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Ryan, Motivation - Pink (Three Elements of Intrinsic Motivation)

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Daniel Pink is a modern writer on business & management, with a strong focus on the changing nature of work and the workplace. His book - Drive: the Surprising Truth About What Motivates Us - was published in 2009 and very quickly became a bestseller with its focus on the importance and effectiveness of three intrinsic elements to motivation at work: autonomy, mastery and purpose.

Pink argues that the evidence of scientific studies on motivation and rewards suggests that, for any work task that involves most than the most basic cognitive challenge, basic financial reward systems simply do not work. In fact, they can lead to worse performance.

For simple, straightforward tasks, Pink concedes that traditional financial rewards or a carrot & stick approach to motivation DO work. These can be considered as "external" methods of motivation. They are simple and they still work.

He accepts that money is a motivator at work, but once people perceive that they are paid fairly, then they become much more motivated by intrinsic elements. Once people are paid fairly, they look for more from their work.

A summary of Pink's key points on the three intrinsic elements of motivation is provided below.

Pink: Drive: The Surprising Truth About What Motivates Us

Autonomy

According to Pink, autonomy is the desire to direct our own lives. Pink argues that allowing employees autonomy runs counter to the traditional view of management which wants employees to "comply" with what is required of them.

However, if managers want employees to be more engaged in what they are doing (and they should - as tasks become more complicated) then allowing employees autonomy (self-direction is better).

Pink provides some examples of what he means by autonomy, summarising them into four main aspects: time, technique, team and task

For example, some firms allow employees to have time at the workplace to do whatever they want. This freedom to spend time doing their own thing leads to many more innovative ideas and solutions. A good example is Google which has benefited from numerous product ideas as a result of allowing developers to pursue individual projects during work time.

The growth of flexible working practices is another good example of allowing staff more autonomy. For example, providing the technology and freedom to work from home.

Pink is an advocate of greater use of teamwork as a means of facilitating autonomy, particularly where the team members themselves pick the team!

Mastery

Pink describes mastery as the desire to continually improve at something that matters.

Pink argues that humans love to "get better at stuff" - they enjoy the satisfaction from personal achievement and progress. Allowing employees to enjoy a sense of progress at work contributes to their inner drive.

By contrast, a lack of opportunity at work for self-improvement or personal and professional development is liable to make employees more bored and demotivated

A key implication for managers to is to set tasks for employees that are neither too easy or excessively challenging. Pink calls such tasks "Goldilocks tasks) - ie. tasks that are not "too hot or too cold".

Goldilocks tasks push employees out of their comfort zones, and allow them to stretch themselves and develop their skills and experience further.

Purpose

Pink describes purpose as the desire to do things in service of something larger than ourselves. Pink argues that people intrinsically want to do things that matter.

For example, entrepreneurs are often intrinsically motivated to "make a difference" rather than simply aiming for profit maximisation.

Most of us spend more than half our working hours at work. We want that time to matter.

So a key part of adding purpose to work is to ensure that the mission and goals of the organisation are properly communicated to employees. Employees need to know and understand these, and appreciate how their work and role fits into what the organisation is about.

RSA ANIMATE: Drive: The surprising truth about what motivates us

Video: Daniel Pink: What Really Motivates Workers

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Motivation - Pink (Three Elements of Intrinsic Motivation)

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Daniel Pink is a modern writer on business & management, with a strong focus on the changing nature of work and the workplace. His book - Drive: the Surprising Truth About What Motivates Us - was published in 2009 and very quickly became a bestseller with its focus on the importance and effectiveness of three intrinsic elements to motivation at work: autonomy, mastery and purpose.

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Ryan, Daniel Pink's, the surprising truth about moving others.

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Thiaga Wyndow - Applying Maslow's heirachy of needs

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Thiaga Wyndow - Applying Maslow's heirachy of needs

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What is Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs Theory

The psychologist Abraham Maslow developed a theory that suggests we, humans, are motivated to satisfy five basic needs. These needs are arranged in a hierarchy. Maslow suggests that we seek first to satisfy the lowest level of needs. Once this is done, we seek to satisfy each higher level of need until we have satisfied all five needs.

While modern research shows some shortcomings with this theory (for example, a lack of empirical evidence for some conclusions), Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs Theory remains an important and simple motivation tool for managers to understand and apply.

Employees have needs that they expect to fulfill in the workplace. Click To Tweet

The Hierarchy of Needs is as follows:

1. Physiological Needs (basic issues of survival such as salary and stable employment)

2. Security Needs (stable physical and emotional environment issues such as benefits, pension, safe work environment, and fair work practices)

3. "Belongingness" Needs (social acceptance issues such as friendship or cooperation on the job)

4. Esteem Needs (positive self-image and respect and recognition issues such as job titles, nice work spaces, and prestigious job assignments.)

5. Self-Actualization Needs (achievement issues such as workplace autonomy, challenging work, and subject matter expert status on the job)

How to Apply Maslow's Theory to the Workplace

Lower Level Needs

With Maslow's theory, an employee's beginning emphasis on the lower order needs of physiology and security makes sense.

Generally, a person beginning their career will be very concerned with physiological needs such as adequate wages and stable income and security needs such as benefits and a safe work environment. We all want a good salary to meet the needs of our family and we want to work in a stable environment.

Employees whose lowest level needs have not been met will make job decisions based on compensation, safety, or stability concerns. Also, employees will revert to satisfying their lowest level needs when these needs are no longer met or are threatened (such as during an economic downturn).

The first priority of workers is their survival. It's hard for them to be motivated if their pay is unfair and if their jobs are always in jeopardy. Click To Tweet

This places an extra obligation on managers to act humanely when difficult organizational decisions such as staff reductions have to be implemented. Callous implementation of difficult decisions will cause the remaining employees in the organization to feel threatened about the ability or desire of the organization to continue to meet their physiological and security needs.

(Meeting an employee's lower level needs is important to motivation. To read my personal story about the power of a well-timed reward at this lower level, click here.)

Once these basic needs are met, the employee will want his "belongingness" (or social) needs met. The level of social interaction an employee desires will vary based on whether the employee is an introvert or extrovert. The key point is that employees desire to work in an environment where they are accepted in the organization and have some interaction with others.

This means effective interpersonal relations are necessary. Managers can create an environment where staff cooperation is rewarded. This will encourage interpersonal effectiveness.

Ongoing managerial communication about operational matters is also an important component of meeting employee's social needs. Employees who are "kept in the dark" about operational matters and the future plans of the organization often feel like they are an organizational outsider. (This last point is especially important for virtual employees whose absence from the office puts an extra obligation on managers to keep these employees engaged in organizational communications.)

Pay, benefits, and job security are very important but if you want to motivate your team you'll still need to do more. Click To Tweet

Higher Level Needs

With these needs satisfied, an employee will want his higher level needs of esteem and self-actualization met. Esteem needs are tied to an employee's image of himself and his desire for the respect and recognition of others.

Even if an individual does not want to move into management, he probably does not want to do the same exact work for 20 years. He may want to be on a project team, complete a special task, learn other tasks or duties, or expand his duties in some manner.

Cross-training, job enrichment, and special assignments are popular methods for making work more rewarding. Further, allowing employees to participate in decision making on operational matters is a powerful method for meeting an employee's esteem needs. Finally, symbols of accomplishment such as a meaningful job title, job perks, awards, a nice office, business cards, work space, etc. are also important to an employee's esteem.

The important consideration for managers is that they must provide rewards to their employees that both come from the organization and from doing the work itself. Rewards need to be balanced to have a maximum effect.

For work rewards to be meaningful, they must come both from the organization and from the work itself. Click To Tweet

Finally, while work assignments and rewards are important considerations to meeting employee esteem needs, workplace fairness (equity) is also important.

With self-actualization, the employee will be interested in growth and individual development. He will also need to be skilled at what he does. He may want a challenging job, an opportunity to complete further education, increased freedom from supervision, or autonomy to define his own processes for meeting organizational objectives. At this highest level, managers focus on promoting an environment where an employee can meet his own self-actualization needs.

Why Maslow's Theory Works

The basic idea of Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs is that our needs are constantly changing. As one need is met, we desire other needs. This makes sense.

Will the raise we received 3 years ago motivate us for the next 10 years?

Will the challenging job we began 5 years ago have the same effect on us today?

Will the performance award we received last year completely satisfy our need for recognition for the rest of our lives?

The answers to all of these questions is clearly, no.

Maslow understood these truths and this is the beauty of his theory of motivation.

Video: Improving Motivation with Maslow's Theory

Music for this video is courtesy of www.musicrevolution.com.

