Comment

1. Eric

Motivation is the set of forces that causes people to engage in one behavior rather than some alternative behavior” (Griffin et al., 2020, 5-1). After completing my Self-Assessment: What Motivates You in MindTap, my results were not surprising. My scores showed the following: (1) Achievement; 21 out of 25, (2) Power; 20 out of 25, and (3) Affiliation; 11 out of 25. According to Griffin et al. (2020) my results show that I find better ways to do or accomplish things, as well as pursuing goals and being recognized for those contributions. The last portion I see as equity. Next, due to my previous career and my current consulting work; being responsible for others, be inspiring and leading has been a big portion of my life. Lastly, I am in the middle of the road, so to speak, for Affiliation. I do not feel a need to be affiliated with much of anything and often times I do prefer to work alone.

     The study conducted by Coll et al. (2018), The utility of manifest needs questionnaire (MNQ) for better selection and training of youth workers in therapeutic residential care: One agency's exploration utilized the Manifest Needs Questionnaire (MNQ) for the participants which examined the needs for affiliation, autonomy, achievement, and dominance in accordance with Steers and Braunstein (1976). The study examined 109 participants (10 cottage coordinators and 99 residential care professionals (RCPs)) from the Rocky Mountain Region of the United states, 57% female, and 59% turn-over rate within two years. The MNQ was a 20-tem inventory designed to assess the needs of workers. The authors collected data on the 109 participants for on-year. Coll et al. (2018) results show; that both cottage coordinators and RCPs are low for autonomy, cottage coordinators had a significantly higher need for achievement whereas RCPs had the need for affiliation (p. 129).  The authors found that levels of internal consistency, reliability, and stability were acceptable over time. A major liability for this research was that it used only one location and have few participants. To get a better understanding of group and better analysis, further research with the more arts of the country or other countries would show differing results.

     I had to absolute pleasure of interviewing a very successful woman who works in a male dominated industry, the U.S. Army and field (Human Resources). She has deployed to combat, volunteered for and completed both Air Assault School and Airborne School. She has continued to grow as a leader and seeks broadening positions to make her as competitive as her peer group. She has been successful in her career because of the mentoring she has received by her leaders, therefore, shaping her leadership style and ability to motivate and lead troops. Her ability to listen as well as follow, not just lead, has also made her successful. Of the Big 5 her number one is conscientiousness and next is openness. Her greatest weakness is her trust in everyone and everyone is equal until that trust is broken. Each individual only has one chance. Her greatest strength is positivity and flexibility.  As shown in Figure 3.2, Griffin et al. (2020), she is 100% Type A. Semeijn et al. (2020) explored personality traits and types for career success. What they found in comparison to my interview was there was no significance in the Big 5 traits associated with promotions (p. 546). I can see this as she serves in the military. After my interview, there is no change in my perception to how she is in accordance with being a Type A personality and her two main traits of the Big 5.  

       From a Christian worldview perspective from my Self-Assessment: What Motivates You, for me I can see all three as a positive, however, the one that I found the most interesting was Affiliation. I say this because I thought I would have lesser score. But my reflection of it is that I can work or operate in differing environments. Philippians 4:13 states “13 I can do all this through him who gives me strength” (New International Version, 2010). A negative I can possibly see is being recognized for contributions as I can and have seen how this can be seen as equity or inequity. There are many different types of leaders and leadership styles, many who are in leadership positions are not necessarily effective leaders. Being a senior leader in one of the highest military organizations a verse that we used, heard often, and acted upon was “8 Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, “Whom shall I send? And who will go for us?” And I said, “Here am I. Send me!” (New International Version, 2010, Isaiah 6:8). This verse continues to motivate me to take on the harder challenges and inspire those around me to do the same.

Brian - 2 Motivation is an important influence on individual performance.  According to the self-assessment of motivation derived from three categorical traits listed in David McClelland’s work my motivation is more power driven.  Of the three motivational categories “Power” was the category scored as slightly higher than average of those who answered the poll.  Although I am not power hungry, I do like to manage people and supervising in the military has by far been my favorite job.  I also scored lower in my need for affiliation which was mentioned as one of the three conditions needing to be met for success towards power (Griffin, Phillips, and Gully (2020).  I also would agree with this assessment as I have never felt the need to be a part of a group and can work just as well alone as in a group.  Lastly, I scored low in achievement.  Although, I tend to judge myself on the goals I achieve they are just the product of my work and I tend to value the process and improvement towards meeting those goals more than the outcome.

 

The self-assessment on motivation we took this week was derived from Steers and Braunstein (1976).  Therefore, it is important to understand key issues discussed in “A Behaviorally Based Measure of Manifest Needs in Work Settings.”  This Manifest Needs Questionnaire was founded on three key issues.  First and foremost, this questionnaire must reliably measure work behaviors and subsequently be validated (Steers and Braunstein 1976, 252).  Reliability was found to be present through means of test-retest as well as findings were consistent when compared to internal findings from other respondents (Steers and Braunstein 1976, 264).  Three studies were conducted in this research.  Study (1), was broken down into eight work group characteristics, which were then broken into four categories to include achievement, autonomy, affiliation, and dominance (Steers and Braunstein 1976, 256).  Steers and Braunstein (1976) created five statements for each of the aforementioned categories and asked which statement best describes the individual (254).  However, as with any self-assessment, these findings should also be backed by evidence of one acting in the manner for which they categorize themselves.

 

“If I tell you a pissant can pull a freight train just hook it up.”  This sign was given to my father, a firefighter in the Air Force, and placed proudly on the front of his desk.  My father has always exhibited A type behavioral tendencies.  Impatient with people, competitive, with high expectations which are indicative of the A type (Griffin, Phillips, and Gully (2020).  He states he was successful because he stuck to it, was harder on himself than others would be, and worked on perfecting his craft.  He has now been a firefighter for 43 years.  His competition was more with himself than others, and his work dedication is shown through 24 years of military service and 20 years of federal service.  He says that his strengths are his knowledge of the job and his grit to stay with it for so long.  However, his weakness is his temper and short fuse when dealing with professional relationships.  Now an Assistant Fire Chief and two years from retiring a second time he has no regrets and would do it all again.

 

Proverbs 11:14 states, “Where there is no counsel, the people fall; but in a multitude of counselors there is safety.”  Taken from an internal strength of motivation for power I understand that everyone needs direction and it is my desire to point people in the way that is best for them.  My weakness is shown in my lack of affiliations.  Proverbs also states that, “He who walks with wise men will be wise, but the companion of fools will suffer harm” (11:20).  The wisdom of groups is better than that of the individual and it would be in my best interest to obtain more opinions than my own.

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