Introduction: Motivation can be defined as the inner power or drive that moves someone to take a particular course of action. This is closely linked to desire and ambition and they all work in tandem (Sasson, 2001). Motivation is influenced or caused by factors called motivators. According to Sigmund Freud, we are compelled to act by unconscious forces within us, which he called our id (Hofstede, 1980). Motivations are either intrinsic (from the inside) or extrinsic (from the outside). Intrinsic motivators refer to motivators that come from within an individual. They are not influenced by external factors. This type of motivation results from self-realization or the achievement of personal goals. Malone and Lepper (1987) define intrinsic motivation simply as “the things people will do without external incentives.” Intrinsic motivation positively affects behavior, performance and well-being (Ryan and Deci, 2000). Extrinsic motivators, on the other hand, refer to external factors or rewards that influence motivation, for example financial rewards, coercion or the threat of punishment. Deci (1971) notes that extrinsic motivators generally tend to take precedence over intrinsic motivators. Furthermore, Bateman and Crant (2003), in their work on “Revisiting Intrinsic and Extrinsic Motivation,” find that the widely held belief that extrinsic rewards undermine intrinsic rewards cannot be refuted. However, their research method fails to support this view. This implies that intrinsic and extrinsic rewards operate or motivate individuals in different ways and that individuals are motivated differently. Theories on Motivation: Several theories have been developed on human motivation. This section...... middle of document ...... uncertainty and following rather than leading. Conclusion: There is no doubt that motivational factors influence individuals differently in different cultures. Even within the same culture, differences still exist in the factors that motivate individuals. As controversial as the concept of motivation may seem, it remains clear that intrinsic motivators influence extrinsic factors and that motivators invariably influence each other. For any theory on motivation to be applied on a global scale, the different cultural value systems at play must be taken into account (Hofstede (1980) and Jelavic and Ogilvie (2010). Little work has been done on motivation. examination of how motivational factors work in different cultural or ethnic contexts, despite compelling evidence that the principles should be applied differently..