Motivation and payment systems
Dr Joan HarveyDr George Erdos
MotivationComplex area- many theoriesStudied since early 1900sLargely based on American and
Western European theoristsTaylor and scientific management
was the firstThen Hawthorne studiesMaslowHerzberg, McGregorLater theories include goal theory,
equity theory, expectancy theories
Motivation theories
Intrinsic theories: Maslow Physiological- housing, clothing, food and drink Safety and security- job security, burglar alarms,
safety features on products Social, love and belongingness- friendships and social
support at work, team sports Self esteem- feeling of worth or importance-
recognition, promotion, luxury goods Self actualisation- doing what you really want to do at
work, education, skills development, ‘experience goods’
Motivators: which is most important to you? [based on Herzberg]
Hygiene factors Interesting work Recognition Stimulus to develop Responsibility Achievement Promotion/advancement
Motivation factors Good management style Pay Company policy Working conditions Work colleagues Job security
Motivation theories
Murray’s inventory of social needs Including superiority, achievement,
play, succourance, nurturance etc.Arousal theory
Failure to arouse will have little effect on performance
Priming to create arousalTheory X and theory Y and theory Z
X and Y relevant insofar as make statements which you can apply at work;
Z is Japanese style of management
Incentive and reinforcement theories
Studies of role of moneyInstrumentalityIndicative of statusProvides some independence and
autonomyPrinciples of incentive theories
Perceives reward to be worth the effort
Wants that rewardPerceives that action will lead to that
reward
Utility and related theories Based on nature of utility, usually a product of value
and probability, of both success and loss; e.g. more reward not seen to happen for working hard money, social, psychological, appearance, injury
Need for achievement nAch and fear of failure
Need for affiliation Need for power Equity theory Motivational calculus and expectancy theory
Modern intrinsic theories
Cognitive evaluation theoryCuriosity, incongruity and
discrepancyCompetence, mastery, efficacy and
challengePersonal control over environment
and self-determination
Other motivational issues
Unconscious motivationWork behaviours or products as
substitutes and fulfillmentsReinforces needs that one is
unaware ofSemiotics and the meaning of
NVBs, or goods, logos, symbolism and ritual gift giving
Motivational mixMultiple motivesApproach and avoidance issues [Lewin]Force of inertia
Strong in 50% of people, opposite to embracing change
Involvement Antecedents – what happened before Properties- feelings and behaviour when involvement
aroused Outcomes- depend on interaction of antecedents and
properties as abovePreferences for different types of motive:
e.g. when of equal value to employer, differences in what people prefer:
Pay increase.. or more holidays… or less hours… or more pension…. or health insurance… ??
Payment systems are based on:
Human asset Your skills are worth money, what you can do, not what you actually do
Job evaluation Job tasks rated on dimensions, such as effort, responsibility, working
conditions, skills. It is the job that is paid, not how much you do or your skills
Individual or group performance Incentive systems- direct transactional relationship with individual,
indirect and less clear relationship for group
Profit-based E.g. cooperatives; based on shared success
Measured work E.g. ‘job and finish’, or where minimum daily output is specified
Salaried Sliding scale within a grade with experience or age
Performance related pay Often driven by targets, many of which ignore the OCBs
HOWEVER…….These theories are all Western European and
especially American in natureThere are different motives in other cultures:
Maslow in totally different orderHarmony, not letting the team down, quality of work
as motivatorsBeing strongly motivated by money may be
unacceptable in some culturesSome theories, e.g. equity, goal-directed, expectancy,
even Hergberg need to be rethought
Motivation must always be considered in relation to the cultures involved
Thank you for listening
Joan HarveyGeorge Erdos