3.4 Motivational theories: four drives theory

Question 1

The four drives

Answer 1

Acquire - Includes the desire to own material goods, and encompasses the desire for status, power and influence.
Bond - Includes the strong need to form relationships with other individuals and groups.
Comprehend - Includes our desire to satisfy our curiosity, to learn new skills and to explore the world around us.
Defend - The desire to remove threats to our safety and security and to protect what we regard as ours

Question 2

Acquiring and achieving

Answer 2

The drive to can be expanded to include achievement as a means of identifying and including the desire for non-material things such as status and influence.

• Tying monetary rewards to improvements in performance.
• Providing opportunities for employees to feel proud of the work they do, and to feel that they can distinguish themselves through their work.
• Recognising good performance from employees with appropriate financial incentives.

Question 3

Bonding and belonging

Answer 3

In the context of motivating employees within a business, the drive to bond is most commonly expressed through a sense of belonging.

• Employees will be encourages to trust each other and to support colleagues.
• Personal friendships between employees are fostered and supported.
• Teamwork and collaboration will be encouraged and recognised, and collective achievements highly valued.
• Managers and leaders will be people orientated, and will seek to interact with all employees in a positive and encouraging manner.

Question 4

Comprehending and learning

Answer 4

The drive to comprehend encompasses the need for learning to be part of the workplace experience, as well as the need to maintain interest and mental challenges.

• Opportunities to learn new skills are provided on a regular and ongoing basis.
• Tasks are made as interesting as possible.
• Management actively supports employees in gaining new skills and valuable experience as they go about their daily work.

Question 5

Defend

Answer 5

As the latent drive, defending comes into play in ensuring that the work environment is safe and non-threatening, with high levels of trust between employees and management.

• Managers treat all employees fairly and are seen to do so consistently.
• The workplace is welcoming and supportive, and intimidation is not used as a management technique.
• Employees are encouraged to speak up and air their concerns and offer suggestions with full support of management.