ABSTRACT
Need theories of motivation use personal characteristics or attributes to explain motivation. These theories apply to healthy personalities and do not try to explain disorders such as psychoses. This chapter describes four need theories. Murray’s theory of human personality gives a basic understanding of the role of needs in deciding human behavior. The three cognitive theories are expectancy theory, equity theory, and goal setting theory. Expectancy theory describes the decision process people use to choose among several courses of action. This theory introduces the role of various types of rewards or outcomes people get for their behavior. This chapter discusses the role of needs in behavior in organizations and the international and ethical issues in motivation. It describes the major need theories of motivation. The chapter suggests that the importance of individual needs varies from person to person. It outlines how a person can learn some needs. The chapter distinguishes between motivator and hygiene factors in a person’s environment.
