Exam 7: Motivation

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Internationally, the ERG model suggests how cultures with different values may be motivated by different needs. For example, some people from a collectivist society would be motivated by the need to be part of the group. People in such a society would prefer to work in firms that have social events and in which employees work in teams. Employees from a more collectivist society would also prefer that the firm provide lunches and tea breaks in which all employees can participate. Indeed, in many Asian countries it is common for all offices to close from about 1:00 pm to 2:00 pm so all employees can go to lunch together. This is also true in several European countries, as anyone knows who has tried to find open businesses or government offices during lunchtime. In some countries lunch breaks can go on for two to three hours. Employees from such countries may become frustrated by working alone and not having social opportunities at work. But collectivism is not the only cultural value that affects motivation. There are, in fact, a variety of cultural issues that have an impact on motivation. For example, in countries higher on Hofstede's dimension of uncertainty avoidance, security may be a more motivating factor than Maslow's highest need of self-actualization growth and thus be a more important need. Alderfer's model allows for greater flexibility than Maslow's because it recognizes that people have different needs and they do not move up in a rigid hierarchy as Maslow suggested originally. Thus, internationally, ERG theory allowed for more complex models of compensation to be developed, which resulted in the recognition that a mixture of needs must be addressed. For example, it allows a poor nation, such as Bangladesh, to focus on both wages and the need for relatedness as motivators.