Why Study Motivation?
Motivation is one of the most traditional topics in organizational behaviour and it has become more important in contemporary organizations as a result of the need for increased productivity to be globally competitive and the rapid changes that organizations are undergoing. II. What is Motivation? When we speak about motivation we usually mean that a person “works hard,” “keeps at” his or her work, and directs his or her behaviour toward appropriate outcomes. A. Basic Characteristics of Motivation Motivation is the extent to which persistent effort is directed toward a goal. The four basic characteristics of motivation are effort, persistence, direction, and goals. Effort. This refers to the strength of a person’s work-related behaviour. Persistence. This refers to the persistence that individuals exhibit in applying effort to their work tasks. Direction. This refers to the quality of a person’s work related behaviour. Goals. This refers to the ends towards which employees direct their
