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Intrinsic and Extrinsic Motivation

Workplace motivation is important since it guarantees that a company will achieve its
goals and objectives. Without a motivated workforce, a company cannot meet its company goals.
Motivated employees achieve an optimal level of output. Workplace motivation falls under two
distinct categories, namely intrinsic motivation and extrinsic motivation (Lin, 2007).
Understanding both intrinsic and extrinsic motivation can help come up with strategies that will
help the company achieve success. Intrinsic motivation alludes to the motivation that employees
have toward the attainment of professional goals. Intrinsic motivation comes from within.
Employees that are internally motivated place a lot of value on outcomes that hail from within as
opposed to outside factors (Lin, 2007). Intrinsic motivation is not directly linked to tangible
rewards. Extrinsic motivation refers to motivation attached to external rewards. Factors that are
present in a workplace including pay rises and promotions amount to extrinsic motivation.
A closer look at Engstrom reveals the importance of both intrinsic and extrinsic
motivation. The employees at Engstrom have shown willingness to overcome challenges and in
so doing, achieve an improved level of performance. Some employees, particularly in the sales
department, have shown great satisfaction and enjoyment of what they do. The result is that the
department has achieved improved performance over time. However, the company has failed to
achieve high levels of intrinsic motivation, particularly in the human resource department. The
company has failed to come up with an incentive plan that can help employees gain instinct
motivation and in so doing, achieve high productivity levels.
Most of the employees at Engstrom do not feel like the company is offering them enough
opportunities for advancement. The result is that employees feel stuck in a job, and the

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conditions do not inspire them to work harder. The company has not provided them with enough
opportunities for career advancement. There lacks a clear path for career advancements, and this
means that most employees are not willing to contribute towards the success of the company as a
means of achieving success at a personal level. In addition, there lack proper mentoring and
educational opportunities for employees. Mentoring and education help in ensuring that
employees expand their knowledge. Engstrom has failed to provide adequate employee seminars
and training sessions that help employees increase their sense of worth. Employees do not feel
valued, and this has contributed to the low levels of intrinsic motivation.
The company has also failed in ensuring that employees are extrinsically motivated. The
company has failed to put in place rewards that are aimed at motivating employees. Employees
who work hard fail to get any rewards that would motivate them to work harder. There lacks a
recognition system that would motivate employees to work harder and in so doing help the
organization to achieve organizational goals. Employees are not given the necessary resources to
take on a challenging project. Most employees are unable to learn new things, and this means
that they do not enjoy working for the organization. Recognition for a job well done helps
employees to work harder. However, Engstrom fails to recognize employees who have worked
hard. An annual appreciation, including end of year bonuses, can help the company to achieve
better results. The managers and supervisors need to create a better working relationship with the
junior employees.

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References

Lin, H. F. (2007). Effects of extrinsic and intrinsic motivation on employee knowledge sharing
intentions. Journal of information science, 33(2), 135-149.