What does the Economic/Machine Model suggest about human motivation in the workplace?

The Economic/Machine Model posits that human motivation in the workplace primarily revolves around the pursuit of tangible rewards, such as salary, benefits, and other material incentives. This model views individuals largely as rational beings who evaluate their work based on the rewards they can gain from it. In this perspective, the relationship between effort and reward is fundamental, implying that people will increase their productivity or work harder if they see a direct correlation between their performance and the financial or material benefits they receive.

This approach suggests that organizations can guide employee behavior by strategically linking performance outcomes to compensation. For instance, incentive programs, bonuses, and pay-for-performance initiatives are ways that employers can motivate employees under this model, as employees are driven to achieve the set goals to unlock these tangible rewards. The focus is largely on external motivators rather than internal satisfaction or social interactions, which are the basis for some other models of motivation. Consequently, the Economic/Machine Model emphasizes a straightforward, utilitarian view of motivation within the workplace context.