Psychology

Motivation can be defined as the reason for human and animal behaviors. Motivation is usually aimed at maximizing pleasure and decrease physical pain (Carver  Scheier, 2001). Motivation can be either inherent or extrinsic. Inherent motivation is a result of inward desire to satisfy a certain need. On the other hand extrinsic motivation is the one that comes from the outside environment (DuBrin, 18.6). For instant money, punishment and reward are the extrinsic motivation factors. Employees in the organization need to be motivated so as to achieve greater results for the organization.

Stress at the workplace is a situation that is chronic which is caused by different situations in the workplace. Stress at the work place can adversely affect ones performance and even ones health and state of the mind. Stress at the workplace may be caused by various reasons such as job insecurity, change in technology, and high demand for performance (Stephen  Timothy, 2007). Stress in the workplace can lead to conflicts meaning that people may disagree when working together.

Motivational theories
Maslows Need Hierarchy Theory
Maslows Hierarchy of needs puts human needs in hierarchy form starting with the basic needs to the least important needs. The human needs are the ones that motivate people (Carver  Scheier, 2001). Maslow concluded that when one need is satisfied it stop from being a motivator. The unsatisfied needs are the ones that motivate people.

The needs are arranged as follows starting with the most important needs and they include the physiological needs for sustaining human life (food, shelter and clothing), Safety needs which ensure being free from any physical danger (fear of loosing ones job or property), Social needs (need for belonging, friendship and being accepted by others), Esteem needs which brings about satisfaction for ones job and self confidence. It also includes internal esteem like self respect, success and self-sufficiency, recognition and attention, Need for self actualization and it is the highest need in the hierarchy. It includes self fulfillment the potential for one to achieve what they are capable of achieving.

Hertzbergs two factor theory of motivation
Hertzberg showed how employees got satisfied and dissatisfied at the work place. The hygiene factors helped to prevent job dissatisfaction at the work place while factors that lead to job satisfaction were motivators (DuBrin, 18.6). The motivators include achievement, recognition, responsibility, advancement and the work itself. The hygiene factors included job security, salary, interpersonal relations, working conditions and status.

Theory X and Theory Y of Douglas McGregor
McGregor states that people in the organization can be managed in two ways and that is in a positive way and a negative way. Theory X is the negative way of managing people in the organization while theory Y is the positive way of managing people in the organization (Stephen  Timothy, 2007). Theory X was in the view that employees need to be coerced and punished for them to work as they do not like work while theory Y was on the view that people are willing to work and they should be given opportunity to exercise creativity to solve problems in the organization.

Comparing the motivation theories
All the motivation theories show that people are motivated by various factors. Factors such as recognition, achievement, job security and working conditions all acted as motivators under all this theories of motivation. All theories showed that the motivating factors reduced workplace stress and conflict. This is so because if the working condition is good and people have job security there will be less stress in the workplace.

Contrasting theories of motivation
In the Maslows theory of motivation one moves to the higher level of needs after satisfying the lower need while in the Hertzbergs theory the higher needs such as recognition, achievement, responsibility and advancement  are the main motivators and the lower needs by Maslow are the hygiene factors which do not necessary motivate employees. Theory X shows that the lower needs dominates individual while in theory Y shows that the higher needs dominated individual.

Stress cannot be avoided but one can manage stress by using stress management techniques. First of all one must identify the stressors. One must determine whether stress is caused by the workplace or something else. One can use stress to be a motivator. This can be achieved by one deciding to view the stressing situation in a positive manner and see what one can gain out of it.

Another way to reduce stress is by one planning work in advance so as to be able to meet deadline and reduce conflicts with the employer.