A conceptual model for understanding job involvement is dependent on the level of ones motivation, hence motivation theories are in the best position to explain job involvement.
HIERACHY OF NEEDS THEORY
Abraham
maslow hypothesized that within every individual there exists a hierarchy of
five needs which include physiological, safety, social, esteem and self
actualization needs.
Maslow
separated the five needs into higher and lower order, physiological needs and
safety
needs were described as lower-order while social, esteem and
self-actualization were described as higher order needs. The differentiation
between the two orders was made on the premise that higher- order needs are
satisfied internally where as lower order needs are predominately satisfied
externally by those things like money, wages, union contracts and tenure. From
the stand point of motivation, the theory would say that although no need is
ever fully gratified, a sub sequentially gratified need no longer motivates. To
motivate someone, you need to understand what level of the hierarchy that the
person is currently on and focus on satisfying those needs at or above that
level.COGNITIVE EVALUATION THEORY
Historically
motivation theorists have generally assumed that intrinsic motivations such as
achievement, responsibility and competence are independent of extrinsic
motivator like high pay, promotion, good supervisor relationship and pleasant
working conditions. This is the stimulation of the will not affect the other.
The
cognitive theory suggests otherwise and argues that when extrinsic rewards
which are derived from individuals are reduced, in other words, when extrinsic
rewards are given to someone for performing an interesting task, it causes
intrinsic interest on the task itself to decline.
VROOMS EXPECTANCY THEORY
It argues that the
strength of a tendency to act in a certain way depend on the strength of an
expectation that the act will be followed by a given outcome and on the
attractiveness of that outcome to the individual. It includes three (3)
variables or relationships.
(1)
Activeness.
(2)
Performance- reward linkage.
(3)
Effort-performance linkage.
Whether one has
the desire to produce at any given time depend on one’s particular goal and
one’s perception of the relative performance as a path to the attainment of
these goals.
REINFORCEMENT THEORY
This is not purely a theory of
motivation but it does provide a powerful means of analysis of what controls
behaviour and it is for this reason that it is typically considered in discussion
(S F motivation).
Reinforcement
theorists see behaviour as being environmentally caused. You need not to be
concerned, they will argue with internal cognitive events, what controls
behaviour are reinforcers, any consequences that when immediately followed by a
response increases the probability that the behaviour will be repeated.
Reinforcement is undoubtedly an important influence on behaviour. The behaviour
you engage in at work and the amount of effort you allocate to each task are
expected by the consequences that followed from your behaviour.
EQUITY THEORY
This theory
recognizes that individuals are concerned not only with the absolute amount of
record they receive for their efforts but also with the relationship of this
amount to what others receive. They make judgment as to the relationship
between their input and outcomes and the input outcomes of others. Based on the
input such as efforts, experience, education and competence, one compares
outcomes such as salary level, raises, recognitions and other factors.
When people
receive an in balance in their outcomes- input ration relative to others,
tension is created. This tension provides the basis for motivation, as people
strive for how they perceive as equity and fairness.