Class 12 Business Administration Notes · GSEB
Motivation
Motivation — the internal feeling that turns capacity into willingness. GSEB Class 12 Commerce notes covering the meaning, eleven characteristics, and Maslow's five-level hierarchy of needs.
Last updated: 27 Oct 2026
Notes
Meaning and Definitions
Notes — the key lines
Motivation is the internal feeling which encourages a person to work. Capacity is what a worker can do; willingness is what he will do — motivation bridges the two. Jucious: stimulating someone or oneself to the desired course of action; Morgan: a state of mind that leads workers towards objectives.
Motivation is the internal feeling which encourages a person to work. There is a difference between the capacity to work and the willingness to do so; the objective of management fails if the worker is capable but not willing. Among all the factors of production, only man can increase production, so motivation is a must.
can do
Capacity
The worker has the skill and the physical ability to do the task. Capacity alone does not get the work done.
will do
Willingness
The worker chooses to put that ability into the task. Willingness alone, without capacity, cannot carry the work.
Switch the bridge off and say what the business loses.
Motivation means the process of stimulating people to perform action and to make it possible to have maximum work satisfaction.
Motivation is the act of stimulating someone or oneself to get the desired course of action.
Motivation is that state of mind that leads workers towards objectives.
Trap — Motivation is not another word for a financial incentive — the incentive is one input, motivation is the internal state.
Eleven Characteristics of Motivation
Notes — the key lines
Eleven characteristics: motivation begins inside the individual and differs from person to person. It is continuous, raises efficiency, and reduces labour turnover. It supports goal achievement, change, co-operation and a positive attitude.
Motivation is that strength which arises from the individual, making the person realise that something is lacking and inspiring the activity that follows.
Motivation is a psychological phenomenon. The mental status of every person is different, so the need for internal inspiration differs from person to person.
Workers are encouraged to produce more through motivation. It boosts morale, productivity and efficiency, and profitability rises with them.
Once the motivation process starts, it remains continuous. Employees must be motivated, directed and guided from the beginning to the end of the work.
Motivation gives internal satisfaction. Workers receive remuneration along with satisfaction and respect, which induces them to continue in the job, so the labour turnover rate decreases.
Motivation induces workers to function effectively, so achievement of personal and business objectives becomes possible.
Motivation is a broad concept. It includes need, motive, desire, emotion, aim, choice, will power, eagerness and temptation.
Changes in industry constantly affect production, technology and raw material. Motivation gives workers the proper understanding to accept these changes quickly and easily.
Motivation gives job satisfaction, so employees co-operate with their higher authorities.
Motivation encourages a positive attitude. When their problems are solved, employees feel respected and work as if they are a part of the organisation.
Managers must get work done from living resources, not physical resources. Motivating employees is therefore an important management function.
Trap — "Continuous process" does not mean motivation never needs topping up — it means direction must keep supplying it.
Key Takeaways
- Motivation begins inside the individual and differs from person to person.
- It is continuous and must be sustained through direction and guidance.
- It raises efficiency, morale and profitability.
- It reduces labour turnover by adding satisfaction and respect to pay.
- It helps workers accept change, cooperate with management, and keep a positive attitude.
Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs
Notes — the key lines
Maslow arranged five needs by priority in his 1943 article ‘Principle of Human Motivation’. Physiological → safety → social → esteem and status → self esteem and self actualisation. A need dominates only until it is reasonably satisfied.
Man’s needs are varied and are decided by his mental status. He is motivated when these needs are satisfied. Many psychologists and management experts have arranged needs in order; the humanist psychologist Abraham Maslow presented his hierarchy of needs in the article ‘Principle of Human Motivation’ in 1943. The five needs are arranged by priority.
| Level | Need | Core idea |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Physiological or Primary Needs | Food, water, clothing, shelter — the basic needs that sustain the body. |
| 2 | Safety Needs | Physical safety, job safety, safety against risk, regularity of wages. |
| 3 | Social Needs | Affection and love from family, relatives, friends, colleagues and society. |
| 4 | Esteem and Status Needs | Self-appraisal, respect from colleagues and officers, and reputation. |
| 5 | Self Esteem and Self Actualisation Needs | Top position through achievement; name and skill recognised with pride. |
Select a band to read its summary — the base is need 1.
Select a band to see its detail.
Select a band to see its detail.
Physiological needs are the basic needs of a human being. Basic needs include food, water, clothing, shelter and similar requirements. A hungry person gives importance to food and does not give importance to other needs until these basic needs are satisfied.
After the physical needs are satisfied, the next need is safety: physical safety, job safety, safety against risk and regularity of wages. Man takes insurance and opens a savings account for mental peace.
When security is satisfied, the social need follows. Man is a social animal and wants love and affection from family, relatives, friends, colleagues and society at large.
The first three are low-class needs. Esteem and status needs are position needs or high-class needs: self-appraisal, respect from colleagues and officers, and increasing reputation.
After the first four needs are satisfied, man tries to satisfy self esteem or self actualisation. Each person wants to get the top position by getting the achievement. Zakir Husain in tabla, Shivkumar Sharma in santoor, Sachin Tendulkar in cricket, Amitabh Bachchan in acting and Lata Mangeshkar in vocal music are textbook illustrations of mastery in one’s own field.
Trap — The pyramid is not a timetable — a lower need must be reasonably satisfied, not fully finished, before the next one matters.
Key Takeaways
- Maslow presented the hierarchy in ‘Principle of Human Motivation’ in 1943.
- The five needs are arranged by priority, from physiological to self-actualisation.
- A need dominates only until it is reasonably satisfied.
- Lower needs are “low class”; esteem and status are “high class” or position needs.
- Self-actualisation is illustrated through masters of their fields.
Exam Questions
Exam Questions
Attempt first; then open the answer.