Conclusion

Finally, as you work to apply Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs Theory to your workplace, keep in mind that Maslow's Theory is always working in the background. It is not something that shuts off once you meet employees' needs.

For example, as you seek to meet objectives in the workplace, your employees will evaluate how well your objectives align with their needs. If you seek to meet an outcome that takes away a core need that your employees have (esteem for example), they will see your outcome as undesirable and they will resist working with you.

For this reason, finding ways to apply Maslow to the workplace is an ongoing duty. Resist the management trap of fix it and leave it.

Employee needs do change with time!

Employee needs change with time. To promote workplace motivation, effective leaders continually adapt to these changing needs. Click To Tweet

Quiz: Applying Maslow's Theory to the Workplace

Scholarly Citations for this Article

This article from Management is a Journey has been cited in the following scholarly research articles:

Motivation in the Workplace Article Series

Member Content: Additional Resources

Written by Robert Tanner | Copyrighted Material | All Rights Reserved Worldwide

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applying maslow's hierarchy of needs theory

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Motivation - Applying Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs Theory

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The psychologist Abraham Maslow developed a theory that suggests we, humans, are motivated to satisfy five basic needs. These needs are arranged in a hierarchy. Maslow suggests that we seek first to satisfy the lowest level of needs. Once this is done, we seek to satisfy each higher level of need until we have satisfied all five needs.

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Ryan, Daniel pink's three biggest factors in motivation

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DC - Article on FREDERICK HERZBERG’S MOTIVATION AND HYGIENE FACTORS

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DC - Article on FREDERICK HERZBERG’S MOTIVATION AND HYGIENE FACTORS

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The conclusion he drew is that job satisfaction and job dissatisfaction are not opposites.

The opposite of Satisfaction is No Satisfaction.

The opposite of Dissatisfaction is No Dissatisfaction.

Remedying the causes of dissatisfaction will not create satisfaction. Nor will adding the factors of job satisfaction eliminate job dissatisfaction. If you have a hostile work environment, giving someone a promotion will not make him or her satisfied. If you create a healthy work environment but do not provide members of your team with any of the satisfaction factors, the work they're doing will still not be satisfying.

According to Herzberg, the factors leading to job satisfaction are "separate and distinct from those that lead to job dissatisfaction." Therefore, if you set about eliminating dissatisfying job factors, you may create peace but not necessarily enhance performance. This placates your workforce instead of actually motivating them to improve performance.

The characteristics associated with job dissatisfaction are called hygiene factors. When these have been adequately addressed, people will not be dissatisfied nor will they be satisfied. If you want to motivate your team, you then have to focus on satisfaction factors like achievement, recognition and responsibility.

To apply the theory, you need to adopt a two-stage process to motivate people. Firstly, you need to eliminate the dissatisfaction they're experiencing and, secondly, you need to help them find satisfaction.

Step One: Eliminate Job Dissatisfaction

Herzberg called the causes of dissatisfaction "hygiene factors." To get rid of them, you need to:

Fix poor and obstructive company policies.

Provide effective, supportive and non-intrusive supervision.

Create and support a culture of respect and dignity for all team members.

Ensure that wages are competitive.

Build job status by providing meaningful work for all positions.

Provide job security.

All of these actions help you eliminate job dissatisfaction in your organization. And there's no point trying to motivate people until these issues are out of the way!

You can't stop there, though. Remember, just because someone is not dissatisfied, it doesn't mean he or she is satisfied either! Now you have to turn your attention to building job satisfaction.

Step Two: Create Conditions for Job Satisfaction

To create satisfaction, Herzberg says you need to address the motivating factors associated with work. He called this "job enrichment." His premise was that every job should be examined to determine how it could be made better and more satisfying to the person doing the work. Things to consider include:

Providing opportunities for achievement.

Recognizing people's contributions.

Creating work that is rewarding and that matches people's skills and abilities.

Giving as much responsibility to each team member as possible.

Providing opportunities to advance in the company through internal promotions.

Offering training and development opportunities, so that people can pursue the positions they want within the company.

Apply This to Your Life

If you lead a team, take a little time with each of its members to check that they're happy, that they think they're being fairly and respectfully treated, and that they're not being affected by unnecessary bureaucracy.

You may be horrified by what you find once you start probing (bureaucracy, in particular, has a way of spreading), however, you may be able to improve things quickly if you put your mind to it.

Then find out what they want from their jobs, do what you can to give this to them, and help them grow as individuals.

If you do this systematically, you'll be amazed by the impact this has on motivation!

To explore how you can apply this at work, take our Skilbook on Motivating Your Team.

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Herzberg's Motivators and Hygiene Factors - Learn how to Motivate Your Team

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Learn about Herzberg's Motivators and Hygiene Factors, one of the most important ideas in motivation, and find out how to build a much more motivated team!

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Kathryn C - FREDERICK HERZBERG’S MOTIVATION AND HYGIENE FACTORS

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Kathryn C - FREDERICK HERZBERG’S MOTIVATION AND HYGIENE FACTORS

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Ryan, Daniel Pink's the puzzle of motivation

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Thiaga Wyndow - Maslow's heirachy of needs in the workplace

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Thiaga Wyndow - Maslow's heirachy of needs in the workplace

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Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs in the Workplace

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Kathryn C - FREDERICK HERZBERG’S MOTIVATION AND HYGIENE FACTORS

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Kathryn C - FREDERICK HERZBERG’S MOTIVATION AND HYGIENE FACTORS

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The Herzburg two-factor theory, also known as the Herzburg's Hygiene Theory, posits that job satisfaction and dissatisfaction are not opposites. The research underpinning this theory identifies characteristics of jobs that related to job satisfaction - while a different set of job factors lead to dissatisfaction. Thus, eliminating dissatisfaction will not necessarily create satisfaction and vice versa.

The conclusion was that to remove dissatisfaction, the manager must identify and remove the factors causing it. To improve satisfaction, you must add those desired factors. Though, this can only be effective after removing aspects of dissatisfaction.

How does Hygiene Theory Work?

Frederick Herzberg proposed the two-factor theory based upon what employment characteristics satisfy employees. He was able to conclude that satisfying and dissatisfying characteristics are different.

Hygiene Factors - Dissatisfying factors are labeled as hygiene factors - as they are part of the context in which the job was performed (rather than functions of the job itself). Common hygiene factors include: work conditions, company policies, supervisions, salary, safety, and security.

Motivators - Satisfying factors were labeled as motivators. Motivators, in contrast to hygiene factors, are factors are intrinsic to the job. Common hygiene factors include: personal recognition, achievement, engaging work, meaningful responsibilities, career advancement, and personal growth opportunities.

Herzberg's research found that motivators were far more effective in motivating employee productivity.

This theory provided a way to motivate through improved work conditions - which lead to a burgeoning of job enrichment programs.

These programs contained higher numbers of motivators.

The primary criticisms of this approach concern the definition of job satisfaction.

Also, there are issues in the ability to differentiate hygienes from motivators.

In some instances, variations of a factor could be each.

Also, it fails to address the quality of the relationship between management and subordinates.

In any event, the theory is foundational in modern leadership and management education and practice.

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Herzburg's Two-Factor Theory (Hygiene Theory) - Explained

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The Herzburg two-factor theory, also known as the Herzburg's Hygiene Theory, posits that job satisfaction and dissatisfaction are not opposites. The research underpinning this theory identifies characteristics of jobs that related to job satisfaction - while a different set of job factors lead to dissatisfaction.

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Maslow's hierarchy of needs - Wikipedia

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Maslow’s hierarchy of needs is an idea in psychology proposed by American psychologist Abraham Maslow in his 1943 paper “A Theory of Human Motivation” in the journal Psychological Review.[1] Maslow subsequently extended the idea to include his observations of humans’ innate curiosity. His theories parallel many other theories of human developmental psychology, some of which focus on describing the stages of growth in humans. The theory is a classification system intended to reflect the universal needs of society as its base, then proceeding to more acquired emotions.[3] The hierarchy of needs is split between deficiency needs and growth needs, with two key themes involved within the theory being individualism and the prioritization of needs. While the theory is usually shown as a pyramid in illustrations, Maslow himself never created a pyramid to represent the hierarchy of needs.[4][5] The hierarchy of needs is a psychological idea and also an assessment tool, particularly in education, healthcare and social work.[6] The hierarchy remains a popular framework, for example in sociology research, management training,[7] and higher education.[8]

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DC - Comparison of Maslow's Hierarchy and Herzberg's motivation and hygiene factors

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DC - Comparison of Maslow's Hierarchy and Herzberg's motivation and hygiene factors

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Maslow Vs. Herzberg's Theory of Motivation

Abraham Maslow and Frederick Herzberg, both have given important theories of work motivation. Where Maslow's theory explains human needs form a hierarchy and unsatisfied need is the main activator of human actions or behavior.

