Introduction to Industrial Organizational Psychology (IOP)
Individuals, Organizations, and the Social Context of Work
Analyze the Case Study in Work Motivation and Attitude

Defining Work Motivation Fundamental to the study of Industrial-Organizational (I-O) Psychology is the understanding of what motivates employees within an organization. According to Nevid (2013), motivation is defined as factors that activate, direct, and sustain goal-directed behavior. Motives are the "whys" of behavior - the needs or wants that drive behavior and explain what we do. We don't actually observe a motive; rather, we infer that one exists based on the behavior we observe (Nevid, 2013).” Theories of work motivation explain why people work hard …show more content…

Furthermore, it is not uncommon that more than just one work related motivation theory applies. Motivation theories applicable to Lydia. Given Lydia’s background and age, we propose that the need hierarchy and the self-efficacy theories may best explain Lydia’s reduced motivation and downhill trend, which left her feeling less than enthused to go to work and perform. When Lydia began working for Norman Electronics, it is possible that her needs were basic. As such, working was just a means to an end. At the time of her initial employment, she had her husband and her children, and it is possible that she found a sense of satisfaction in her financial contributions to the family dynamic. Work motivation theories can be broadly categorized as content and process theories. Content theories primarily focus on needs and the prioritization of needs. Whereas process theories focus on the cognitive experiences that go into motivation and with the way they are related to one another. The theories given by Vroom, Porter and Lawler, equity theory and attribution theory fall in this category. When Lydia’s husband passed away, the prioritization of needs shifted since he left her with a decent insurance settlement. In her case, there could be multiple work motivation theories. People that pursue a content