Human motivation underpins all aspects of our lives - our basic needs through to self-actualisation (Maslow 1943). Our individual motivation is also linked to our own personal beliefs and values… how important are certain things to us? So much of this is dependent on many variables including our culture, where we live, our education and many more aspects.

Thinking about motivation in our working lives involves complex connections of relationships with our peers and other stakeholders, our skills, knowledge and experiences, and the varying motivators that we demonstrate through our behaviours.

The following activities introduce you to a range of motivation theories, including both classic and more recent interpretations.

As you are reviewing and engaging with these, think about how can you apply these in your own workplace?