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What is extrinsic motivation?

Extrinsic motivation is when you do something by the influence of external forces. In other hand, you do something not because you love it or interested in it, but you do it for either getting reward or avoiding miserable outcomes.


For examples;

  • Doing body exercise because of the doctor's instructions not because you are passionate to it.
  • Studying hard so as to get high grade in your exam, not because you love studying.
  • You are working to get salary, not because you love a job.


A person is extrinsically motivated when reward is attached to a certain task. The reward can be tangible or intangible.

Tangible rewards are those which can be seen and touched, usually in form of money like bonuses, salary and other benefits like health insurance. Intangible rewards are abstract like praise and fame.

Extrinsic motivation


What is Extrinsic motivation?

Extrinsic motivation refers to as external forces that enhance the behaviour of a person. A person can't do something he or she is not interested to by his or her willing without these external forces. 

Extrinsic motivation is used as a catalyst or a booster to enhance people to perform tasks they're not interested with. 


To understand better the concept of extrinsic motivation you should also understand what does intrinsic motivation mean and the difference between these two.

Intrinsic motivation is a desire to pursue or to do a task without an influence of external forces because the task itself satisfies you. While extrinsic motivation involves external forces like rewards and punishment to persuade you to do something. However, extrinsic motivation doesn't last long compared to intrinsic motivation, a person who is extrinsically motivated may stop performing at best level when rewards are phased out.


Although, extrinsic motivation is very important in boosting individual's morale, it may lead to overjustification when is given to a person who is already intrinsically motivated with the task.


Extrinsic motivation in an organization

Both intrinsic and extrinsic motivation are important for raising employees performance in an organization. 

Extrinsic motivation might be very useful when employees are assigned to tasks which are boring in nature or tasks which they are not interested with. It can be developed within employees through provision of external rewards like bonuses, praise, salaries, gifts and sometimes punishments like redundancy and fines.

Thus, in this case employees will be motivated to work so as to get the promised rewards or to avoid being punished.


Extrinsic is significant to every organization as it helps to;

1. Bring working morale toward boring tasks.

2. Raise productivity.

3. Boost performance.

4. Achieve goals.


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