ENTREPRENEURIAL MOTIVATION
1.1 Introduction
Entrepreneurship is a state of mind, an attitude and a decision. The motives of an
entrepreneur are numerous. Some are purely focused on making money; some are totally
focused on developing their innovation and money is just the mechanism that allows it to
happen. Most entrepreneurs are often both. Some people want a sense of self-importance.
This often coupled with status symbol. There are others who get satisfaction by getting self-
employed and /or running their own organization without having to work for someone else.
Whatever the reason, a person only decides to become an entrepreneur when there is
something in him which promotes him into action. In other word he wants to achieve
something and wants to work hard in order to achieve it. When a person is keen to do
something especially if he feels excited about it, he said to be motivated. People will only
find something interesting to do if he motivated to do it. Motivation involves stimulating a
person to act in a particular manner.
Definition of motivation
1) According to McFarland. “Motivation refers to the way in which urges, drives,
desires, aspirations, striving, or needs to direct control or explain the behaviour of
human beings.
2) According to flippo, “Motivation is the process of attempting to influencing others to
do your will through possibility of gain or reward”
Nature of motivation
The foregoing description reveals the following characteristics of motivation:
i. Motivation is a personal and internal feeling. It is a physiological phenomenon that
arises in the mind of the individual when he needs and wants are satisfied. Motivation
has no meaning outside the need of the person. Motivation is related to need
satisfaction because all conscious or motivated behaviour on the part of the human
beings is directed towards the satisfaction of the needs.
ii. Motivation is a continuous process. Human needs are unlimited and a person always
feels a need. People must all times be provided with the stimulus to work satisfactions
of one need leads to feeling of another and the process goes on. Every human being
has a variety of needs, i.e. ‘Man is wanting animal.”
1
, iii. Human needs are interrelated and influence human being in different ways. A person
cannot be partly motivated, as he is a self-contained and inseparable unit.
iv. Motivation causes goal directed behaviour. Feeling of a need to create. A person
works for a goal to obtain rewards that satisfy his needs. When the needs are satisfied,
tension is removed and the person feels motivated to work for common goals.
Motivational Process: An overview
Motivation is a result of an interaction between human needs and incentives. A person feels
motivated when available incentives leads to the satisfaction of his motives of needs. The
various steps in the process of motivation are described below.
1. Awareness of needs. Needs or motives of a person are the starting point in the
motivational process. Motives are directed towards the realization of certain goals which
in turn determines the behaviour of the individuals. This behaviour leads to goal directed
behaviour. In other word, awareness of unsatisfied needs creates tensions in the mind of
a person.
2. Search for action in order to relive his tension and to satisfy his need the individual
looks for a suitable action. He develops certain goals and makes an attempt to achieve
them.
3. Fulfilment of need. In case the individual is successful his attempt, his need is satisfied
and he feels motivated. If the attempt is unsuccessful the need remains unsatisfied and
the individual engages himself in search for a new action. He will engage himself in
constructive or defensive behaviour.
4. Discovery of new need. Once one need is fulfilled, some other need will emerge and the
individual well-set a new goal. This process to work within an individual because human
being’s needs are unlimited.
1.2 Entrepreneurial Motivation Theory
The term motivation refers to the cause (motive) or why of behaviour. However, since
behaviour is caused by other factors, Motive may be defined as drives or impulses within an
individual. Several research studies have been conducted to identify the factors that inspire
entrepreneurs.
Some of these are as follows: -
a) Educational background
2
1.1 Introduction
Entrepreneurship is a state of mind, an attitude and a decision. The motives of an
entrepreneur are numerous. Some are purely focused on making money; some are totally
focused on developing their innovation and money is just the mechanism that allows it to
happen. Most entrepreneurs are often both. Some people want a sense of self-importance.
This often coupled with status symbol. There are others who get satisfaction by getting self-
employed and /or running their own organization without having to work for someone else.
Whatever the reason, a person only decides to become an entrepreneur when there is
something in him which promotes him into action. In other word he wants to achieve
something and wants to work hard in order to achieve it. When a person is keen to do
something especially if he feels excited about it, he said to be motivated. People will only
find something interesting to do if he motivated to do it. Motivation involves stimulating a
person to act in a particular manner.
Definition of motivation
1) According to McFarland. “Motivation refers to the way in which urges, drives,
desires, aspirations, striving, or needs to direct control or explain the behaviour of
human beings.
2) According to flippo, “Motivation is the process of attempting to influencing others to
do your will through possibility of gain or reward”
Nature of motivation
The foregoing description reveals the following characteristics of motivation:
i. Motivation is a personal and internal feeling. It is a physiological phenomenon that
arises in the mind of the individual when he needs and wants are satisfied. Motivation
has no meaning outside the need of the person. Motivation is related to need
satisfaction because all conscious or motivated behaviour on the part of the human
beings is directed towards the satisfaction of the needs.
ii. Motivation is a continuous process. Human needs are unlimited and a person always
feels a need. People must all times be provided with the stimulus to work satisfactions
of one need leads to feeling of another and the process goes on. Every human being
has a variety of needs, i.e. ‘Man is wanting animal.”
1
, iii. Human needs are interrelated and influence human being in different ways. A person
cannot be partly motivated, as he is a self-contained and inseparable unit.
iv. Motivation causes goal directed behaviour. Feeling of a need to create. A person
works for a goal to obtain rewards that satisfy his needs. When the needs are satisfied,
tension is removed and the person feels motivated to work for common goals.
Motivational Process: An overview
Motivation is a result of an interaction between human needs and incentives. A person feels
motivated when available incentives leads to the satisfaction of his motives of needs. The
various steps in the process of motivation are described below.
1. Awareness of needs. Needs or motives of a person are the starting point in the
motivational process. Motives are directed towards the realization of certain goals which
in turn determines the behaviour of the individuals. This behaviour leads to goal directed
behaviour. In other word, awareness of unsatisfied needs creates tensions in the mind of
a person.
2. Search for action in order to relive his tension and to satisfy his need the individual
looks for a suitable action. He develops certain goals and makes an attempt to achieve
them.
3. Fulfilment of need. In case the individual is successful his attempt, his need is satisfied
and he feels motivated. If the attempt is unsuccessful the need remains unsatisfied and
the individual engages himself in search for a new action. He will engage himself in
constructive or defensive behaviour.
4. Discovery of new need. Once one need is fulfilled, some other need will emerge and the
individual well-set a new goal. This process to work within an individual because human
being’s needs are unlimited.
1.2 Entrepreneurial Motivation Theory
The term motivation refers to the cause (motive) or why of behaviour. However, since
behaviour is caused by other factors, Motive may be defined as drives or impulses within an
individual. Several research studies have been conducted to identify the factors that inspire
entrepreneurs.
Some of these are as follows: -
a) Educational background
2
