Motivation

            
             Some employees are always striving to do there best at the workplace, but unfortunately for many employers there are many out there that want to only do as much as they can get away with doing. No matter which one of these employees you are or are working with, companies and employer's need to understand the concept of motivation. Job motivation comes in many forms such as money, benefits, or simple recognition within. The key to unlocking peak performance from your work force is the concept of human motivation. And the key to motivation revolves around one fundamental principle: "What's in it for me?" Understanding the concept of self-interest is perhaps the only way we will understand our need to achieve. Self-interest or feeling good about oneself is a fundamental ingredient of motivation. Dr. Gerald Kushel has stated that there are several variables involved in motivation, including intensity, durability, context and value (Kushel 1994). Motivational intensity has a big part in how hard someone will work for his or her reward. If an employer offers a reward that does not mean a lot to the employee then they will not work for it. A person can be highly motivated, mildly motivated or only slightly motivated. The person answers the question "What's in it for me?" with "Something I want very much," the performer is considered highly motivated. If the answer is "I can take it or leave it," that performer is considered only slightly motivated. According to Lussier, BF Skinner believed that motivated behavior tends to last longer when it is reinforced intermittently rather the consistently (2002). Intermittent rewards promote the behavior more often, as the person never knows when they may be rewarded for that behavior. Psychologists have believed this for years. Perhaps it has to do with the uncertainty or the surprise factor of the stimulus. We tend to take for granted and not appreciate the thing that has become routine.