Chapter 11 Motivating and Leading

Motivating
Managers set up a firms operations by planning strategy, organizing the
work and responsibilities, and staffing those operations, they turn their
attention to everyday activities. This ongoing behavior individual people
carrying out various daily task enables the firm to accomplish its
objectives. Getting those people to perform their jobs efficiently and
effectively is at the heart of the managers challenge.

Motivationandthereforeappropriateleadershipstyleisaffectedbymany
powerfulvariables(societal,cultural,andpolitical).
Cross-Cultural Research on motivation

Motivationisverymuchafunctionofthecontextofapersonsworkandpersonal
life.Thatcontextisgreatlyinfluencedbyculturalvariables,whichaffecttheattitudes
andbehaviorsofindividuals(andgroups)onthejob.InapplyingHofstedesresearch
ontheculturaldimensionsofindividualismuncertaintyavoidance,masculinity,and
powerdistance,forexamplewecanmakesomegeneralizedassumptionsabout
motivation,suchasthefollowing:
Highuncertaintyavoidancesuggeststheneedforjobsecurity,whereaspeoplewith
lowuncertaintyavoidancewouldprobablybemotivatedbymoreriskyopportunities
forvarietyandfasttrackadvancement.
Highpowerdistancesuggestsmotivatorsintherelationshipbetweensubordinates
andaboss,whereaslowpowerdistanceimpliesthatpeoplewouldbemoremotivated
byteamworkandrelationswithpeers.
Highindividualismsuggestspeoplewouldbemotivatedbyopportunitiesfor
individualadvancementandautonomy;collectivism(lowindividualism)suggests
thatmotivationwillmorelikelyworkthroughappealstogroupgoalsandsupport.
Highmasculinitysuggeststhatmostpeoplewouldbemorecomfortablewiththe
traditionaldivisionofworkandroles;inamorefeminineculture,theboundaries
couldbelooser,motivatingpeoplethroughmoreflexiblerolesandworknetworks.

Themeaningofwork

Becausethefocusinthistextisontheneedsthataffecttheworkingenvironment,itis
importanttounderstandfirstwhatworkmeanstopeoplefromdifferentbackgrounds.
Formostpeople,thebasicmeaningofworkistiedtoeconomicnecessity(moneyfor
food,housing,andsoforth)fortheindividualandforsociety

Theirresearchsoughttodetermineapersonsideaoftherelativeimportanceofwork
comparedtothatofleisure,community,religion,andfamily.Theycalledthisconcept
ofworkworkcentrality,definedasthedegreeofgeneralimportancethatworking
hasinthelifeofanindividualatanygivenpointintime.Whatpeoplevaluedabout
workandwhatneedsaresatisfiedbytheirjobs
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.

Aneededincome
Interestandsatisfaction
Contactswithothers
Awaytoservesociety
Ameansofkeepingoccupied
Statusandprestige

Theneedshierarchyintheinternationalcontext

Certainly,bydrawingontheexperiencesofotherswhohaveworkedthereandalsoby
inferringthelikelytypeofmotivationalstructurepresentbystudyingwhatisknown
aboutthecultureinthatregion.Peoplesopinionsofhowbesttosatisfytheirneeds
varyacrossculturesalso.Oneclearconclusionisthatmanagersaroundtheworld
havesimilarneedsbutshowdifferinglevelsofsatisfactionofthoseneedsderived
fromtheirjobs.Variablesotherthanculturemaybeatplay,however.Oneofthese
variablesmaybethecountrysstageofeconomicdevelopment.
WhenconsideringthecrossculturalapplicabilityofMaslowshierarchyofneeds
theory,then,itisnottheneedsthatareinquestionasmuchastheorderingofthose
needsinthehierarchy.ThehierarchyreflectstheWesternculturewhereMaslow
conductedhisstudy;heconcludedthatpeopleprogressfromsatisfyingbasicneedson
tosatisfyingbelongingnessandesteemneeds,andthentoselfactualizationneeds. 28
However,differenthierarchiesmightbetterreflectothercultures.
Althoughmorecrossculturalresearchonmotivationisneeded,onecandrawthe
tentativeconclusionthatmanagersaroundtheworldaremotivatedmorebyintrinsic
thanbyextrinsicfactors.

