Extrinsic and intrinsic motivation. What does the will to act depend on?

Developed by Katarzyna Kukulowicz

Abstract

Proper motivation is an important part of team management. Employee motivation is essential for a group to work effectively and for a project to be ended with success. Some of the employees are driven by intrinsic motives, such as recognition, internal satisfaction, or a sense of influence. Others are driven by extrinsic benefits, such as the desire to earn money or to be promoted. The level of motivation has a direct impact on the effectiveness of their work and, as a result, on the success of a project, which is why managers should be aware of how important this issue is. Motivated employees perform their duties to the best of their abilities, which leads to increased productivity and quality of the final product. In contrast, unmotivated employees put less or no effort into their work and produce low quality work. Researchers have analysed types of motivation over the years. The following paper will analyse and compare intrinsic and extrinsic motivation as factors influencing teamwork, project success and willingness to act. Possible motivation methods that managers can use as inspiration to create a strong, hard-working and valuable team will be presented. Extrinsic and intrinsic motivation will be discussed using examples of successful projects. One of the examples concerns the impressive work of the Dabbawallas from Mumbai, who consistently surprise with their performance despite not using modern theories or technology. Lastly, the limitations of the theory will be presented.