IM_J7

MGT 6306, Intercultural Management 1

Course Learning Outcomes for Unit VII Upon completion of this unit, students should be able to:

4. Examine diversity experiences within the workplace. 4.1 Discuss intrinsic and extrinsic motivation.

7. Contrast business practices from cultures around the world.

7.1 Apply content theory to job motivation. 7.2 Apply process theory to job motivation.

Course/Unit

Learning Outcomes Learning Activity

4.1 Unit Lesson Chapter 10 Unit VII Assignment

7.1

Unit Lesson Chapter 10 Video: Building the Multicultural Team Unit VII Assignment

7.2

Unit Lesson Chapter 10 Video: Building the Multicultural Team Unit VII Assignment

Required Unit Resources Chapter 10: Motivating People and Leading Multicultural Teams In order to access the following resource, click the link below. Big World (Producer) (2005). Building the multicultural team [Video]. Films on Demand.

https://libraryresources.columbiasouthern.edu/login?auth=CAS&url=https://fod.infobase.com/PortalPl aylists.aspx?wID=273866&xtid=185264

The transcript for this video can be found by clicking the “Transcript” tab to the right of the video in the Films on Demand database. Unit Lesson

Introduction What is motivation? What drives you to do what you do? Does culture have any role in what motivates people at work? Social psychologist Hazel Rose Markus explains that “motivation is shaped by the multiple intersection of cultures, those of national origin but also those of gender, race, ethnicity, class, religion, workplace, sexual orientation, etc. that people engage each day and across their lives” (Markus as cited in Nahavandi, 2022, p. 459). To get a better understanding on how to motivate people, we will need to discuss the meaning of work. There is no corner of the world in which some sort of work does not take place. Whether it is in the corporate environment, business units, a farm, or utility installations and repairs, everyone knows that work is work. The difference then is how each of us views what we do as work, and the difference it

UNIT VII STUDY GUIDE Motivating People

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makes in our lives. The focus of this unit will be motivation challenges of work, especially in a multicultural environment.

Motivation and the Purpose of Work The environment in which we work plays a huge role in motivating us. Consider the experience of working in an environment that is toxic. Toxic workplaces will lead to low productivity and high staff turnover. Because employees spend hours at work, they will thrive and be more focused in an environment that is free of any type of harassment. As we discuss motivation across cultures, the purpose of work can vary based on different cultural views. In individualist cultures, work is based on fulfilling individual needs while collective cultures would look at work as a means to provide for all. The result of the research conducted by Meaning of Work (MOW, 1987, MOW, 2019) and England and Harpaz (1990) indicate that work is relevant in all countries as a means of necessity, as well as a means of drawing meaning and satisfaction from life.

Approaches to Motivation Are motivation and engagement closely related? We expect employees that are motivated to be equally engaged, but the reality is that this may not necessarily be the case. Some people may be motivated because they love what they do but may be totally detached from everything else because of a lack of trust in leadership. Others may be engaged only in behavior to save their job but may not be satisfied with the job itself. To achieve the highest motivation and engagement, the three factors of motivation, the person, the job, and the organization, have to be considered. The person explains the role of individual differences because of different personalities and values. The actual job itself can provide motivation when one is satisfied with all aspects of the job, and, finally, working in an organization that provides an environment for everyone to thrive can make a person motivated. It is important, therefore, to study the content and process theories that focus on what motivates people and how to motivate people.

Content Theories Two theorists, Abraham Maslow and Frederick Herzberg, took different approaches in discussing what motivates people. Maslow in his hierarchy of needs explains that people are motivated to satisfy unmet needs. Maslow categorized the levels of needs and further indicated that once that level of need is met, people move on to the next level. Maslow depicted the levels of needs in a pyramid figure.

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(Adapted from Androidmarexpress, 2020)

Herzberg, on the other hand, “suggests that the factors that lead to dissatisfaction and those that lead to motivation are on two separate fields” (Herzberg as cited in Nahavandi, 2022, p. 467). He proposed the two- factor theory. These are hygiene factors, which are extrinsic rewards related to pay and company policies and motivation factors, which are intrinsic rewards related to job satisfaction and achievements. When extrinsic rewards are unsatisfying, the employees will be unsatisfied until they are addressed. Once the issues are addressed, it will bring the employee to a neutral state (Nahavandi, 2022). After addressing the extrinsic rewards, a manager can then work on the second factor which is to address the intrinsic rewards. Intrinsic rewards can include recognition for job achievement and growth opportunities (Nahavandi, 2022).