Whereas, Herzberg's theory explains two factors in the workplace that influence employees' motivation and satisfaction, namely hygiene factors and motivating factors.

Herzberg's two-factor theory of motivation is the improved version of Maslow's hierarchy of needs. Let's understand the similarities and differences between these two motivation theories.

Similarities Between Motivation of Theory of Maslow and Herzberg

Both theories have given the emphasis on employee or work motivation.

They both emphasize the need is the main factor in employee motivation.

Both theories help to understand the motivational psychology i.e. factors of employees and emphasize acting accordingly.

Maslow's physiological, safety, and social needs are similar to Herzberg's hygiene factors. And, esteem and self-actualization needs are similar to motivating factors.

Both Herzberg and Maslow are behavioral scientists who have given more importance to human relations and behavioral approaches to the workplace.

Dissimilarities Between the Motivation Theory of Maslow and Herzberg

The following are the main points that differentiate between Maslow's need hierarchy theory and Herzberg's two-factor theory.

Order of Needs

In Maslow's theory, there is a sequential arrangement of needs. Whereas, in Herzberg's, there is no such arrangement of needs.

Essence

The essence of Maslow's theory is that unsatisfied needs energize the behavior of an individual to perform. In contrast, in Herzberg's theory gratified or satisfied needs cause individuals to perform.

Motivators

According to Maslow, any need that is relatively unsatisfied can be the motivator of human behavior. Whereas, according to Herzberg, only higher-order needs serve as a motivator.

Applicability

Need hierarchy theory takes a general view of the motivational problems of all workers. And, two-factor theory takes a micro view and deals with work-oriented motivational problems.

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Comparison of Maslow and Herzberg Motivation Theory - BokasTutor

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Abraham Maslow and Frederick Herzberg, both have given important theories of work motivation. Where Maslow's theory explains human needs form a hierarchy and unsatisfied need is the main activator of human actions or behavior. Whereas, Herzberg's theory explains two factors in the workplace that influence employees' motivation and satisfaction, namely hygiene factors and motivating factors.

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https://www.toolshero.com/psychology/daniel-pink-motivation-theory/

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Daniel Pink Motivation Theory: this article provides a practical explanation of the Daniel Pink Motivation Theory. After reading this article, you'll understand the basics of this powerful psychological theory.

What is the Daniel Pink Motivation Theory?

The Daniel Pink Motivation Theory is a concept from the book Drive: The Surprising Truth About What Motivates Us by Daniel Pink. The book, on the importance and effectiveness of three intrinsic elements for motivation, became a bestseller soon after its publication in 2009.

The three elements of intrinsic motivation are: autonomy, mastery and purpose. Autonomy here refers to the human desire to lead a life of one's own. Mastery is the desire to improve something that matters and purpose is about the desire to serve something greater than man himself.

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As already stated in Herzberg's Two Factor Theory, money or any other external motivator is not the most effective.

Edward Deci conducted an experiment in the 1970s that showed that people who were stimulated with money were less motivated to do puzzles than people who were not promised money. This revealed the significant difference between extrinsic and intrinsic motivation.

In the Daniel Pink Motivation Theory, David Pink argues that organisations and organisational leaders should adopt a new self-determination approach to motivation.

Organisations should focus on people's drive to be autonomous, self-determined and connected. They can do this by developing environments for employees in which they can direct their own lives, learn and do new things in order to contribute to the organisation and the world.

Daniel Pink Motivation Theory: Intrinsic versus Extrinsic Motivation

Intrinsic motivation means that the behaviour of the person is motivated by an internal longing to do something. That can be about the most diverse subjects, such as the wish to go on holiday or to learn a new skill like playing the piano. Other examples of intrinsic motivation are exercising for stress relief or cleaning to be organised.

Extrinsic motivation means that a person's behaviour is motivated by an external factor that drives someone to do something in the hope of receiving a reward or to avoid a less positive outcome. Examples are:

Reading a text book to prepare for a test

Training to lose weight

Going the extra mile to get the sales bonus

Factors affecting motivation according to Daniel Pink

The terms autonomy, mastery and purpose in the context of motivation are explained below.

Daniel Pink Motivation Theory is all about autonomy

Daniel Pink explains autonomy as the desire to lead your own life. This is present in everyone: children play and discover things independently at a very young age. He argues that assigning autonomy to employees is effective, but is contrary to the traditional vision of management.

In this, employees are expected to comply with what they are asked to do. According to Daniel Pink, giving employees autonomy ensures that they are more involved in what they do. This concerns the following four factors: time, technique, team and task.

Different organisations give their employees more time at work to do what they want to do. This freedom has shown to lead to much more innovative ideas and solutions at Google. Another good example of autonomy is the growth of flexible working, from home for example. By offering such technology and freedoms to employees, they experience a stronger sense of autonomy.

1. Mastery

The second intrinsic element of motivation is wanting to improve. This can be frustrating for people just starting to learn an instrument or a new language. If people feel they are not moving forward or are not improving, then interest falls and people give up more quickly. A sense of progress, both professionally and personally, enhances people's inner drive.

Pink suggests that organisations and leaders should look at calibrating what people must do and what they can do. If the must-do tasks are too difficult, employees will start to worry and feel outside of their comfort zone. If the must-do tasks are too easy, employees will be bored. The trick, according to Pink, is to suggest tasks that suit the person's capacity, but also to give them space and support to promote improvement and growth.

2. Purpose

Employees who find purpose in the work they do unlock the highest level of motivational potential. Daniel Pink says that joining a cause that is "bigger" than yourself drives the deepest motivation possible. Purpose in this context means waking up in the morning and going to work without grumbling.

It also means that people with purpose are motivated to tackle even the most complex problems. Elizabeth Moss Kanter, professor at Harvard Business School, formulated her own motivational factors. One of them is, people can be inspired to achieve strict goals and take on impossible challenges if they care about results.

Daniel Pink Motivation Theory and outdated motivational beliefs

To really understand the purpose of Daniel Pink's framework, two outdated beliefs relating to motivation are discussed below. The so-called "carrot and stick" method is widely used, but has many shortcomings.

1. Rewards

If a person is rewarded for certain behaviours, then that person will be motivated in the future to behave that way in the future. This is the carrot part of the analogy. An example of this is a parent urging his or her child to do something by promising the child a treat or other reward.

2. Punishment

The second belief is that when behaviour is punished, people are less likely to behave in the same way. This is the stick part of the carrot and stick analogy.

While the carrot and stick mentality can work well in certain situations, using it in the workplace has major drawbacks. Various studies have shown that financial incentives do not always improve employee performance. In most cases, offering financial rewards actually leads to less productivity.

Daniel Pink argues that there is a discrepancy between what businesses do and what science knows. Science argues that for tasks like assembling simple parts, a reward-based system works well.

Most of the jobs in the corporate world involve creative and conceptual thinking. Rewards kill this creativity precisely because employees become focused on the financial goal. The modern employee needs other motivators: autonomy, purpose and mastery. These things are also known as employee empowerment: giving employees empowerment and independence.

Daniel Pink Motivation Theory is also about empowering employees

Employee empowerment is defined as the degree to which organisations provide their employees with a degree of control and autonomy in their day-to-day work. This can take different forms in the workplace. Think of running smaller departments without the supervision of higher management, participating in the development of new systems and working methods and having a voice in general.

An important principle of employee empowerment is to provide the employees with the right resources necessary to make important decisions and ensure that the right decisions are made. When applied properly, it results in higher productivity and a better quality of the work delivered by the employees.

What exactly is employee empowerment?

In concrete terms, employee empowerment is about the concepts of task augmentation and task enrichment. Job augmentation differs from job enrichment in that job augmentation is horizontal expansion of tasks, and job enrichment is considered vertical.

Employee empowerment often requires training or education. In addition, it is important that employees have access to new sources of information on which to base decisions. It also requires initiative and trust from the employee themselves to take on new tasks.

As a result of empowerment, it can be that managers have to assume new roles, knowledge and responsibilities. This doesn't mean that management takes a step back.

Empowering employees requires a significant investment of time and effort, especially on the part of management, to develop mutual trust with the employees, to balance the capabilities of the employees with their function and to come to clear agreements about roles, responsibilities and risks.

Task augmentation

Task augmentation is adjusting the scope of the job to allow the employee to take on a larger part of the horizontal process. An example of this is a bank employee who not only sells mortgages, but also deposit certificates.

