ABSTRACT
A supervisor must take a multitude of factors into consideration when trying to understand the process of motivation. Successful supervisors know that a great deal of effort must be expended in order to motivate employees. Seaview has a stable and productive police department that mirrors the largely positive environment that the community affords its residents. A supervisor might have the power, but the work environment is different, and employees, for the most part, will respond better to different motivational factors. The motivation cycle is a vehicle that aids in understanding human behavior. From a supervisory perspective, it becomes necessary to understand the degree to which officers are motivated by physiological needs. The hierarchy of needs motivational theory has numerous supporters, but the motivation–hygiene theory, while somewhat more controversial, has received increasing attention. In order to become an excellent supervisor, a person must develop a plan that identifies obligations to both the officers being supervised and the immediate superiors.
