This paper discusses the link between motivation and performance, and established what makes motivation to have a central role in getting high performances from employees in organizations. It was revealed from the review that there are several motivational theories used by employers at different situations when they want their employees to highly perform. As motivation is to influence employees to perform, hence; performance is the evaluation with respect to acknowledged tasks, objectives, goal line and rational anticipations linked with a role, occupation in an organization. This paper has looked at some of these theories that have been proven and accepted by the general public. They comprise Maslow’s hierarchy of needs, McGregor’s theories x and y, McClelland’s theory of learned needs, Alderfer’s ERG theory, Herzberg’s two-factor theory, Vroom’s expectancy theory and different types of motivation, such as intrinsic and extrinsic. It is evident from the literature reviewed that all theories were established on some experimentations or observations, as a result they are just written ends about a tested situation. Though circumstances can be comparable, they will perhaps by no means be the same. Also, studies have showed that highly motivated employees that are productive and innovative can lead the organization to success through the achievement of its desired results.
The Role of Human Resource Management in Employee Motivation and Performance-An Overview