Task enrichment

Task enrichment is the depth of the job that is increased by adding responsibilities to the job. These responsibilities were previously at higher levels of the organisation. An example of this is an electronics store cashier who also has the authority to assist a customer in completing a loan application and assessing it.

Daniel Pink Motivation Theory tips for increased motivation among employees

Below are some general tips to boost employee motivation. Remember that it is all about the big picture. Ensuring that one or more of the points below are met is not sufficient and certainly does not guarantee that the motivation among employees will increase.

1. Actively ask for input

Regularly assess employee satisfaction. This shows that you care about their opinions and appreciate their input. In addition, regularly ask for suggestions on the ways in which they work. It's important to actually do something with this input.

2. Offer self-development opportunities

As part of the Daniel Pink Motivation Theory, ensuring that employees can develop is crucial for long-term motivation. In concrete terms, this could mean that you pay tuition fees or send employees to paid workshops or training courses.

3. Validate good work

Expressing appreciation through compliments or expressions of gratitude also has a major impact on employee motivation. It is no effort to name concrete things that employees have done to benefit the team and the organisation.

4. Set interim goals

Small and measurable goals are another valuable way to stay motivated while working on a long-term project. By helping the team to achieve reasonable and achievable goals, they remain motivated to achieve them.

5. Celebrate milestones and successes

In addition to the previous tip, it's equally important to celebrate milestones and successes. This especially applies to longer term projects. Celebrating small successes can help the team stay connected and focused on the bigger goal.

6. Be positive

Creating a positive work culture is a very good way to keep employee motivation high. The simplest way is to do this yourself as leader. Make time for a joke, play a game after lunch occasionally and don't be afraid to have fun.

7. Encourage mindfulness

Encourage employees to take breaks and relax regularly during the work day. Pay particular attention to what they indicate they want to do. Some will want to go for a walk, some want to go to the gym, and another might want to go and have a coffee at the café around the corner. Read more about Mindfulness

Now it is your turn

What do you think? Do you recognise the explanation of the Daniel Pink Motivation Theory? What other theories and methods about motivation do you know? Do you think autonomy, mastery and purpose are important in the workplace? Is there evidence of empowering employees at your work place? Would you like more autonomy in your work? Do you have tips or comments?

Share your experience and knowledge in the comments box below.

More information

1. Azzam, A. M. (2014). Motivated to Learn: A Conversation with Daniel Pink. Educational Leadership, 72(1), 12-17.

2. Fang, M., Gerhart, B., & Ledford Jr, G. E. (2013). Negative effects of extrinsic rewards on intrinsic motivation: More smoke than fire. World at Work Quarterly, 16(2), 17-29.

3. Pink, D. H. (2011). Drive: The surprising truth about what motivates us. Penguin.

4. Maccoby, M. (2010). The 4 Rs of motivation. Research technology management, 53(4), 60.

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Original publication date: 11/19/2020 | Last update: 05/31/2023

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The Daniel Pink motivation theory is a theory of the factors that are important in obtaining intrinsic, sustainable motivation.

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Kathryn C - FREDERICK HERZBERG’S MOTIVATION AND HYGIENE FACTORS

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Kathryn C - FREDERICK HERZBERG’S MOTIVATION AND HYGIENE FACTORS

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Motivating Your Team Using Herzberg's Motivators and Hygiene Factors

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Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs - YouTube

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Thiaga Wyndow - Maslow's Heirachy of needs

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Thiaga Wyndow - Maslow's Heirachy of needs

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Quick introduction to the theory

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Pink's model focuses on enabling people to become intrinsically motivated - leaders should focus on finding out what self motivates people. Autonomy - relates to the need to self direct your own life and work - having the flexibility to control what you do and when you do it, this helps us to think creatively. Mastery - this is the desire to improve and having goals/aspirations. Purpose - this is where people feel invested in the bigger picture and goals.

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Kathryn C - FREDERICK HERZBERG’S MOTIVATION AND HYGIENE FACTORS

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Kathryn C - FREDERICK HERZBERG’S MOTIVATION AND HYGIENE FACTORS

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Businesses and organizations have long sought for answers on how to boost employee production, and therefore, profits. Fortunately, many researchers have extensively studied human motivation to try and understand what drives humans to work. Herzberg's two-factor theory outlines that humans are motivated by two things: motivators and hygiene factors (see Figure 1). These two factors are both critical to motivation: motivators encourage job satisfaction and hygiene factors prevent job dissatisfaction.

Motivation factors: factors that are related to workplace satisfaction. They cover intrinsic needs such as achievement, recognition, and advancement. Motivation factors allow employees to be content in their jobs and promote growth.

Hygiene factors: factors that are not related to workplace satisfaction but must be present in the workplace in order to prevent dissatisfaction. Hygiene factors cover extrinsic needs such as pay grade, workplace policy and relationships with their peers.

See also: Model of Motivation: ARCS Instructional Design

Figure 1: Motivators & Hygiene Factors

How Herzberg's Theory is related to Maslow's

Many are familiar with Abraham Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs, which outlines the basic, psychological and self-fulfillment needs of humans. His theory explored the needs that human have, particularly growth and connection with others. Herzberg conducted his studies at the same time as Maslow, and built on his theory to address motivation in the workplace. Herzberg focused on the attitudes of workers and job satisfaction (Figure 2). He made some interesting discoveries, including the lack of linear relationship between intrinsic and extrinsic needs. His most dramatic discovery, however, was that the result of his studies was reliant on what the researcher was looking for. He then changed his factors to discover both the satisfiers and the dissatisfiers in the workplace.

Figure 2: Herzberg's Hygiene Factors and Motivators Diagram

Applications

There is one key idea that one must keep in mind when using Herzberg's theory: intrinsic needs and extrinsic needs are distinct things. An individual will not suddenly become satisfied with their job if you suddenly change the environment or remove what is bothering them. Similarly, an individual will not be suddenly satisfied with their job if you make the work more enriching (Figure 3).

Figure 3. Herzberg's Theory Terminologies:

In order to apply Herzberg's theory in the workplace, one must examine the hygiene factors. As stated above, hygiene factors do not contribute to workplace satisfaction but must be present in order to prevent workplace dissatisfaction. Hygiene factors are closely related to extrinsic needs:
Hygiene factors consists of a set of 10 factors: company policies and administration, quality of technical supervision, quality of interpersonal relations among peers, subordinates, and superiors, salary, job security, personal life, working conditions, and status.
If any of these factors are lacking or missing, a worker is much more likely to be dissatisfied with their job. Workers who consistently file complaints often have one or more of their needs that is not being met. Similarly, examples of dissatisfiers would be poor workplace policy, aggressive management, or a negative workplace environment.

Managers can often increase workplace satisfaction by simply having a conversation with their colleagues to find out what they are unhappy with. Some problems have easy solutions, such as keeping supplies organized or having more materials in stock. An employee's pay is often a more challenging issue to rectify, but supervisors should still evaluate their business plan and compensation strategy. Supervisors should also reach out to employees to discover if there are any factors in their personal lives that may affect their job satisfaction. Overwhelmed and stressed employees are rarely productive or happy. It is vital that workplaces offer emotional support and maintain positive relationships with their employees.

There is a small play in words in the use of "hygiene" factors. Medically speaking, this means maintaining good personal hygiene in order to prevent disease. Having good hygiene does not mean that you will never die; it means that you can hold off discomfort or disease in your lifetime. In an organization, maintaining good "hygiene" means that your employees remain productive; it does not mean that you will grow. Hygiene factors allow corporations to maintain their employees. This leads us to the second part of the two-factor theory: motivation. Just because employees are satisfied does not mean that they are motivated to brainstorm new ideas or take on a new project.

The dating of the two-factor theory is believed to be particularly important. Like Maslow, Herzberg established his theory in the 1960's, a time where the culture believed that people were mostly motivated by money. Herzberg rebuked this traditional idea, believing that it was actually the content, not the context, of a job that caused satisfaction. If a corporation is looking to develop new products and expand into new areas, they need to understand what motivates people to be more productive. They can begin with looking at the intrinsic needs of workers:
The six motivators that fulfill employee intrinsic needs: achievement, recognition, growth, advancement, responsibility, and the work itself.
Essentially, managers will need to reevaluate the 'human' aspect of their employees, including their goals, value and hobbies. They will need to invest emotionally into the relationship by taking the time to talk to them, thank them for their loyalty, or send a card acknowledging their hard work. Managers can also celebrate an employee's creativity or an important milestone in their career. Above all, they need to be good leaders by helping their subordinates develop to their full potential.

