Motivation What are the similarities and differences between empowerment and motivation? Certainly a person who becomes more empowered is also likely to become more motivated, in one way or another. But motivation is often used in a sense close to ’manipulation’: ’How do I motivate my employees?’ may mean ’How can I make my employees think like me?’ – and this is almost the opposite of empowerment. The model developed by Abraham Maslow can be useful here. He described a hierarchy of human needs, where the most basic are referred to as ‘hygiene factors’ and only the more refined are referred to as motivators. A hygiene factor is something we definitely need, like shelter and food; however, once the basic need is filled, having more of it does not make us happier. A motivator is a ‘luxury’: once we have what we need for survival, we long for other things – and there is no end to what we may aspire to. Maslow’s scheme looks like this:
Global Action Plan (GAP) International Brovägen 9 SE-182 76 Stocksund, Sweden
tel +46-8612 1440 www.globalactionplan.com secretariat@globalactionplan.com