RewardSystems
Incentivesandrewardsareanintegralpartofmotivationinacorporation.Recognizingand

understandingdifferentmotivationalpatternsacrossculturesleadstothedesignof
appropriaterewardsystems.
Rewardsusuallyfallintofivecategories:

financial
socialstatus
jobcontent
career
professional

Leading

Thetaskofhelpingemployeesrealizetheirhighestpotentialintheworkplaceisthe
essenceofleadership.Thegoalofeveryleaderistoachievetheorganizations
objectiveswhileachievingthoseofeachemployee.
TheGlobalLeadersRoleandEnvironment

Thegreatestcompetitiveadvantageglobalcompaniesinthetwentyfirstcenturycan
haveiseffectivegloballeaders.Peopletendtorisetoleadershippositionsbyproving
themselvesabletoleadintheirhomecountrycorporatecultureandmeetingthe
generallyacceptedbehaviorsofthatnationalculture.However,globalleadersmust
broadentheirhorizons,bothstrategicallyandcrossculturally,anddevelopamore
flexiblemodelofleadershipthatcanbeappliedanywhereonethatisadaptableto
locationalsituationsaroundtheworld.
aleaderwithaglobalmindsetashavingthreemajorqualities:
o Intellectualcapital:thegeneralknowledgeandcapacitytolearn,

includingglobalbusinesssavvy
o Psychologicalcapital:theopennesstodifferencesandcapacityto
change,suchasathirstforadventure
o Socialcapital:theabilitytobuildtrustingrelationshipswithandamong
peoplewhoaredifferentfromyou,includinginterculturalempathyand
diplomacy.
Effectivegloballeadershipinvolvestheabilitytoinspireandinfluencethethinking,
attitudes,andbehaviorofpeopleanywhereintheworld.Theimportanceofthe
leadershiprolecannotbeoveremphasized,becausetheleadersinteractionsstrongly
influencethemotivationandbehaviorofemployees,andultimately,theentireclimate
oftheorganization.Thecumulativeeffectsofoneormoreweakmanagerscanhavea

significantnegativeimpactontheabilityoftheorganizationtomeetitsobjectives.
Managersoninternationalassignmentstrytomaximizeleadershipeffectivenessby
jugglingseveralimportant,andsometimesconflicting,rolesas
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.

Arepresentativeoftheparentfirm
Themanagerofthelocalfirm
Aresidentofthelocalcommunity
Acitizenofeitherthehostcountryorofanothercountry
Amemberofaprofession
Memberofafamily

Theleadersrolecomprisestheinteractionoftwosetsofvariablesthecontentand
thecontextofleadership.Thecontentofleadershipcomprisestheattributesofthe
leaderandthedecisionstobemade;thecontextofleadershipcomprisesallthose
variablesrelatedtotheparticularsituation.Themulticulturalleadersrolethusblends
leadership,communication,motivational,andothermanagerialskillswithinunique
andeverchangingenvironments.Wewillexaminethecontingentnatureofsuch
leadershipthroughoutthissection.
TheLeaderandtheJob:81

Leadershipexperienceandtechnicalknowledge
Culturaladaptability
Clarityofinformationavailableinhostarea
Levelofauthorityandautonomy
Levelofcooperationamongpartners,government,andemployees.

TheJobContext:
o
o
o
o
o
o

Levelofauthoritygrantedtoleader
Physicallocationandlocalresourceavailability
Hostprofessionalcontacts,andcommunityrelations
Organizationalstructure,scopeofinternationalization,technology,etc.
Businessenvironment:socialcultural,politicaleconomic,levelofrisk
Systemsofstaffing,coordination,rewardsystemanddecisionmaking,
locallyandinhomeoffice.