Motivators

Motivators are the raison d’etre for all organisations, from the smallest club or society to the largest nation. They are what causes an organisation to come into existence and carry out its function. Motivators come in many forms, personal, inter-personal, organisational, social/economic, and environmental. Examples are given at the end of this article.

The type of motivator determines the type of organisation that emerges. For example, if there is a perceived opportunity to provide a satisfier for a national population, then a commercial organisation or government taskforce may emerge. If there is a perceived opportunity to remove a contra-satisfier from other organisations, a commercial organisation may result. If there is a perceived opportunity to remove a contra-satisfier from a group of individuals, then a charity or activist organisation may form. For example, a group of individuals who have suffered a personal contra-need, such as the loss of a loved one, discrimination, etc., may form a charity supporting those in a similar situation.

If more people are becoming aware of a motivator and giving it a higher priority, then it is likely that positive feedback exists in some form. If awareness is declining and individuals are giving it a lower priority, then it is likely that negative feedback exists. Finally, if it is stable, then either there are no feedback loops influencing it, or a combination of positive and negative feedback exists.

Some examples of motivators now follow.

Personal and Inter-personal Motivators arise from our relationships with other individuals and comprise anything that impacts, either positively or negatively, on our needs for:

1. Survival and procreation, e.g., attracting a partner.
2. Kin-relatedness, e.g., loss of a loved one.
3. Non-kin relatedness, e.g., bullying.
4. Growth, e.g., finding or failing to find a purpose.

Organisational Motivators arise from an organisation’s relationships with other organisations and individuals. They are anything that aids or impedes its:

1. Inputs, i.e., the resources, goods, and services it needs to carry out its function. Typically, this may be shortages, rising costs, etc.
2. Processes, i.e., the way in which the organisation is structured and operates. For example, staff shortages, poor structuring, etc.
3. Outputs, i.e., the resources, products, and services that it delivers to others.

Social & Economic Motivators arise from general social trends and include:

1. Population density, especially in the vicinity of urban centres, including crowding and noise.
2. Decline of the emotional support provided by religion.
3. Growth in the social pressures caused by advertising and the consumer economy.
4. Decreasing leisure time.
5. Automation, technological and scientific developments.
6. Coping with the pace of change.
7. Unemployment and job insecurity.
8. Heavy workload.
9. Lack of control over one’s job.
10. Unsafe working conditions.
11. Inflation.
12. Pay/reward differentials.
13. Insecure or unaffordable housing.
14. Debt.
15. Recession and depression.
16. Labour unrest, protest, and strikes.
17. Crime.
18. Corruption.
19. Population demographics.
20. Immigration and refugees.
21. Prejudice and discrimination.
22. Political unrest and protest.
23. Access to and standards of education.
24. Access to and standards of healthcare.
25. Availability and security of food and other essentials.
26. Risks and disruptions due to aging infrastructure.
27. International competition for resources.
28. Economic sanctions.
29. War, civil war, and revolution.

Environmental Motivators arise from the natural environment but may ultimately have a social cause. They include:

1. Population Growth.
2. Climate change.
3. Temperature.
4. Pollution.
5. Ecosystem decline.
6. Depletion of earth’s non-renewable resources.
7. Sea level rise.
8. Pandemics.
9. Floods.
10. Storms.
11. Droughts.
12. Earthquakes and volcanic action.
13. Famine.