intrinsic motivation - frostburg state...
TRANSCRIPT
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INTRINSIC MOTIVATION
The young man entered the office building. It was typical of most office
buildings with large stainless steel letters of the company on the side of the
building advertising the company. The well maintained grounds abounded with
patios, trees and shrubbery. Large plate glass windows lined the interior walls
providing visual access to these outdoor treats. Walking through a set of double
doors, the young man entered a reception area where he was greeted by the
receptionist.
"I am here to see McGregor," announced the young man.
"Yes," replied the receptionist. "He is expecting you." The receptionist
rang McGregor's office.
In about a minute, a middle aged man emerged from around the corner. He
thrust his hand forward to shake the young man's hand. After a brief exchange,
McGregor escorted the young man to his office. They both sat down in a small
lounge area next to McGregor's desk. "So you're the young man interested in
learning about directed play."
"Yes," responded the young man. Hugh said you were the expert on
intrinsic motivation."
"Expert remains to be seen," replied McGregor with a laugh. "That is for
others to determine. However, I do have some expertise in directed play and in
particular, in facilitating intrinsic motivation within the workplace."
"So, where do we start?" asked the young man.
"At the beginning," replied McGregor. He paused just long enough to
collect his thoughts. "Most of us start out working in a career of our choosing.
Generally, we like what we are doing and we chose the career because we thought
that we would like what the career offers. At some point we begin to buy things
not only to survive but to live well. Maybe at first it is because we work to provide
food on the table and a roof over our heads. Providing these basic needs is a
concept which has always been linked to the idea of work. But at some point we
begin to buy what some people call the "good life." We may buy the good life for
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a host of different reasons. Some people buy the good life for prestige and status,
some because advertising suggests that they need it, some because society
determines success by it and some simple because it makes their lives more
comfortable. It doesn't really matter why people buy the good life. Unfortunately,
in buying the good life, many people become trapped in a situation where they
have to work to support their possessions. These obligations and responsibilities
manifest themselves in terms of mortgages, automobile loans and credit card debt."
"I think I see what you are driving at," responded the young man in an
unsure and questioning tone.
"Let me give you a specific case," added McGregor. "Recently, I went to
my twentieth year high school reunion. One of my high school friends, John, with
whom I had long lost contact over the years had become a highly successful trial
lawyer in the Atlanta area. As I talked with him for a while, several things became
evident. He complained a lot about his job, kind of like the war stories after the
camping trip in the rain where everything went wrong. Although he didn't dislike
what he was doing, he was not happy. The pressure of the job was getting to him
and he was worried about medical problems that were most likely job related. I
asked him if he could walk away from his job. After a moment's thought he
responded with a firm no. He was thinking of the mortgage, the family, and the
lifestyle to which he had become accustomed. The long and the short of it was that
he was trapped. He was no longer working because he wanted to work, but
because he had to work. His work wasn't play anymore."
"So John's story is typical of many employees in the workplace today,"
noted the young man.
"His story contains the basic elements of a motivation model and what we
call the ‘work trap.’ John was definitely caught in the ‘work trap,’ continued
McGregor. "I have developed two simple questions which help determine if you
are caught in the work trap. These are the same two questions which form the
basis of a motivational model. I use them as a litmus test, sort of speaking." He
took the notebook off the young man's lap and carefully printed the first question
on the next page. The question read, "Do you enjoy what you are doing?"
"A simple yes or no answer will suffice. Listen to your gut as well as your
head. Focus on the work itself, not what you buy with your paycheck. If you enjoy
what you are doing then you are probably working because you want too; you are
probably intrinsically motivated.
Taking the notebook back from the young man, McGregor printed the
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second question underneath the previous question. As he handed it back to the
young man for his inspection, McGregor commented, "I call this the ‘walk-away
principle’ or stated as a question: Can you walk away from your job?"
With but a brief pause long enough for the young man to look at the
question, McGregor went on to clarify it. "I realize that financially most people are
not sufficiently independent to simply leave their jobs. The question encapsules a
truth about our lives. Like John, are we tied to the obligations that our possessions
create upon us or are we sufficiently free of them? Most often it is our perception
more than some absolute dollar figure. Never-the-less, it is how we perceive our
situation that is important. The bottom line is that if you feel you can walk-away
from your job, you are free; if not, then you are working because you have too, not
because you want too.
