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Employee Motivation in Low Income Earning Jobs: a Case Study of Subway

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Chapter 1
Introduction
Background to the study
A motivated employee works hard and effectively because of the satisfactory feeling of fulfillment. In business management, motivation is an important research field. Over the years, there have been many motivation theories developed. One of the most famous theories is on the basis of Abraham Maslow's hierarchy of needs. Maslow (1954) argued that individuals have a hierarchy of needs, and true motivation is achieved by fulfilling higher level of needs. Emphasized by various motivation theories, income (money) has been an essential factor which can affect motivation. Someone who has low income jobs tends to have low motivation. Consequently, low motivation will result in low effectiveness …show more content…

In 1964, Vroom explained that motivation is ‘a process governing choice made by persons . . . among alternative forms of voluntary activity’ (Vroom, 1964). Similarly, Atkinson (1964) defined motivation as ‘the contemporary (immediate) influence on direction, vigor, and persistence of action’. Furthermore, Campbell and Pritchard also proposed that motivation is related with a set of independent/ dependent variables that explain the direction, amplitude, and persistence of an individual’s behavior, holding constant the effects of aptitude, skill, and understanding of the task, and the constraints operating in the environment. All these explanations have three common elements; that is, they are all concerned with factors or events that energize, channel, and sustain human behavior.

According to various theories, motivation may be rooted in the basic need to minimize physical pain and maximize pleasure. It may include specific needs such as eating and resting, or a desired object, hobby, goal, state of being, ideal. It may be attributed to less-apparent reasons such as altruism, selfishness, morality, or avoiding mortality. There are two kinds of motivation: intrinsic and extrinsic. Intrinsic motivation is internal. It happens when people are compelled to do something out of pleasure, importance, or desire. Extrinsic motivation occurs when external

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