Preview

Culture as a Determinant of Motivation

Powerful Essays
Open Document
Open Document
2273 Words
Grammar
Grammar
Plagiarism
Plagiarism
Writing
Writing
Score
Score
Culture as a Determinant of Motivation
Cover Sheet

Essay Topic
Why is the study of Different Theories of Motivation important to managers?
The World has changed at a very fast pace and will continue to do so. The view point that many prominent researchers had on motivation has also evolved with changing times. There has been a phenomenal change in the way organizations and individuals function in the twenty first century if we made a comparison with how organizations functioned back in the day. There is a significantly greater focus today on employee satisfaction, work life balance, cross cultural values, virtual teams and formal performance management processes to name a few. Globalization is one the key factors which has brought a prominent change in many organizational practices in the twenty first century. Hershey and Blanchard (1977) mentioned that “motives can be defined as needs, wants, drives or impulses within the individual which are directed towards goals which may be conscious or sub conscious”. Motivation has been defined by Robbins, Decenzo and Coulter (2011) as “motivation is the process by which a person’s efforts are energized, directed, and sustained towards attaining a goal “ In this paper we will define motivation as the force which helps an individual focus on his immediate and long term goals and helps him run the extra mile. Also in this essay we will be focusing on the impact of culture on organizational behavior and the reasons why managers need to be aware of various motivational theories so that they are well equipped to handle this impact of culture change. Motivation is a very important tool that is not effectively utilized by managers. Motivation if used effectively can significantly improve the performance of teams and employees. It was thought earlier that motivation could be directed only by external factors, but it is now understood that every employee has his own set of motivators which if addressed correctly can significantly improve a manager and his team’s



References: * Hofstede, G. (1980). Motivation, Leadership, and Organization: Do American Theories Apply Abroad? Organizational Dynamics, 9(1), 42-63 * Hersey P, Kenneth Blanchard (1977) * Decenzo DA (2001). Fundamentals of Management: Essentials Concepts and Application. Prentice Hall, New Jersey. * Deresky H (2007). International Management: Managing Across Borders and Cultures (6th Edition). New Jersey; Prentice Hall * Koenigs, R * Herzberg F (1968). ‘One more time: how do you motivate employee?’ Havard Business Review, Jan-Feb, 53-64 * Hofstede G (1991) Cultures and Organizations: Software of the mind.McGraw Hill. * Hofstede G (1980). Culture 's Consequences: International Differences in Work-Relate Values. Newbury Park CA: Sage. * Dewhurst, M., Guthridge, M., & Mohr, E. (2010). Motivating people: Getting beyond money. Mckinsey Quarterly, (1), 12-15

You May Also Find These Documents Helpful

  • Powerful Essays

    ILM3 Assignment 1

    • 2281 Words
    • 7 Pages

    Assignment 1: 8600 - 310 – Understanding How to Motivate People in the work place…

    • 2281 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    Hcs 325

    • 1342 Words
    • 6 Pages

    Motivation most certainly plays a huge role in the workplace, therefore, it is imperative to understand fully the basic theories and methods, and of course how to apply these theories and methods to everyday workplace scenarios. These motivational skills and techniques will definitely play a key role for leaders and or managers, knowing how to motivate people in today’s workforce will provide job growth.…

    • 1342 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Better Essays

    In any organization the key role of managers is the motivation of their personnel. This can be done in many different ways. This section will discuss three academic theories on how to properly motivate employees.…

    • 1919 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Better Essays

    Motivation at Royal Mail

    • 1619 Words
    • 7 Pages

    Employee motivation is, or at least must be, one of the key issues for directors, managers and personnel managers. The leader must be able to find the sensitive strings of his subordinates, which can be motivated by influencing them to achieve high performance. The correct use of motivation encourages staff to make more efficient use of their knowledge, skills, and talents. In today's turbulent, often chaotic environment, commercial success depends on the employee's talent and effort. Despite the many existing theories and practices, some of the motivation of leaders today remains a mystical term. This is partly due to the fact that people are motivated by different things and techniques. In today's business world the phrase ‘motivation’ is increasingly heard to be described. All companies seeking to maximize profits and minimize costs should try to maximize employee productivity and one of the most optimal ways of doing this is to motivate their employees.…