Like the hygiene factors, the motivation factors do not lower the level of dissatisfaction. Even if employees are motivated to work on new projects, they are still affected by extrinsic needs. Potential problems, such as pay rate or low amounts of office supplies, still need to be addressed. This is why both factors are necessary in the two-factor theory.

See also: Gagne's Nine Events of Instruction

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Herzberg's Motivation-Hygiene Theory: Two-factor - Education Library

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Businesses and organizations have long sought for answers on how to boost employee production, and therefore, profits. Fortunately, many researchers have extensively studied human motivation to try and understand what drives humans to work. Herzberg's two-factor theory outlines that humans are motivated by two things: motivators and hygiene factors (see Figure 1).

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Kathryn - Frederick Herzberg Diagram example

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Kathryn - Frederick Herzberg Diagram example

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Ceri Nash - Daniel Pink- Are you intrinsically motivated?

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Ceri Nash - Daniel Pink- Are you intrinsically motivated?

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Kathryn Powell Frederick Herzberg`s Motivation & Hygiene Factor: 

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Kathryn Powell Frederick Herzberg`s Motivation & Hygiene Factor: 

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3 Key Components

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Maslow posits that people are motivated by what they need. The assumption is that needs vary according to what you already possess. Therefore, once you have attained one level, your needs move on up the pyramid.

Physiological needs: e.g. oxygen, food, water, shelter.

Safety needs: physical and emotional, e.g. safe housing, job security, good health.

Social needs: e.g. love, belonging, friendship.

Esteem needs: internal e.g. confidence, self-respect; external e.g. recognition, power, status.

Self-actualisation need: trying to achieve your full potential. Desire to gain more knowledge and be a better person.

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Top suggestions for frederick herzberg theory

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Daniel Pink - In his motivation theory, Daniel Pink states that businesses and leaders should use a new approach to motivation which is based on self-determination. According to it, people have an innate drive to be autonomous, self-determined and connected to one another.

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To apply the theory, you need to adopt a two-stage process to motivate people. Firstly, you need to eliminate the dissatisfaction they're experiencing and, secondly, you need to help them find satisfaction.

Step One: Eliminate Job Dissatisfaction

Herzberg called the causes of dissatisfaction "hygiene factors." To get rid of them, you need to:

Fix poor and obstructive company policies.

Provide effective, supportive and non-intrusive supervision.

Create and support a culture of respect and dignity for all team members.

Ensure that wages are competitive.

Build job status by providing meaningful work for all positions.

Provide job security.

All of these actions help you eliminate job dissatisfaction in your organization. And there's no point trying to motivate people until these issues are out of the way!

You can't stop there, though. Remember, just because someone is not dissatisfied, it doesn't mean he or she is satisfied either! Now you have to turn your attention to building job satisfaction.

Step Two: Create Conditions for Job Satisfaction

To create satisfaction, Herzberg says you need to address the motivating factors associated with work. He called this "job enrichment." His premise was that every job should be examined to determine how it could be made better and more satisfying to the person doing the work. Things to consider include:

Providing opportunities for achievement.

Recognizing people's contributions.

Creating work that is rewarding and that matches people's skills and abilities.

Giving as much responsibility to each team member as possible.

Providing opportunities to advance in the company through internal promotions.

Offering training and development opportunities, so that people can pursue the positions they want within the company.

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Daniel Pink: What Really Motivates Workers

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Daniel Pink’s theory | L.I.F.E. (wordpress.com)

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Ian Rutter - Daniel Pink Motivation Theory 

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Ian Rutter - Daniel Pink Motivation Theory 

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The conclusion he drew is that job satisfaction and job dissatisfaction are not opposites.

The opposite of Satisfaction is No Satisfaction.

The opposite of Dissatisfaction is No Dissatisfaction

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Pink argues that the evidence of scientific studies on motivation and rewards suggests that, for any work task that involves most than the most basic cognitive challenge, basic financial reward systems simply do not work. In fact, they can lead to worse performance.

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Pink's Theory. In his motivation theory, Daniel Pink states that businesses and leaders should use a new approach to motivation which is based on self-determination. According to it, people have an innate drive to be autonomous, self-determined and connected to one another.

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Ian Rutter - Daniel Pink Motivation Theory

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Ian Rutter - Daniel Pink Motivation Theory

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Motivation - Pink (Three Elements of Intrinsic Motivation) | tutor2u

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Daniel Pink is a modern writer on business & management, with a strong focus on the changing nature of work and the workplace. His book - Drive: the Surprising Truth About What Motivates Us - was published in 2009 and very quickly became a bestseller with its focus on the importance and effectiveness of three intrinsic elements to motivation at work: autonomy, mastery and purpose.

Pink argues that the evidence of scientific studies on motivation and rewards suggests that, for any work task that involves most than the most basic cognitive challenge, basic financial reward systems simply do not work. In fact, they can lead to worse performance.

For simple, straightforward tasks, Pink concedes that traditional financial rewards or a carrot & stick approach to motivation DO work. These can be considered as "external" methods of motivation. They are simple and they still work.

He accepts that money is a motivator at work, but once people perceive that they are paid fairly, then they become much more motivated by intrinsic elements. Once people are paid fairly, they look for more from their work.

A summary of Pink's key points on the three intrinsic elements of motivation is provided below.

Pink: Drive: The Surprising Truth About What Motivates Us

Autonomy

According to Pink, autonomy is the desire to direct our own lives. Pink argues that allowing employees autonomy runs counter to the traditional view of management which wants employees to "comply" with what is required of them.

However, if managers want employees to be more engaged in what they are doing (and they should - as tasks become more complicated) then allowing employees autonomy (self-direction is better).

Pink provides some examples of what he means by autonomy, summarising them into four main aspects: time, technique, team and task

For example, some firms allow employees to have time at the workplace to do whatever they want. This freedom to spend time doing their own thing leads to many more innovative ideas and solutions. A good example is Google which has benefited from numerous product ideas as a result of allowing developers to pursue individual projects during work time.

The growth of flexible working practices is another good example of allowing staff more autonomy. For example, providing the technology and freedom to work from home.

Pink is an advocate of greater use of teamwork as a means of facilitating autonomy, particularly where the team members themselves pick the team!

Mastery

Pink describes mastery as the desire to continually improve at something that matters.

Pink argues that humans love to "get better at stuff" - they enjoy the satisfaction from personal achievement and progress. Allowing employees to enjoy a sense of progress at work contributes to their inner drive.

By contrast, a lack of opportunity at work for self-improvement or personal and professional development is liable to make employees more bored and demotivated

A key implication for managers to is to set tasks for employees that are neither too easy or excessively challenging. Pink calls such tasks "Goldilocks tasks) - ie. tasks that are not "too hot or too cold".

Goldilocks tasks push employees out of their comfort zones, and allow them to stretch themselves and develop their skills and experience further.

Purpose

Pink describes purpose as the desire to do things in service of something larger than ourselves. Pink argues that people intrinsically want to do things that matter.

For example, entrepreneurs are often intrinsically motivated to "make a difference" rather than simply aiming for profit maximisation.

Most of us spend more than half our working hours at work. We want that time to matter.

So a key part of adding purpose to work is to ensure that the mission and goals of the organisation are properly communicated to employees. Employees need to know and understand these, and appreciate how their work and role fits into what the organisation is about.

RSA ANIMATE: Drive: The surprising truth about what motivates us

Video: Daniel Pink: What Really Motivates Workers

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Motivation - Pink (Three Elements of Intrinsic Motivation)

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Daniel Pink is a modern writer on business & management, with a strong focus on the changing nature of work and the workplace. His book - Drive: the Surprising Truth About What Motivates Us - was published in 2009 and very quickly became a bestseller with its focus on the importance and effectiveness of three intrinsic elements to motivation at work: autonomy, mastery and purpose.

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Encouraging Self-Motivation

Why do you work? What's your motivation? Is it the prospect of that end-of-year bonus? The promotion that you've been promised? Or do you just, quite simply, love what you do?

Many people work in environments that are dominated by "stick and carrot" motivation: do well and you'll get a reward, but do badly and you'll be punished. However, with this approach, the satisfaction of doing a job well can often get lost in the drive for praise and promotion.

Research on employee engagement suggests that people perform better when they are motivated. But there's still widespread debate about whether traditional motivational strategies, like "stick and carrot," really work.

So, in this article, we explore a model that casts away the idea of reward and punishment as motivational tools and, instead, focuses on what it takes to make people really care about what they do.

Click here to view a transcript of this video.

What Is Motivation 3.0?

