Motivation is the desire of employees to work well and to achieve the objectives of the business. Motivated staff are more productive, are absent less and are less likely to leave.
Content theories say what motivates people. Taylor said money. Mayo said social needs and attention from managers. Maslow gave a hierarchy of five needs. Herzberg separated motivators from hygiene factors. McClelland named three needs: achievement, authority (power) and affiliation.
Vroom gave a process theory, which says how people decide to make an effort: they must believe that effort leads to performance, that performance leads to reward, and that the reward is worth having.