Process Theories Whereas content theories focus on what motivates people and an individual’s needs, the process theory’s focus is about the means of managers to motivate their employees. In this unit, the theories that will be covered are the expectancy theory, goal setting theory, equity theory, and job design framework. Expectancy theory explains the understanding that people have of their reward. This means that people are motivated if they believe that the level of effort they put into completing their work would yield desired outcome. The theory further discusses people’s perception of motivation. Goal setting theory is another means of encouraging and motivating employees to maximize their potentials. The popular and often used SMART (specific, measurable, achievable, reasonable, timetable) method is a result of this theory. Inasmuch as managers help with goal setting, the employees are also required to participate to ensure engagement, motivation, and accountability. Equity theory suggests that we are motivated when we presume the reward matches our efforts. People also are motivated when people in a similar position (all things being equal) receive exact same reward for similar jobs. Job design framework identifies five core job characteristics: skills variety, task identity, task significance, autonomy, and feedback. This also shows that people are highly motivated, are accountable, can positively impact others, and have the autonomy to use their own initiatives in completing their work (Nahavandi, 2022).

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Though both the content and process theories present valuable information on what and how to motivate people at work, we should also take into consideration that cultural differences may not necessarily follow the same patterns presented.

Leading Multicultural Teams Effectively Globalization and innovation in technology have changed how companies are organized and structured. Companies are looking for ways to increase and improve their global presence, and that leads to a diverse and multicultural team. Because of the global nature of the modern business environment and the diverse locations in which team members live, many virtual teams are also multicultural teams. Anyone who has ever worked on a team will appreciate that it takes a lot of patience, trust, understanding, and loyalty to accomplish the team’s goals. Let us consider a multicultural team and the challenges that managers face dealing with cultural differences of team members, some of whom could be working virtually. Other challenges may also include communication, time management, language barriers, and lack of technological advancement in some regions. Adler and Gundersen (2008) assert the productivity of a team does not depend on the presence or absence of a team’s diversity, but on how well a leader manages team diversity. As such, the focus should be on how managers could effectively lead their multicultural teams. Figure 10.5 Factors in the Success of Multicultural Teams summarizes the factors that can support the success of multicultural teams, which include setting up appropriate team structures that address roles, equalizing power, specifying norms for behavior and those related to tasks and responsibility, as well as more complex issues such as encouraging psychological safety, and addressing conflict and biases. Building successful teams should not be left for the managers only but the members should avoid activities that are unrelated to task and may result in stereotypes.

Managing Multicultural Teams Managing multicultural teams can be quite challenging. Deploying unique strategies and team-building exercises to address the unique needs of multicultural teams can improve team performance. Multicultural teams will benefit from team-building activities that can support building an enabling structure and promote better teamwork, which is one of the key factors associated with an organization’s success. These activities generally consist of workshop exercises and learning and training programs, which helps team members grow closer and work together effectively (Heathfield, 2017). It will also be beneficial to develop a code of conduct, which should highlight the common behaviors that are expected of team members, including healthy ways to resolve conflict. Organizations should also have human resource practices in place that support multicultural teams.

References Adler, N. J. & Gundersen, A. (2007). International dimensions of organizational behavior (5th ed.). Cengage

Learning. Androidmarexpress (2010). Maslow’s hierarchy of needs [Image]. Wikimedia Commons.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maslow%27s_hierarchy_of_needs#/media/File:Maslow's_Hierarchy_of_N eeds2.svg

England, G. W., & Harpaz, I. (1990). How working is defined: National contexts and demographic

organizational role influences. Journal of Organizational Behavior, 11(4), 253–266. Heathfield, S. M. (2019, August 31). Team building activities for the workplace: Easy team building activities

that foster team success in the workplace. The Balance Careers. https://www.thebalance.com/team- building-workplace-activities-1919238

Herzberg, F. (2003, January). One more time: How do you motivate employees? Harvard Business Review.

https://hbr.org/2003/01/one-more-time-how-do-you-motivate-employees. MOW-International Research Team. (1987). The meaning of working. Academic Press.

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MOW-International Research Team. (2019). The meaning of working. In G. Dlugos, K. Weiermair & W. Dorow (Eds.), Management under differing value systems: Political, social and economical perspectives in a changing world, (pp. 565–630). Walter de Gruyter.

Nahavandi, A. (2022). The cultural mindset: Managing people across cultures. SAGE. Learning Activities (Nongraded) Nongraded Learning Activities are provided to aid students in their course of study. You do not have to submit them. If you have questions, contact your instructor for further guidance and information. Complete Self-Assessment 10.2: Are you a Team Leader? in Chapter 10. Note the question under Interpretation and write your response in a personal journal.