“Motivation is not synonymous with behavioral theory. The motivations are one class of determinants of behavior While behavior is always motivated, it is also almost biologically, culturally and situationally determined as well” (Maslow). Evaluate.

Answer: Abraham Marlow developed the need-hierarchy concept to explain human behavior in terms of need-fulfilment. This is one of the well-known content-based approaches to motivation. Motivation is an inner force that moves people to work more. Motivation encompasses all those pressures and influences that trigger and sustain human behaviour. Motivation is a term applying to the entire class of drives, desires, needs, wishes and similar force that induce an individual to work,Though motivation influences human behaviour, it is not completely determine human behaviour. Human behaviour is also influenced by ‘Cultural, situational and biological factors. To elaborate above statements, let us assume few instances:
Young people in India are going for higher studies abroad. In abroad the expenditures are very high so they decided to work besides pursuing their studies. They attend low grade works even though they are well educated. So biological needs such as food, clothes etc are influencing their behaviour to habituate dignity of labour.
If an organisation is highly authoritative it is not allowing any freedom to workers. It treats workers in a humiliating manner. The workers have two choices, either to quit the organisation or to adopt the organisation culture. Though humans are not willing, under the control of other, they change their behaviour by adopting organisation culture for livelihood.
If an organisation is on losses, employees in an organisation may decide to work for extra hours for the organisation to make it in profits, which is providing livelihood for them i.e. employees as a community spent beyond the threshold limit without expecting any benefits for the sake of their organisation. It means employees are not felt that they are just workers; they felt that they are part of an organisation
and the organisation is ours.
From above instances, it can be assumed that as a part, motivation may influence human behaviour but not completely determined. So, human behaviour is almost always biologically, culturally, and situationally determined. Thus motivation theory is one factor of behavioral theory, while behavioral theory is integration of motivation, cultural, biological, and situation factors. So, motivation theory is not synonymous with behaviour theory.

UPSC General Studies Paper Preparation