The beginning of the study of informal groups was associated with the famous series of experiments by E. Mayo, conducted at the Hawthorne factory. The idea was to identify the relationship between physical working conditions and productivity. Scientists tried to determine the effect of light intensity on labor productivity. When the scientists increased the lighting for the group experiment, productivity increased in the general groups. The main findings of the experiment were the importance of behavioral factors, relationships with management, and what is now called the Hawthorne effect. The Hawthorne effect is a condition in which novelty and interest in an experiment lead to a distorted, too favorable result. The workers worked much harder just because they knew they were part of the experiment (Lumen Learning, 2017). Another important discovery was that the best results were obtained when the supervisors controlled the workers less than usual. The studies definitely represent a still relevant lesson for today’s leaders, as they emphasize the need to keep a transparent and engaging environment to motivate employees.
McCleland and Burnham discovered that managers have three dominant motivational drivers, thus, constituting three groups. The first one is a group of affiliative managers, and they are characterized by the focus on increasing their own popularity as leaders in contrast to pursuing an organization’s goals. The need to achieve is another driver forming the second group of managers. Those are the ones who are motivated by a specific purpose and push all their efforts towards achieving goals to acquire recognition without worrying about people’s opinions. The third group is represented by leaders who are driven mainly by a need to get power – these are institutional managers (McClelland & Burnham, 2014). For such people, the priority is to be able to influence others, so personal achievements and goals go into the background.
Motivation theories fall into two main categories: the need-based ones and those that are process-based. The first category comprises the earliest attempts to examine the needs of an individual. For example, need-based theories are represented by Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs, ERG Theory, and Two-Factor Theory (Lumen Learning, 2021). The second category – the processed-based – incorporated the Equity Theory, Expectancy Theory, and Reinforcement Theory (Lumen Learning, 2021). Those ones are addressing thought the process of an individual to understand their motives and drivers.
References
Lumen Learning. (2017). The Hawthorne studies | introduction to business [deprecated]. Web.
Lumen Learning. (2021). Introduction to Process-Based theories of motivation | principles of management. Web.
McClelland, D. C., & Burnham, D. H. (2014). Power is the great motivator. Harvard Business Review. Web.