In his 2009 book, "/community/BookInsights/Drive.php Drive," Daniel Pink sets out a new vision for workplace motivation, which he labels "Motivation 3.0." So called, he explains, because it's an upgrade from primitive survival ("Motivation 1.0") and from the culture of reward and punishment that we find in most businesses ("Motivation 2.0").

Pink's theory is drawn from research undertaken by psychologists Harry Harlow and Edward Deci in 1971. They discovered that rewards can fail to improve people's engagement with tasks, and may even damage it. Another study was carried out by professors at MIT in 2017, and recorded similar findings.

Pink argues that traditional "/community/BookInsights/CarrotsAndSticks.php carrot and stick" approaches to motivation are becoming outdated, and do not adequately address the needs of the creative and innovative workplaces of the 21st century. Despite this, extrinsic motivation, or "Type X" behavior (motivating people using rewards external to work), is often deep-rooted, particularly among older employees who are accustomed to it.

In contrast, intrinsic motivation, or "Type I" behavior (when people are self-motivated because they are given the freedom to do the work they enjoy), is increasingly common in modern workplaces, where routine work is often outsourced. In these kinds of environments, innovation and creativity are key. So, it's essential that people are allowed to thrive by doing work that they are truly passionate about.

Tip:

You can learn more about the different approaches to motivation in our article, Motivation.

The Three Key Components of Intrinsic Motivation

According to Pink, intrinsic motivation is based on three key factors: Autonomy, Mastery and Purpose. Let's look at each factor in more detail:

Autonomy

Motivation by autonomy is often used by software companies, many of which give their engineers time to work on their own development projects. This gives them the freedom to try out and test new ideas, which can deliver benefits to the organization, such as improved processes or innovative solutions.

Mastery

Mastery is the desire to improve. If you are motivated by mastery, you'll likely see your potential as being unlimited, and you'll constantly seek to improve your skills through learning and practice. Someone who seeks mastery needs to attain it for its own sake.

For example, an athlete who is motivated by mastery might want to run as fast as she possibly can. Any medals that she receives are less important than the process of continuous improvement.

Purpose

People may become disengaged and demotivated at work if they don't understand, or can't invest in, the "bigger picture."

But those who believe that they are working toward something larger and more important than themselves are often the most hard-working, productive and engaged. So, encouraging them to find purpose in their work - for instance, by connecting their personal goals to organizational targets using OKRs or OGSMs - can win not only their minds, but also their hearts.

Offering staff the chance to use their skills to benefit local non-profits, for example, can foster a strong sense of purpose. As can developing a value- or ethics-led company vision that encourages people to "buy in" to its key organizational goals.

How to Build an Intrinsically Motivated Team

Making the change to a culture that focuses on intrinsic motivation can be daunting, particularly for organizations that are built on traditional reward and punishment models. But, Pink argues that - over time, and with practice - Type I behavior can be learned.

The following four strategies can help you to encourage your team to become more intrinsically motivated:

1. Try Out "10 Percent Time"

Give team members the chance to spend 10 percent of their working time on a project of their own choice.

These projects should fall outside of their day-to-day work, but offer benefits to your business. Fixing a software bug or finding ways to improve a process, for instance.

Warning

A team that's already very busy and overworked, or that is facing a crisis, may not welcome 10 Percent Time, and may even see it as an additional burden. This view could be shared by senior management - if you are currently behind on your core targets, for example. So, think carefully about whether this strategy is feasible for your team and when best to introduce it.

2. Take Steps to Give Up Control

Relinquish (some) managerial control in favor of giving your team members more autonomy. You can do this by:

Involving people in setting their own goals - individuals will likely be more engaged in their work when they pursue goals that they have helped to create.

Reducing controlling language - instead of saying "you must" or "you should," use terms like "consider doing" or "think about doing."

Having open-door hours - set aside time when people can come and talk to you about business or personal issues, without fear of judgment or censure.

3. Develop "Goldilocks Tasks"

Goldilocks tasks often involve collaborative work and have clear end goals. This helps to promote a sense of purpose. For example, you could ask your team to resolve bottlenecks in a product distribution system, or to improve your organization's customer service interface.

4. Promote Collaboration and Cross-Skilling

"Hot desking" (where people have no fixed desk and can sit in a different place each day) is a good way to facilitate this. It enables people to choose who they work with, and promotes knowledge sharing between members of different teams.

However, think carefully before introducing hot desking. There may be competition for space, and noise levels can sometimes build up and cause distractions. So, consider setting some ground rules before introducing hot desking.

For instance, you could ask people to clear their desks at the end of each day to avoid a build-up of clutter. And, if a team is working on an important project where communication is essential, make sure that they are able to sit together.

Note:

Make sure that these strategies don't go against your organization's objectives or policies, and that you get signoff from senior management before introducing any of them. Otherwise they could end up being disruptive rather than helpful.

Avoiding Potential Pitfalls

In many organizations, developing autonomy, mastery and purpose will likely involve a cultural shift. So, think carefully about how the framework fits with your organization's activities and structure before introducing it.

Organizations that work to strict deadlines and protocols, and which consequently have a very strong Type X culture, may find this kind of motivational framework difficult, or even harmful. These could include, for example, law firms where professional standards are very important, or large production or manufacturing plants where process is key. Similarly, companies or teams that already have bonus schemes in place will likely find it hard to make the switch.

Key Points

In his 2009 book, "Drive," Daniel Pink proposes a new motivational model that he believes is a better fit for today's creative and innovative workplaces.

Pink's model focuses on enabling people to become intrinsically motivated - that is, using internal drives as a source of motivation. He calls this behavior "Type I." It contrasts with the traditional model of extrinsic motivation, or "Type X" behavior, which focuses on motivating people through reward and punishment.

To build an intrinsically motivated team, you need to focus on three key factors:

1. Autonomy - people are trusted and encouraged to take ownership of their own work and skill development.

2. Mastery - people see no limits to their potential and are given the tools they need to continue to improve their skills.

3. Purpose - people are encouraged to use their skills to achieve a "greater" purpose - for instance, getting involved in a "good cause" that they are passionate about.

*Content published with permission pending from Riverhead Books.

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Pink's Autonomy, Mastery and Purpose Framework: Encouraging Self-Motivation

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Encouraging Self-Motivation Why do you work? What's your motivation? Is it the prospect of that end-of-year bonus? The promotion that you've been promised? Or do you just, quite simply, love what you do? Many people work in environments that are dominated by "stick and carrot" motivation: do well and you'll get a reward, but do badly and you'll be punished.

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25 Daniel Pink Quotes About Motivation & Leadership (2021) (everydaypower.com)

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Daniel Pink quotes about human drive, the mind, and leadership

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Daniel Pink is an author whose books have already sold more than 2,000,000 copies worldwide and translated into over 30+ languages. He has also been the host and co-executive producer of “Crowd Control,” a television series about human behavior on National Geographic. Before that, Dan has been a bus…

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What is the Daniel Pink Motivation Theory? Theory & tips | toolshero

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Daniel Pink Motivation Theory: this article provides a practical explanation of the Daniel Pink Motivation Theory. After reading this article, you'll understand the basics of this powerful psychological theory.

What is the Daniel Pink Motivation Theory?

The Daniel Pink Motivation Theory is a concept from the book Drive: The Surprising Truth About What Motivates Us by Daniel Pink. The book, on the importance and effectiveness of three intrinsic elements for motivation, became a bestseller soon after its publication in 2009.

The three elements of intrinsic motivation are: autonomy, mastery and purpose. Autonomy here refers to the human desire to lead a life of one's own. Mastery is the desire to improve something that matters and purpose is about the desire to serve something greater than man himself.

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As already stated in Herzberg's Two Factor Theory, money or any other external motivator is not the most effective.

Edward Deci conducted an experiment in the 1970s that showed that people who were stimulated with money were less motivated to do puzzles than people who were not promised money. This revealed the significant difference between extrinsic and intrinsic motivation.

In the Daniel Pink Motivation Theory, David Pink argues that organisations and organisational leaders should adopt a new self-determination approach to motivation.

Organisations should focus on people's drive to be autonomous, self-determined and connected. They can do this by developing environments for employees in which they can direct their own lives, learn and do new things in order to contribute to the organisation and the world.

Daniel Pink Motivation Theory: Intrinsic versus Extrinsic Motivation

Intrinsic motivation means that the behaviour of the person is motivated by an internal longing to do something. That can be about the most diverse subjects, such as the wish to go on holiday or to learn a new skill like playing the piano. Other examples of intrinsic motivation are exercising for stress relief or cleaning to be organised.

