Motivational Concepts Analysis

Communication and Instinct

Introduction

Instinct can and cannot be applicable in certain modern workplace situations for a number of reasons. Grand theories that attempt to cover a total understanding of the complicated nature of human motivation are often inadequate when dealing with the intricacies of human behavior. However, the grand theories have proven to be very influential, and a necessary foundation for which modern concepts of motivation can be erected.

The modern office environment has proven to be a very important area to study human motivation. The advance of technology has driven an increase in the quantity and speed of communications. With real time communication and decision-making, come fast paced reactions to conflicts or problem solving. The effect of the increased speed of the necessity for decisiveness strips away formalization and exposes the underlying motivations behind the decision. Whether they be social interactions within the office or the actual conduction of business, the grand theory of Instinct can be the basis for the development of a theoretical model of modern motivation.

Instinct

The concept of instinct dictates that there is a genetic predisposition that guides basic behavior and motivation. With the correct set of provocations, all formality is stripped away in favor of the inherent reflexes. These reflexes can be indications of basic human nature and of one's motivations. Often, a decreased amount of time to make a decision prompts a human to rely on basic instincts to guide the decision making process.

The area that the concept of instinct begins to fail is for socially relevant situations. Modern society has an infinite number of social situations that humans are required to navigate through in order to maintain one's position in society as well as satisfaction with one's pathway through life. This extends beyond the life at home to the workplace.

Modern society has developed in a way that often times has individuals at work more than they are at home. Motivation then extends to the desire to succeed and improve one's status and position professionally. The inherent dissatisfaction with what one currently possesses drives individuals to continually work to obtain more. This often leads to situations that are more than a basic instinctual reaction, but a intricately, politically charged situation that requires finesse to succeed. An instinctual reaction would be like using a sledgehammer to kill ants.

Case Study

An example of the concept of Instinct failing to explain the motivation beneath a modern office environment involves miscommunication as the seed of a conflict. Two employees have exchanged emails regarding a workplace event. A portion of one of the emails was unclear and