MOTIVATION CHALLENGES

In concept, the basic motivational process just described is simple and straightforward. In the real world, of course the process isn’t as clear-cut. The first challegnece is that motives can only be inferred: they cannot be seen. Leslie Lenser, head of project and system management at American Computer Systems, observed two examples in here department who were debugging software programs that estimate service requirements for the company. She knows that both employees are responsible for the same type of work, have received similar training, have similar competencies and have been with the organization for about five years. One employee is able to spot problems more easily and quickly that the other, so the difference in their output strongly suggests that they have different levels of motivation. Lenser recognized that she would have to investigate further to determine what motives each person.

A second challenge centres on the dynamic nature of needs. As we pointed out in the many times we develop neumoros programs in attempt to meet employee needs. Doing so is always difficult because, at any one time, every one has various needs, desires, and expectations. Moreover, these factors change over time and may also conflict with each other. Employees who put in many extra hour at work to fulfill their needs for accomplishment may find that these extra work hours cinflict directly with needs for affiliation and their desires to be with their families.

A third challenge involves the considerable differences in people,s motivations and in the energy with which people respond to them. Just as different organizations produce a variety of products and offer a variety of services, different people have a variety motivation. Chris Kosi, a marketing manager for Celanese Chemical corporation in the united States, took a three year assignment with her company in Sweden. She quickly joined a group of American managers so she could satisfy he need to belong to such a group and to learn quickly about Swedish management practices. She discovered that Swedes frequently bypass formal lines of communication and go directly to the person most likely to have the information and expertise, not necessarily their boss. If a Swedish employee would work in the Italian branch of her organization, this behavior would be a sign of disrespect. Why? Italian managers believe that frequently bypassing a boss indicates a poorly designed organization.