When it is discovered that a worker can meet the requirements of his job, but experiences shortcomings in doing so, many times it is believed that the worker's motivation may be the root of the problem ( Laird 95). But what is motivation at work? According to Laird (2006), “motivation is a fundamental component of performance” and “is the reason why someone chooses to do some things and chooses not to do others”. In other words, work motivation is what energizes workers up to the level of output required to perform a task, directs their energy toward the goals they need to achieve, and sustains that level of effort over a period of time (Steers et al., 2004). In essence, worker motivation is what gets the job done. Employee motivation has always been a central issue in the workplace, and as an individual in a supervisory position, it becomes your duty to understand and establish systems that ensure the proper motivation of your subordinates. Adequate employee motivation can ensure high productivity and successful workflow, while low worker motivation can result in absenteeism, decreased productivity rates and turnover. A large body of research has been produced on motivation, and much of this research is applicable to the workplace. Due to the nature of man, motivation varies from individual to individual and, for this reason, there is no system that is the best to ensure worker motivation in every organizational situation and, as a result, many theories have been created to outline what drives people to satisfactorily complete their work tasks. Throughout this paper we will outline the three main types of these motivational theories and provide examples of each... half of the paper ......ent. Cambridge, MA: Perseus Group, 2003. Print.Locke, Edwin A., and Gary P. Latham. “New Directions in Goal Setting Theory.” Current Directions in Psychological Sciences 15.5 (2006): 265-68. Print.Mcclelland, David C. “Toward a Theory of Motivational Acquisition.” American Psychologist 20.5 (1965): 321-33. Web.Rodgers, Robert and John E. Hunter. “Impact of Management by Objectives on Organizational Productivity.” Journal of Applied Psychology 76.2 (1991): 322-36. Print.Manzi, Richard M., Lyman W. Porter, and Gregory A. Bigley. Motivation and leadership at work. New York: McGraw-Hill, 1996. Print.Steers, Richard M., Richard T. Mowday, and Debra L. Shapiro. “Introduction to the Special Topic Forum: The Future of Work Motivation Theory.” The Academy of Management Review 29.3 (2004): 379. Print.Vroom, Victor H. Work and Motivation. New York: John Wiley & Sons, 1967. Print.