Motivation is a characteristic in the psychology of living beings that arouses them to act towards a determined objective or a set of objectives. It is natural and is effected both by internal and external factors. Internal factors include the psychology of living beings and their functions while external factors involve the relevant elements in the environment wherein they live. Motivation is one of the basic factors that make the organisms work hard and strive to acquire their set goals. A simple example of motivation can be observed in organisms when they are hungry. The hunger in them motivates them to strive and find food around themselves.

Human beings are the most advanced of the living beings as far as their psychological features are concerned for they have a complex mind. All the psychological features found in human beings are difficult to understand and same is the case with motivation in them. It is difficult to find a single theory that can best explain the reasons and the results of the motivation in human. However, different theories have been developed and they can give certain insight in this regard.

Instinctive Theory of Motivation says that motivation is a part of instinct and it has developed within the organisms through the process of thousand years of evolution. The example of migration in animals can be cited in this regard. Animals do not learn it; rather it is a part of their instinct.

Another important theory of motivation is a need theory. Need theory explains that motivation is generated as a result of perceived needs. Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs is one of the most dominant theories in this regard. In his hierarchy the most basic needs are physiological and safety needs, which motivate the people to act and strive to fulfill these needs. After these needs, there are esteem needs and the needs for love and belongingness. At the end of the hierarchy is the need for self-actualization, which is mostly pursued after all the other needs are realized.

Drive Theory, one of the other important theories of motivation, claims that people are motivated so as to quench their internal tension, which is the outcome of any deficient requirement.

Then there is Incentive Theory which suggests that motivation is because of the external rewards. If there are no rewards and perceived benefits, organisms would not be motivated towards a certain task.

Arousal Theory of Motivation insists that motivation is nothing more than balancing the level of arousal. When the arousal level decreases, a person may do something very exciting so as to balance the level and when the arousal level increases, a person may take rest or may carry out some activities that do not require much energy.

Each of the theories mentioned above are important to understand motivation in human beings; however, none, alone in itself, can be considered final. To have better understanding it would be better to extract knowledge from all the theories as human nature is complex and it acts differently in different circumstances.  

Motivation in human beings makes them achieve remarkable goals and objectives. A great deal of difference can be found between the individuals who are motivated and those who are not. Individuals who are motivated perform extraordinarily both in their individual and collective lives. A study of great achievements in human history will easily depict that none of them could be possible without motivation.

Motivation in human beings can be used in various ways and for different purposes. It can be used to determine and streamline the personal life; it can be used to motivate the students in their classes and the teachers in their teaching. It can also be very much useful in different economic, social and political institutions. Today’s businesses benefit to a great extent from the individuals who are highly motivated. The multinational corporations adopt a clear strategy so as to keep their employees motivated so that they can achieve something more than possible in normal circumstances. The theories and practices of motivation are now part of curricula in business administration and management courses in different universities.

Schools, colleges and universities in modern era train their staff members to adopt new practices so as to enable them in attracting students and making students learn the taught contents thoroughly. Different sports teams keep on motivating their players in order to be successful in winning the matches. It can also be observed that there are sportsmen who keep on achieving new records, which is only possible when they are having motivation patting their backs. Almost all the institutions in human society need to have a strategy so as to maintain or achieve a certain level of motivation in order to have their members achieve their assigned tasks.   

It is also debatable what the people are motivated towards. If they are motivated towards the goals that are positive, it may bring encouraging changes but if they are motivated towards achieving some negative goals, the situation may result in unconstructive outcomes. For example, some of the religious extremists are highly motivated towards spreading their beliefs in the society and reject others; therefore, they even reach to stage where they readily use violence and harm others.

Moreover, it is also imperative that what sort of path people follow while they strive to reach to the incentives towards which they are motivated. On certain occasions, people may cross all the ethical boundaries and may even harm others so as to achieve their own incentives. The example of a football match can be cited in this regard. Both the teams want to win, but it is also necessary how they play. If a team keeps on playing rough it is bound to make fouls and it is also important that there should be referee to identify all the fouls and stop the players from doing so; otherwise, they will keep on harming the players of other team. Therefore, it is necessary that both the intended enticements and the path that is adopted should be positive for the motivation to be constructive for the society.