"Let me draw you the motivational model that explains the relationship
between intrinsic and extrinsic motivation." McGregor took the notebook again.
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He flipped the page. In the middle of the next page, he printed the words "WORK,
PLAY, and ACTIVITY." To the right he printed the phrase "EXTERNAL
REWARDS," and to the left he printed "PERSONAL SATISFACTION." Above
"WORK" he printed "Produces." As he continued to draw the model he began to
provide commentary for the diagram. "We work and our work produces products
or outcomes." He drew a circular arrow toward the right. "On the one hand we
earn money with which we buy our substance and if we do well, we buy the good
things in life. The key to these things is that we are buying these things outside of
or external to the work. If you work for the good life and these types of rewards
you tend to be extrinsically motivated." Then he drew another arrow from
external rewards to work. "The demands of the good things in life, in turn,
influence why we work. This is normal and expected. The question is does it
adversely affects why we work."
Then he drew another circular arrow to the left extending from work to
personal satisfaction. "On the other hand, what we produce from our work
provides us with personal satisfaction. I work because I like to work and because I
like to work, I work more."
"Isn't that a cyclical argument," asked the young man.
"In a sense it is," noted McGregor. "But it makes the point that the
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satisfaction come from within the individual. It also shows that in the circle
diagramed, how closely the person's satisfaction and participation are intertwined
with each other. If you work for personal satisfaction you tend to be intrinsically
motivated."
McGregor paused for a moment, then continued. "Virtually, any activity we
do has elements of both intrinsic and extrinsic motivation. For example, you may
have played baseball or football because you gained a great deal of satisfaction
from the activity. However, you may have also played to win the championship or
a trophy, an example of extrinsic motivation. The same is true for work or for that
matter any activity. They may contain elements of both intrinsic and extrinsic
motivation."
The young man began to summarize. "For the intrinsically motivated, the
cycle is relatively small and tight. I work because I like to work and that is why I
continue to work. The reward is in the doing and that provides the incentive to
continue. In contrast, if I work for reasons external to the satisfaction provided by
my work such as to buy the good life, then I am extrinsically motivated."
"You've got it," noted McGregor. Then McGregor pointed to a plaque on
his wall. It stated that ‘people who work because they enjoy working are motivated
from within. People who work because they want to obtain the good life, are
motivated from without.’
A broad beaming smile emerged on the young man's face; he had put two
and two together and now he was ready to place another piece into McGregor's
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model. "Oh, now I see it!" he exclaimed. "Do I enjoy what I am doing is a
question designed to determine if I am intrinsically motivated and your walk-away
principle is designed to determine my level of extrinsic motivation."
"Very good!" Added McGregor as he complimented the young man. Next,
the McGregor took the young man’s notepad and then began to shade in the
arrows on the extrinsic side of the model. A diagram of the work trap was
unfolding in front of them on the paper. Next, he added the two questions to the
model developing in front of them on the paper. Then he made a very important
point. "Also, the walk-away principle does not deny you the opportunity to buy
yourself the good things in life. It only asks if you have become too dependent or
hooked on them, thus trapping you in an undesirable situation."
"Hence the work trap," noted the young man as he looked at the title on top
of the page on which the model was diagramed.
"Let's look at John's situation in terms of the model," continued McGregor.
"It provides an excellent place to start with the model." He drew two thick arrows,
one from work to external rewards, and the other from external rewards back to
work. He left the thin arrows to and from personal satisfaction. "Although John
may have initially worked for personal satisfaction, at some point in his career, his
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rewards structure changed. Maybe he became bored or tired. Perhaps there was no
novelty or newness in what he did anymore. Although he still receives some
personal satisfaction from his work he doesn't really enjoy it. And why doesn't he
find new work? Why doesn't he find something he likes to do?"
"Because he is trapped," continued the young man. "It is like someone
switched off the light switch and the room went from bright and alive to pitch
dark. In John's case the flow went from one side of the model to the other. For
him, the rewards switched from intrinsic to extrinsic. For reasons known only to
John, he got caught in a cycle where he worked for the good things in life only to
find that those very possessions boomeranged back on him preventing him from
seeking more rewarding work. In a sense, he became a bird trapped in a gilded
cage."
"Well put," added McGregor. In terms of the questions asked, John’s
answered a ‘no’ to both questions. “He didn’t like what he was doing, and he
could leave his job.”
