Running head: Case Study I (Motivating Individuals).

Case Study I (Motivating Individuals).

Fei Ming Chu

Florida Institute of Technology

Case Study I (Motivating Individuals).

When it comes to motivation, individuals cannot be easily manipulated and their reactions to

certain types of motivational tactics can be very difficult to predict. There is no doubt that

motivation is an important and key performance determinant, as every individual is wired with

emotions, drives, and passions. Several theorists have sought to identify these using

psychological motivational factors such as self-esteem and self-actualization. Motivation can be

achieved using different forms ranging from monetary incentives to recognition of individual

achievements. Some individuals are even motivated by the openness of communication in their

workplace, while some others just need a word of encouragement or a little nudge.

The question of what motivates workers is dynamic; it changes over time as it depends on an

individual’s personal drives at that particular point in time. For instance, when I was a junior

staff and fresh employee, my fellow colleagues and I viewed money as our primary motivating

factor because it gave us an assurance of purchasing power. It was a means to an end, though

according to, such a means was considered an external source of motivation. This monetary

reward most likely contributed to an increase in our level of productivity and standard of work

output; unlike now that we are senior staff members with more intrinsic needs. This is largely

because for senior staff, money issues have largely been settled and the desire to seek one’s

higher purpose rises in importance and yearns to be satisfied. When considering motivation, the

current position of the individual in question matters a great deal.

It is argued that individuals feel motivated to work based on the attractiveness of the

incentive/reward and also on how the individual sees the relationship between the effort they put

in and the reward they receive. This buttresses an aspect of management science, which

postulates that the higher the income, the higher the productivity level of workers. This simply

means that money-based incentives are known to strongly influence and motivate. However, in
Case Study I (Motivating Individuals).

some cases, there seems to be a discrepancy between what Science recognizes from studies

organized in a controlled setting and the practicality of Business in a real-life setting. This shows

that the meaning of money depends on the individual in question, even though money is essential

and may influence many aspects of one’s living. A colleague once told me how he would not

mind being given a 2-week leave without pay rather than the monetary incentives he keeps

receiving for meeting his target. At a certain point, his productivity level was decreasing, proving

that when it comes to some skills, larger (monetary) rewards led to poorer performance (RSA

Animate Video). I also deduced from his behavior that although money is important insofar that

it is a means, in his case, it was not an end. Therefore, as a motivating factor, it had lost some of

its expected effect.

It is important to note that motivation is a fundamental issue for organizations. So, the question

of how to motivate individuals cannot be treated in isolation without considering the vast

complexities of its theories directed by behavioral, intellectual and humanist psychoanalytic

philosophies. When using money as a motivator, we must put into consideration the four profiles

of individuals as seen in a study with the aim to find the relationship of attitudes and motivation

towards monetary rewards when studying the younger workforce generation in Brazil (Campos

Monteiro et al., 2015). From a sample of 163 young workers, Campos Monteiro et al.,

discovered the following:

The Indifferent Money Managers – This class were innately contented and performed their job

requirements based on the satisfaction they derived from doing a good job and not for the

monetary rewards (Wong, 2007).

Case Study I (Motivating Individuals).

The Achieving Money Worshippers - These were those that considered money as a symbol of

status and success, therefore they performed best within the system of monetary rewards for job

performance (Wong, 2007).

The Careless Money Admirers – These are those who were less self-determined and could do

anything for money without considering how their decision affects the team. They are

extrinsically satisfied by monetary rewards (Wong, 2007).

The Money Repellent – These are people who exhibited more undesirable attributes when

presented with money. For this set of individuals, money does not reflect success nor a function

of re-enforcement (Wong, 2007).

Putting into consideration the different profiles of individuals and how they regard money, I am

of the belief that money as a motivator increases the pressure to be seen as being productive. In

some cases, it conditions the individual to aim to deliver above a set target, making it a stressor.

With the stress factor in place, a feeling of tension can easily replace creativity. However, it must

be said that the increase of an individual’s income is not what makes him less productive. If that

were the case, athletes would record lower productivity after signing a lucrative new contract.

This is simply not the case for the majority of athletes. I believe that money incentives without

the presence of purpose, mastery, and autonomy bring about stress and an increased pressure

which essentially kills creativity. Therefore, organizations should identify and establish different

strategies for motivating their employees, bearing in mind the employee’s behavior towards

intrinsic and extrinsic motivational factors, the current job level and the individual’s long term

goals. All of these need to be taken into account, as this would help to create a pattern which will

aid in achieving higher motivation and increased productivity.

Case Study I (Motivating Individuals).

References

Campos Monteiro, D. L., Peñaloza, V., Pinto, F. R., Denegri Coria, M. del C., & Orellana

Calderón, L. M. (2015). Attitudes towards money and motivational orientation to work in

Brazilian young workers. Contaduría y Administración, 60(1), 11–30.

https://doi.org/10.1016/s0186-1042(15)72145-5

RSA. (2010, April 1). YouTube [YouTube]. Retrieved November 10, 2019, from

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u6XAPnuFjJc&feature=youtu.be

Wong, H. M. (2007). Religiousness, Love of Money, and Ethical Attitudes of Malaysian

Evangelical Christians in Business. Journal of Business Ethics, 81(1), 169–191.

https://doi.org/10.1007/s10551-007-9487-0