    • 1619 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Best Essays

    Hertzberg F.(1987) One More Time: How do you Motivate Employees Harvard Business vol 46 issue 1 Review pp.53-62…

    • 2456 Words
    • 10 Pages
    Best Essays
  • Good Essays

    Herzberg, F., “One More Time: How Do You Motivate Your Employees?” Harvard Business Review, 1968…

    • 1107 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    Management Summary This Bachelor Thesis will yield insights in the applicability of motivational theories across cultures. Within a globalizing working environment this research will provide relevant information on how to motivate employees with a different cultural background. The research combines the theory of Hofstede’s four dimensions (Power Distance, Uncertainty Avoidance, Individualism/Collectivism and Masculinity/Femininity) with two theories of motivation; (1) extrinsic motivational theory and (2) intrinsic motivational theory. The Japanese and the Chinese culture are first subjected to the four dimensions of Hofstede, and later they are analyzed for the applicability of one or both motivational theories. The Japanese culture values harmony highly and is very collectivistic. However, the country is tending towards more individuality. Furthermore, the Japanese accept a natural order; which implies a high degree of power distance. In addition to that the Japanese are uncertainty avoidant. Regarding the last dimension of Hofstede Japan can be characterized as shifting from a masculine culture towards a more feminine culture. The Chinese culture shows some resemblance with the Japanese culture. This culture, too, is collectivistic and has a high valuation of harmony. And, again, a high degree of acceptance of hierarchy can be found in the Chinese culture. Furthermore, the Chinese are rather uncertainty avoidant; this can be seen in aspects as fear of the loss of face. On the last dimension of Hofstede, the Chinese score in between, tending a bit more towards femininity. The outcome of this Thesis shows that none of both motivational theories can be applied across cultures. This means…

    • 9192 Words
    • 37 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Good Essays

    References: Deresky, H. (2011). International Management: Managing Across Borders and Cultures. (7th ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Prentice Hall.…

    • 711 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    11. Discuss factors that may promote or inhibit the development of effective teamwork in organisations…

    • 276 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Best Essays

    hoefstedes cases

    • 4553 Words
    • 20 Pages

    The subject of culture has gained much prominence and attention in the management of international human resource.…

    • 4553 Words
    • 20 Pages
    Best Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    ACB's Work Climate Survey

    • 2941 Words
    • 12 Pages

    * Herzberg, F. 1968, One more time: how do you motivate employees?, Harvard Business Review…

    • 2941 Words
    • 12 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    Bmgt391 Research Paper

    • 1900 Words
    • 8 Pages

    The quest to sufficiently motivate employees is often a constant effort made by management and supervisors. Despite the large amount of attention it receives, the motivation process is largely misunderstood. Many people believe they can give motivation to someone else, but true motivation comes from within; it is an internal drive to behave a certain way (Leonard, 2013). The spark that ignites this internal drive is different for everyone, which is why obtaining a motivated workforce is not an easy task. Supervisors typically do not have the authority to manipulate every variable that influences an employee’s level of motivation, but that does not mean they are powerless. There are many ways supervisors can remain within their scope of authority and still effectively stimulate the motivation of employees. Due to the multitude of motivational theories, questions start to arise when supervisors need to choose which steps to take to begin the process. In order to make the correct decision, a basic understanding of the most popular and respected theories is imperative.…

    • 1900 Words
    • 8 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    Herzberg, F.I. 1987, 'One more time: How do you motivate employees? ' Harvard Business Review, Sep/Oct87, Vol. 65 Issue 5, p109-120…

    • 1337 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    Bruce A. (1999) How to Motivate Every Employee: Employees in the Educational Setting. (12th Edition) New York McGraw Hill Publishers. (P.44)…

    • 6228 Words
    • 23 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Better Essays

    Herzberg, F. 2003. One more time; how do you motivate your employees? Harvard business review, 81, 86-96.…

    • 1477 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Better Essays

Related Topics