"In contrast to John’s situation, the volunteer is focusing on the intrinsic
motivation section of the model." In the young man's notebook, McGregor drew
the motivation model for the volunteer, this time with thick arrows on the personal
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satisfaction side of the model. "Remember the volunteer steps onto the playground
and can step off the playground at any time. By definition, the volunteer can walk
away from the job (volunteering) at any time he wants. Volunteers want to
volunteer because the manager usually structures the work environment to be
personally satisfying for the volunteer. The volunteer responds by being satisfied
and continues to volunteer because they like their experience."
"What about extrinsic motivation," questioned the young man.
"Extrinsic motivation is present even for the volunteer," noted McGregor.
"Unlike the paid employee who needs to make a living, most managers usually
offer trophies, awards, service pins, and other benefits to reward the volunteer.
"I see, when I was with Hugh I used as an example the first aid instructors
who I knew who were really into first aid instruction. In fact, they were more
involved in their teaching than their nine to five jobs. But what is interesting is that
the parent organization was always offering them awards and certificates for their
involvement," continued the young man. "It was kind of nice getting a
participation award for ten years of service."
“However, these awards are usually minor compared to the personal
satisfaction received. Although it is more the exception than the rule, I suspect that
a volunteer could become so involved in these external rewards as to become
hooked on them.” The young man continued. "I remember one of the first aid
instructors who wanted his twenty year participation patch even though he was
tired of teaching. So in that sense he was hooked."
"Good point," added McGregor. "Even so, in the absolute sense, the first
aid instructor's dependency was much less than what most employees experience."
"Yes, several orders of magnitude less, but never-the-less hooked." The
young man was answering his own point as much as responding to McGregor's.
With the completion of this point, he had yet another question about the model
that he needed answered. He worried that the model suggests that in order for
people to be intrinsically motivated and to play at work they must give up
affluence. "Are you suggesting that to be intrinsically motivated and playing at
work that you have to give up the good life," questioned the young man?
"That's a question I often get," responded McGregor. "No, not at all.
Actually, you can have your cake and eat it too." McGregor was sketching another
diagram on the paper, this time with thick arrows going everywhere. Only a thin
arrow remained which returned from the good life back to work. With a slight
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chuckle in his voice, McGregor continued. "I call this the player with the good
life. Think about the question which we use as our litmus test. Can you walk away
from your job? The question doesn't ask whether you have a big house, large car
and whatever else, it only asks if you are hooked on these things. It is your
perception. If you perceive yourself as hooked, you are. If you are hooked, then
you feel as if you have to work rather than because you want to work."
“I see that I can still have the good life. It is only when I become hooked on
them and when they interfere with what truly motivates me that I get into trouble,”
noted the young man. “I see how the motivational model works for me. However,
how does it help in managing the employee?”
“A good question,” noted McGregor. He reached into the draw of his desk
and pulled out a handout which he handed to the young man. It was titled
Managing the Employee for Directed Play. The question on the vertical axis asks
‘can you walk away from your job?’ and the question on the horizontal axis asks
‘do you enjoy what you are doing?’ Each question asked a yes/no question which
made a two by two table which had four cells. McGregor watched patiently as the
young man examined the table.
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After a minute or so of examining the table, the young man asked
McGregor a question. “Since John answered no to both questions, his case seems
to fall in the lower right cell of the table. If you were John's employer, what would
you do for him knowing his responses to the two questions? Also, since intrinsic
motivation occurs from within the person, how can you manage it?"
“We will take the last question first,” responded McGregor. “You are
correct. However, you can create a situation or an environment within the
workplace which facilitates intrinsic motivation. I think that this will become self-
evident from the table.”
After a brief pause, McGregor continued. "John hated what he was doing
and he couldn’t walk away from his job. In terms of the table, for John this is a
no/no response. It puts him into the lower right cell on the table.”
"Interesting," commented the young man. “What does the manager need to
do for John?”
"In John's case we need to focus on both sides of the model." continued
McGregor. "For example, there are things which the manager could do to focus on
the intrinsic motivation or left side of the model. The manager might attempt to
increase his personal satisfaction so that he might become more involved in his
work again. If I were the manager, perhaps I would give him a new assignment or
structure his work load to create newness. If in working with him, we determined
that he is suffering from burnout and really needs to find work outside our
organization, I would provide him with career counseling. Perhaps I would give
him a leave of absence or vacation time to take a course or time just to think things
out. In this case, I am attempting to get him off the playing field since he is an
injured player. The point is that we would develop a plan of action to get him
playing at work again."
