Motivation

People for ages have studies why we do the things we do. When working in a special library, you are going to come into contact and have to deal with/manage a large variety of people. Below are some theories on motivation that may lead you to discover what motivates different people and effectively manage patrons and staff effectively.

According to Rodger Stotz and Bruce Bolger:

Content theories focus on the factors within a person that energize, direct, sustain and stop behavior. They look at the specific needs that motivate people. Content theorists include Abraham Maslow, Clayton P. Alderfer, Federick Herzberg and David C. McClelland. Their theories have been helpful in discussing motivation, but not all have been verified through research. 

Process theories provide a description and analysis of how behavior is energized, directed, sustained and stopped. Four process theories are predominant: Reinforcement, expectancy, equity, and goal setting.

CONTENT THEORIES

Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs states that people are motivated to achieve certain needs. When one need is fulfilled, a person seeks to fulfill the next one, and so on.   
           


Herzber's motivation-hygiene theory (also known as the two-factor or dual-factory theory) states that there are certain factors in the workplace that cause job satisfaction, while a separate set of factors causes dissatisfaction.
               
Acquired Needs Theory proposes that a person's life changes individual needs over time.


              

PROCESS THEORIES

1. Expectancy theory proposes that an individual will decide to behave or act in a certain way because they are motivated to select a specific behavior over other behaviors due to what they expect the result of that selected behavior will be.

1. Equity theory is a theory that attempts to explain relational satisfaction in terms of perceptions of fair/unfair distributions of resources within interpersonal relationships.