Extrinsic motivation means that a person's behaviour is motivated by an external factor that drives someone to do something in the hope of receiving a reward or to avoid a less positive outcome. Examples are:

Reading a text book to prepare for a test

Training to lose weight

Going the extra mile to get the sales bonus

Factors affecting motivation according to Daniel Pink

The terms autonomy, mastery and purpose in the context of motivation are explained below.

Daniel Pink Motivation Theory is all about autonomy

Daniel Pink explains autonomy as the desire to lead your own life. This is present in everyone: children play and discover things independently at a very young age. He argues that assigning autonomy to employees is effective, but is contrary to the traditional vision of management.

In this, employees are expected to comply with what they are asked to do. According to Daniel Pink, giving employees autonomy ensures that they are more involved in what they do. This concerns the following four factors: time, technique, team and task.

Different organisations give their employees more time at work to do what they want to do. This freedom has shown to lead to much more innovative ideas and solutions at Google. Another good example of autonomy is the growth of flexible working, from home for example. By offering such technology and freedoms to employees, they experience a stronger sense of autonomy.

1. Mastery

The second intrinsic element of motivation is wanting to improve. This can be frustrating for people just starting to learn an instrument or a new language. If people feel they are not moving forward or are not improving, then interest falls and people give up more quickly. A sense of progress, both professionally and personally, enhances people's inner drive.

Pink suggests that organisations and leaders should look at calibrating what people must do and what they can do. If the must-do tasks are too difficult, employees will start to worry and feel outside of their comfort zone. If the must-do tasks are too easy, employees will be bored. The trick, according to Pink, is to suggest tasks that suit the person's capacity, but also to give them space and support to promote improvement and growth.

2. Purpose

Employees who find purpose in the work they do unlock the highest level of motivational potential. Daniel Pink says that joining a cause that is "bigger" than yourself drives the deepest motivation possible. Purpose in this context means waking up in the morning and going to work without grumbling.

It also means that people with purpose are motivated to tackle even the most complex problems. Elizabeth Moss Kanter, professor at Harvard Business School, formulated her own motivational factors. One of them is, people can be inspired to achieve strict goals and take on impossible challenges if they care about results.

Daniel Pink Motivation Theory and outdated motivational beliefs

To really understand the purpose of Daniel Pink's framework, two outdated beliefs relating to motivation are discussed below. The so-called "carrot and stick" method is widely used, but has many shortcomings.

1. Rewards

If a person is rewarded for certain behaviours, then that person will be motivated in the future to behave that way in the future. This is the carrot part of the analogy. An example of this is a parent urging his or her child to do something by promising the child a treat or other reward.

2. Punishment

The second belief is that when behaviour is punished, people are less likely to behave in the same way. This is the stick part of the carrot and stick analogy.

While the carrot and stick mentality can work well in certain situations, using it in the workplace has major drawbacks. Various studies have shown that financial incentives do not always improve employee performance. In most cases, offering financial rewards actually leads to less productivity.

Daniel Pink argues that there is a discrepancy between what businesses do and what science knows. Science argues that for tasks like assembling simple parts, a reward-based system works well.

Most of the jobs in the corporate world involve creative and conceptual thinking. Rewards kill this creativity precisely because employees become focused on the financial goal. The modern employee needs other motivators: autonomy, purpose and mastery. These things are also known as employee empowerment: giving employees empowerment and independence.

Daniel Pink Motivation Theory is also about empowering employees

Employee empowerment is defined as the degree to which organisations provide their employees with a degree of control and autonomy in their day-to-day work. This can take different forms in the workplace. Think of running smaller departments without the supervision of higher management, participating in the development of new systems and working methods and having a voice in general.

An important principle of employee empowerment is to provide the employees with the right resources necessary to make important decisions and ensure that the right decisions are made. When applied properly, it results in higher productivity and a better quality of the work delivered by the employees.

What exactly is employee empowerment?

In concrete terms, employee empowerment is about the concepts of task augmentation and task enrichment. Job augmentation differs from job enrichment in that job augmentation is horizontal expansion of tasks, and job enrichment is considered vertical.

Employee empowerment often requires training or education. In addition, it is important that employees have access to new sources of information on which to base decisions. It also requires initiative and trust from the employee themselves to take on new tasks.

As a result of empowerment, it can be that managers have to assume new roles, knowledge and responsibilities. This doesn't mean that management takes a step back.

Empowering employees requires a significant investment of time and effort, especially on the part of management, to develop mutual trust with the employees, to balance the capabilities of the employees with their function and to come to clear agreements about roles, responsibilities and risks.

Task augmentation

Task augmentation is adjusting the scope of the job to allow the employee to take on a larger part of the horizontal process. An example of this is a bank employee who not only sells mortgages, but also deposit certificates.

Task enrichment

Task enrichment is the depth of the job that is increased by adding responsibilities to the job. These responsibilities were previously at higher levels of the organisation. An example of this is an electronics store cashier who also has the authority to assist a customer in completing a loan application and assessing it.

Daniel Pink Motivation Theory tips for increased motivation among employees

Below are some general tips to boost employee motivation. Remember that it is all about the big picture. Ensuring that one or more of the points below are met is not sufficient and certainly does not guarantee that the motivation among employees will increase.

1. Actively ask for input

Regularly assess employee satisfaction. This shows that you care about their opinions and appreciate their input. In addition, regularly ask for suggestions on the ways in which they work. It's important to actually do something with this input.

2. Offer self-development opportunities

As part of the Daniel Pink Motivation Theory, ensuring that employees can develop is crucial for long-term motivation. In concrete terms, this could mean that you pay tuition fees or send employees to paid workshops or training courses.

3. Validate good work

Expressing appreciation through compliments or expressions of gratitude also has a major impact on employee motivation. It is no effort to name concrete things that employees have done to benefit the team and the organisation.

4. Set interim goals

Small and measurable goals are another valuable way to stay motivated while working on a long-term project. By helping the team to achieve reasonable and achievable goals, they remain motivated to achieve them.

5. Celebrate milestones and successes

In addition to the previous tip, it's equally important to celebrate milestones and successes. This especially applies to longer term projects. Celebrating small successes can help the team stay connected and focused on the bigger goal.

6. Be positive

Creating a positive work culture is a very good way to keep employee motivation high. The simplest way is to do this yourself as leader. Make time for a joke, play a game after lunch occasionally and don't be afraid to have fun.

7. Encourage mindfulness

Encourage employees to take breaks and relax regularly during the work day. Pay particular attention to what they indicate they want to do. Some will want to go for a walk, some want to go to the gym, and another might want to go and have a coffee at the café around the corner. Read more about Mindfulness

Now it is your turn

What do you think? Do you recognise the explanation of the Daniel Pink Motivation Theory? What other theories and methods about motivation do you know? Do you think autonomy, mastery and purpose are important in the workplace? Is there evidence of empowering employees at your work place? Would you like more autonomy in your work? Do you have tips or comments?

Share your experience and knowledge in the comments box below.

More information

1. Azzam, A. M. (2014). Motivated to Learn: A Conversation with Daniel Pink. Educational Leadership, 72(1), 12-17.

2. Fang, M., Gerhart, B., & Ledford Jr, G. E. (2013). Negative effects of extrinsic rewards on intrinsic motivation: More smoke than fire. World at Work Quarterly, 16(2), 17-29.

3. Pink, D. H. (2011). Drive: The surprising truth about what motivates us. Penguin.

4. Maccoby, M. (2010). The 4 Rs of motivation. Research technology management, 53(4), 60.

How to cite this article:
Janse, B. (2020). Daniel Pink Motivation Theory. Retrieved [insert date] from Toolshero: https://www.toolshero.com/psychology/daniel-pink-motivation-theory/

Original publication date: 11/19/2020 | Last update: 05/31/2023

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<a href="https://www.toolshero.com/psychology/daniel-pink-motivation-theory/"> Toolshero: Daniel Pink Motivation Theory</a>

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The Daniel Pink motivation theory is a theory of the factors that are important in obtaining intrinsic, sustainable motivation.

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Ian Rutter - Daniel Pink Motivation Theory

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Ian Rutter - Daniel Pink Motivation Theory

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Daniel Pink on Incentives and the Two Types of Motivation - Farnam Street (fs.blog)

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There are two types of motivation: intrinsic and extrinsic. Both are very different and lead to disparate outcomes. Here's how to make the most of motivation, both for yourself and others.
***

Motivation is a tricky multifaceted thing. How do we motivate people to become the best they can be? How do we motivate ourselves? Sometimes when we are running towards a goal, we suddenly lose steam and peter out before we cross the finish line. Why do we lose our motivation part way to achieving our goal?

