhikkhu endowed with these eleven characteristics should come to growth
and development in this Teaching and Discipline.
(Majjima Nikaya, Mahgoplaka sutta Vol.i,4,3)
As well as most famous venerable chulla panthakas story also mentioned that the
Buddha only teaches the way to get rid of Samsara. Because in that story mentioned chulla
panthaka there also learn in self motivation. Not only that story Kisa gothami, Patachara ,
Khema, stories also mentioned Buddha saw the only way of getting rid of that Samsara for
those people.
According to above mentioned statement illustrate self motivation is most important thing to
understand the Buddhist teaching. In Dhammapada which is Most famous as Handbook of the
Buddhist also mentioned some kind of motivation facts in their verses.
The glory of him who is energetic, mindful, pure in deed, considerate, self-controlled,
right-living, and heedful steadily increases. (Dhammapada 24)
By sustaining effort, earnestness, discipline, and self-control let the wise man make
for himself an island, which no flood overwhelms. (Dhammapada 25)
Indulge not in heedlessness; have no intimacy with sensuous delights. Verily, the
earnest, meditative person obtains abundant bliss. (Dhammapada 27)
Heedful amongst the heedless, wide awake amongst the slumbering, the wise man
advances as do a swift horse, leaving a weak guard behind. (Dhammapada 29)
Even as rain does not penetrate a well-thatched house, so does lust not penetrate a
well-developed mind. (Dhammapada 14)
Though little he recites the Sacred Texts, but acts in accordance with the teaching,
forsaking lust, hatred and ignorance, truly knowing, with mind well freed, clinging to naught
here and hereafter, he shares the fruits of the Holy Life. (Dhammapada 20)
Make haste in doing good; check your mind from evil; for the mind of him who is
slow in doing meritorious actions delights in evil. (Dhammapada 116)
Should a person commit evil, he should not do it again and again; he should not find
pleasure therein: painful is the accumulation of evil. (Dhammapada 117)
Should a person perform a meritorious action, he should do it again and again; he
should find pleasure therein: blissful is the accumulation of merit. (Dhammapada 118)
The flickering, fickle mind, difficult to guard, difficult to control - the wise person
straightens it as a fletcher straightens an arrow. (Dhammapada 33)
As a conclusion Buddhist teaching for motivation basically mean self motivation. It is helpful
to the people to fulfil their aims and goals certain. atthi attano nto- kohi nto parosiy
hoping someones help is useless. Because of that we can get only help from ourself. If
someone can think like that he absolutely attains his goals without any barriers.