Two Exercises For Teaching about Motivation

Abstract

For undergraduate students in business, the study of motivation is often an exercise in abstraction and memorization. However, the authors have found that the following experiential exercises bring the subject to life, providing students with specific, concrete, behavioral knowledge. The first exercise is designed to introduce the subject of motivation. Students use their own past experience to generate descriptions of contrasting motivational states. The second exercise involves application and review. Students draw upon their past experience, cognitive learnings and imaginations to mentally rehearse how their behavior as managers might influence their employees’ motivational states.