Dan Pink wrote an excellent book on motivation called Drive: The Surprising Truth About What Motivates Us. We've talked about the book before, but it's worth going into a bit more detail.

When Pink discusses motivation, he breaks it into two specific types: extrinsic and intrinsic.

Extrinsic motivation is driven by external forces such as money or praise. Intrinsic motivation is something that comes from within and can be as simple as the joy one feels after accomplishing a challenging task. Pink also describes two distinctly different types of tasks: algorithmic and heuristic. An algorithmic task is when you follow a set of instructions down a defined path that leads to a single conclusion. A heuristic task has no instructions or defined path, one must be creative and experiment with possibilities to complete the task.

As you can see, the two types of motivations and tasks are quite different.

Let's look at how they play against each other, depending on what type of reward is offered.

Baseline Rewards

Money was once thought to be the best way to motivate an employee. If you wanted someone to stay with your company or to perform better, you simply had to offer financial incentives. However, the issue of money as a motivator has become moot in many sectors. If you are a skilled worker, you will quite easily be able to find a job in your desired salary range. Pink puts it succinctly:

Of course the starting point for any discussion of motivation in the workplace is a simple fact of life: People have to earn a living. Salary, contract payments, some benefits, a few perks are what I call "baseline rewards." If someone's baseline rewards aren't adequate or equitable, her focus will be on the unfairness of her situation and the anxiety of her circumstance. You'll get neither the predictability of extrinsic motivation nor the weirdness of intrinsic motivation. You'll get very little motivation at all. The best use of money as a motivator is to pay people enough to take the issue of money off the table.

Once the baseline rewards have been sorted, we are often offered other 'carrots and sticks' to nudge our behavior. Many of these rewards will actually achieve the opposite effect of what was intended.

'If, then' Rewards

'If, then' rewards are when we promise to deliver something to an individual once they complete a specific task. If you hit your sales goals this month, then I will give you a bonus. There are inherent dangers with 'if, then' rewards. They tend to prompt a short term surge in motivation but actually dampen it over the long term. Just the fact of offering a reward for some form of effort sends the message that the work is, well, work. This can have a large negative impact on intrinsic motivation. Additionally, rewards by their very nature narrow our focus, we tend to ignore everything but the finish line. This is fine for algorithmic tasks but hurts us with heuristic-based tasks.

Amabile and others have found that extrinsic rewards can be effective for algorithmic tasks - those that depend on following an existing formula to its logical conclusion. But for more right-brain undertakings - those that demand flexible problem-solving, inventiveness, or conceptual understanding - contingent rewards can be dangerous. Rewarded subjects often have a harder time seeing the periphery and crafting original solutions.

Goals

When we use goals to motivate us, how does that affect how we think and behave?

Like all extrinsic motivators, goals narrow our focus. That's one reason they can be effective; they concentrate the mind. But as we've seen, a narrowed focus exacts a cost. For complex or conceptual tasks, offering a reward can blinker the wide-ranging thinking necessary to come up with an innovative solution. Likewise, when an extrinsic goal is paramount - particularly a short-term, measurable one whose achievement delivers a big payoff - its presence can restrict our view of the broader dimensions of our behavior. As the cadre of business school professors write, 'Substantial evidence demonstrates that in addition to motivating constructive effort, goal setting can induce unethical behavior.

The examples are legion, the researchers note. Sears imposes a sales quota on its auto repair staff - and workers respond by overcharging customers and completing unnecessary repairs. Enron sets lofty revenue goals - and the race to meet them by any means possible catalyzes the company's collapse. Ford is so intent on producing a certain car at a certain weight at a certain price by a certain date that it omits safety checks and unleashes the dangerous Ford Pinto.

The problem with making extrinsic reward the only destination that matters is that some people will choose the quickest route there, even if it means taking the low road.

Indeed, most of the scandals and misbehavior that have seemed endemic to modern life involve shortcuts. Executives game their quarterly earnings so they can snag a performance bonus. Secondary school counselors doctor student transcripts so their seniors can get into college. Athletes inject themselves with steroids to post better numbers and trigger lucrative performance bonuses.

Contrast that approach with behavior sparked by intrinsic motivation. When the reward is the activity itself - deepening learning, delighting customers, doing one's best - there are no shortcuts. The only route to the destination is the high road. In some sense, it's impossible to act unethically because the person who's disadvantaged isn't a competitor but yourself.

These same pressures that may nudge you towards unethical actions can also push you to make more risky decisions. The drive towards the goal can convince you to make decisions that in any other situation you would likely never consider. (See more about the dangers of goals.)

It's not only the person who is being motivated with the reward that is hurt here. The person who is trying to encourage a certain type of behavior also falls into a trap and is forced to try and course correct which, often, leaves them worse off than if they had never offered the reward in the first place.

The Russian economist Anton Suvorov has constructed an elaborate econometric model to demonstrate this effect, configured around what's called 'principal-agent theory.' Think of the principal as the motivator - the employer, the teacher, the parent. Think of the agent as the motivatee - the employee, the student, the child. A principal essentially tries to get the agent to do what the principal wants, while the agent balances his own interests with whatever the principal is offering. Using a blizzard of complicated equations that test a variety of scenarios between principal and agent, Suvorov has reached conclusions that make intuitive sense to any parent who's tried to get her kids to empty the garbage.

By offering a reward, a principal signals to the agent that the task is undesirable. (If the task were desirable, the agent wouldn't need a prod.) But that initial signal, and the reward that goes with it, forces the principal onto a path that's difficult to leave. Offer too small a reward and the agent won't comply. But offer a reward that's enticing enough to get the agent to act the first time, and the principal 'is doomed to give it again in the second.' There's no going back. Pay your son to take out the trash - and you've pretty much guaranteed the kid will never do it again for free. What's more, once the initial money buzz tapers off, you'll likely have to increase the payment to continue compliance.

Even if you can trigger the better behavior it will often disappear once incentives are removed.

In environments where extrinsic rewards are most salient, many people work only to the point that triggers the reward - and no further. So if students get a prize for reading three books, many won't pick up a fourth, let alone embark on a lifetime of reading - just as executives who hit their quarterly numbers often won't boost earnings a penny more, let alone contemplate that long-term health of their company. Likewise, several studies show that paying people to exercise, stop smoking, or take their medicines produces terrific results at first - but the healthy behavior disappears once the incentives are removed.

When Do Rewards Work?

Rewards can work for routine (algorithmic) tasks that require little creativity.

For routine tasks, which aren't very interesting and don't demand much creative thinking, rewards can provide a small motivational booster shot without the harmful side effects. In some ways, that's just common sense. As Edward Deci, Richard Ryan, and Richard Koestner explain, 'Rewards do not undermine people's intrinsic motivation for dull tasks because there is little or no intrinsic motivation to be undermined.'

You will increase your chances for success when rewarding routine tasks using these three practices:

1. Offer a rationale for why the task is necessary.

2. Acknowledge that the task is boring.

3. Allow people to complete the task their own way (think autonomy not control).

Any extrinsic reward should be unexpected and offered only once the task is complete. In many ways, this is common sense as it is the opposite of the 'if, then' rewards allowing you to avoid its many failings (focus isn't solely on the prize, motivation won't wane if the reward isn't present during the task, etc...). However, one word of caution - be careful if these rewards become expected, because at that point, they are no different than the 'if, then' rewards.

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Daniel Pink on Incentives and the Two Types of Motivation - Farnam Street

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There are two types of motivation: intrinsic and extrinsic. Both are very different and lead to disparate outcomes. Here's how to make the most of motivation, both for yourself and others. *** Motivation is a tricky multifaceted thing. How do we motivate people to become the best they can be?

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Chris James - Maslows Hierarchy Theory Pyramid

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Chris James - Maslows Hierarchy Theory Pyramid

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Chris James - Maslows Hierarchy Theory Explained 

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Chris James - Maslows Hierarchy Theory Explained 

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Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs Explained [by a Project Manager]

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Dan Pink: The puzzle of motivation | TED Talk

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Career analyst Dan Pink examines the puzzle of motivation, starting with a fact that social scientists know but most managers don’t: Traditional rewards aren’t always as effective as we think. Listen for illuminating stories -- and maybe, a way forward.

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NW - Frederick Herzberg's Motivation and Hygiene Factor: 

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NW - Frederick Herzberg's Motivation and Hygiene Factor: 

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Herzberg's Motivators and Hygiene Factors - from MindTools.com

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Herzberg’s Motivators and Hygiene Factors: Learn how to Motivate Your Team

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Learn about Herzberg’s Motivators and Hygiene Factors, one of the most important ideas in motivation, and find out how to build a much more motivated team!