Motivation in the Workplace: An Exploration of Stuart Pritchard's Article

Running Head: APPLIED CORPORATE STRATEGY
Applied Corporate Strategy
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1APPLIED CORPORATE STRATEGY
This essay is mainly demonstrated on the article ‘Moving beyond Maslow: An
exploration of Motivation’ by Stuart Pritchard. 1 Motivation can be defined as motivating
incentive force and a stimulation of will, a reflection or emotion that is excited to action.
Therefore, a motive involves transforming will into action, and motivation is the force that
helps to achieve this. Motivation is the process of motivating people to achieve the goals2. In
the workplace, the psychological factors motivating the behavior of the employees can be
wanting for money or other non-financial factors. Maslow recommended that humans are
motivated to please many human requirements. These needs may vary from the basic needs
like food, shelter, clothing or love, self-esteem. The article deals with a certain number of
provocative and challenging ideas. This essay implies on various theories, models, and use of
the Knight and Willmott framework to understand the benefits and challenges of the methods
of management. The essay argues that motivation is an important factor to play in a
workplace or an individual’s life to keep them encouraged and satisfy their needs.
Knight and Willmott framework suggests that by using the concept of Foucault, it is
possible to examine the process of subjectification, a task that has been far overlooked in the
labor process.3 According to the framework, it is the relative social separation which subject
endure because of the individualizing collision of the modern power that provides individuals
susceptible to accurately the demands or potential that the power makes them to be. The
Foucauldian approach recommended that it could be useful in grasping the precautionary side
of control. The Foucauldian view helps to make it easier to realize the widespread power or
1 Stone, Tyria A. Motivation and success strategies: A phenomenological study of African American
entrepreneurial business owners in Dayton, Ohio. Diss. Capella University, 2012.
2 Kanfer, Ruth. "Work motivation: New directions in theory and research." International review of industrial
and organizational psychology 7 (1992): 1-53.
3 Coombs, Rod, David Knights, and Hugh C. Willmott. "Culture, control and competition; towards a conceptual
framework for the study of information technology in organizations." Organization studies 13.1 (1992): 051-72.

2APPLIED CORPORATE STRATEGY
knowledge directions and techniques, which in turn enables to distinguish the current system
and capitalism as a specific mode of construction in the history. The Foucauldian ideas of
power are frequently used to study subject matter formation or technology of self. However,
individual project of the subjects are rarely connected with the aims, objectives, structures,
and control system in order to regulate and show the whole of the dynamics of the control
system of the organization. Acknowledging that the relationship between workplace and self
respect is traditionally and culturally specific and something in which people are taught to
believe. As Knights and Willmott puts forward the Foucauldian concept of thoughtful of
power helps to evaluate how work under free enterprise is not unsurprisingly intrinsic to the
self-esteem and how discursive and corrective practice have been functional to make the
people believe. Moreover, the idea of govern mentality suggest that the prejudiced
individuality work takes place inside regime of control. This concept also enables an
individual to observe the more unseen structures of authority, as well as leaving possibility
for a new type of considerate of subjectivity that allows expansion of the common sense of
self.
Self-esteem in the workplace as a manager, employee or a student is significant
because it greatly influences choices and decisions of the people. 4In further words, self-
esteem or self respect serve a motivational purpose by creation of more or less probable that
people can take care of themselves and discover their potential. Individuals with high self-
esteem are encouraged to take care of them and to determinedly struggle towards the
execution of ones goals and aspirations. However, people with low self-esteem do not be
likely to view themselves as happy or competent of achieving the goals. Employees with self-
respect at the workplace tend to manage stress and work pressure easily. The person can
express himself or herself more clearly in front of his peers or his bosses. The relationship
4 Pierce, Jon L., and Donald G. Gardner. "Self-esteem within the work and organizational context: A
review of the organization-based self-esteem literature." Journal of management 30.5 (2004): 591-
622.