SMO Reflection Post #8 Intrinsic and Extrinsic Motivators

While the NHL lockout article was interesting to read I don't really want to write about it. In the same way that the topic of union management conflict is interesting, I don't really want to write about that either. I guess I did learn a little bit about the history of the relationship causing conflict in the present and trust is essential in bargaining and having the public involved can complicate things, but I don't want to write about it.

I don't have the rights to this image. Or the responsibility for that matter. 

What I want to write about is motivation. It turns out that I can't write about motivation without writing about Herzberg, so that is where I would like to end up, but I do want to reflect on my understanding of the second required reading before I move on.

While reading, and subsequently discussing the article, The Importance of Pay in Employee Motivation, I was struck by the how much my understanding of the ideas changed in a short amount of time. When I initially read the article I was overly critical of the conclusions because I thought it was arguing that pay is a way more important motivator than we give it credit for. "That can't be right, everything I am learning up to this point states otherwise." So I went and looked at the sources of these conclusions. All of this work is based on a number of large and diverse meta-analysis. "Wait a minute, that is real and undeniable data, despite my opinions I have to adopt the authors conclusion because it is so well researched." I thought. "Now I will argue that pay is fundamentally important to employee motivation, and I will cite this article as I say it." Then I went to class, and I had my ideas altered again.

It turns out I was missing the point of the article, so for the sake of my own reflection I will state my current understanding of the articles conclusions, and I apologize if it sounds like I am regurgitating our professors comments on the idea.

Rynes, Gerhart, adn Minette were not arguing that pay is the key motivator in employee performance. They were arguing that pay matters up to a certain point. That in the HR subfunction of attracting and selecting candidates it matters a great deal. That in the HR subfunction of retaining employees pay still matters quite a bit, especially if the employee can find the same job for more pay at another firm, then it matters. However, once an employee has agreed to work at a certain wage level or salary, then pay will not be a significant factor in motivating employee performance. If there is a big differentiation in pay for performance, a significant change in what an employee will be paid based on performance, then it can still motivate, but the reality is that rarely ever happens in performance based pay systems.

In other words: yes pay matters, but only up to a certain point, after that motivation needs to come from intrinsically motivating factors.

okay now the more interesting stuff. The intrinsically motivating factors. Even though I have keep coming back to Pink and Drive, this time I get to look to Herzberg for an exploration of motivating employees. As I write this next section my goal is to a) review his main ideas and b) apply his ideas to a school setting.

In his classic article One More Time: How do you Motivate Employees? Frederick Herzberg writes as if he is living in the 1960's. He is, but still, opening the piece with a metaphor about rape, and then saying it is prefarable to seduction? What the hell is this? but looking past this very strange introduction there is something very important being said here. So forget all about KITA and the rest of his nonsense.

This is how Herzberg describes most motivational techniques of his day

When compared to basic drives such as hunger Herzberg juxtaposes another set of needs that "relate to that unique human characteristic, the ability to achieve and, through achievement to experience psychological growth." Herzberg relies on the psychological reality of human beings in the workplace, and I would argue it holds true in the classroom as well, that this idea of achievement will motivate individuals. There are other motivator factors that are intrinsic to meaningful work like "recognition for achievement, the work itself, responsibility, and growth or advancement." Based on his findings Herzberg goes on to argue that in order to get the most out of employees the work must be enriched. Herzberg goes on to describe the steps that managers should take in making his motivators help to enrich the work.

... and that is where I must end. It is too ambitious a goal right now to take on his steps for job enrichment from the perspective of a school leader and a classroom teacher. That is a task I will set aside for my personal set of management practices.