After a pause to regain his breadth, he continued. "Also, we would focus on
the other side or the extrinsic motivation side of the model. We provide seminars
and workshops on the ‘work trap’ and how to avoid it. Perhaps John's financial
burden is temporary such as putting his children through college. Perhaps it is
more chronic and he needs the assistance of financial planners. Often recognition
of the problem is half of the solution."
"Don't you have an ethical problem here?" questioned the young man.
"Couldn't some people consider this meddling in the personal affairs of your
employees?"
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"Yes, you are absolutely correct," noted McGregor. "For this reason we
don't do as much on this side of the equation as we might."
"Why would you do all this for John?" asked the young man. "Aren't you
providing him with a lot of support services? Is it really cost effective?"
"Think of the alternatives?" asked McGregor rhetorically. "First, John is not
really productive and in a service industry such as his, this can be devastating
since it affects everyone around him. Then there is the problem which he creates
for other employees. In a sense, he becomes the rotten apple who begins to spoil
the other apples in the barrel. Other employees see us not helping John and learn
that if they get into a similar plight we won't help them either. And if we fire John,
even for his own good, the lesson learned is even worse. They learn that if they get
into a similar situation, they are better off trying to hide it, a strategy which
usually is unsuccessful since it is transparent to everyone watching. They learn
that they too might be fired which makes them nervous, apprehensive and less
intrinsically motivated. This reduces productivity. The net result is that people
who should leave and find new work stick around like rotten apples in the barrel
infecting everyone else in the workplace.
"Interesting," commented the young man. "So the opposite is true also. By
helping John you either get him productive again within your organization or you
move him out. However, since John has moved himself out of the organization the
other employees see that you have treated him fairly and conclude that they too
will be treated with the same standard of care. Morale is maintained and people
can focus on producing."
"Good summary," complemented McGregor. "Inadvertently, a lot of
people get caught in the work trap. However, the work trap can be used to explain
Maslow's hierarch of needs, particularly everyone's quest to become self-
actualized. The problem is that the model describes the condition, but it doesn't tell
you how to achieve the self-actualized state. We can use the motivation model and
the work trap quite effectively here to help people self-actualize.
In general, we as a society have tended to move to the trap side of the
model and toward extrinsic rewards to obtain satisfaction of our needs. For
example, esteem needs are fulfilled by the big house on the hill, the luxury
automobile, private schools for the kids and who knows what. This is not to deny
self-esteem defined by attributes other than material objects. It is just that in our
society we tend to emphasized material objects to define who we are.
"In a sense, it is kind of like the popular slogan: he who dies with the most
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toys, wins," noted the young man.
"Unfortunately, that summarizes it very well," lamented McGregor. After a
brief pause, he continued, “The problem is that self-actualization emphasizes
intrinsic motivation rather than extrinsic motivation. After a lifetime of obtaining
the good life for extrinsic rewards including esteem, it is difficult for people to
switch their thinking to the intrinsic rewards associated with self-actualization. "
"I see your point," commented the young man. "It is kind of like trying to
teach an old dog new tricks."
"This is why directed play is so important. From the beginning, it starts you
on the right track toward self-actualization." McGregor paused and chuckled to
himself. As he said this he leaned back in his chair and pointed to the plaque on
the wall. "For this reason, we have taken your popular slogan and changed it to
emphasize play." It states that ‘the person who dies with the most toys worked the
hardest. The person who dies have played the hardest, had the most fun.’
“Or,” as the young man interjected. "Some people might say that ‘the
person who dies with the most joys wins.’ They both laughed.
A knock on the door interrupted their trend of thought. In walked Greg.
"Excuse me, you need to sign these papers so that we can send them out
immediately."
As he briefed the papers he introduced Greg to the young man. McGregor
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looked at the young man and then back at Greg and asked. "How are the kids
doing?"
"You had to ask," responded Greg. "This year both kids are in college. Next
year the oldest graduates," He paused, then sighed in relief at the thought that
some of his financial burden would be lifted next year. He smiled. "Then there is
only one more to get through."
"It will be all over in another five years which should make it bearable,”
replied McGregor in a reassuring voice. He handed the papers back to Greg who
left the office.
Turning to the young man, McGregor made a comment on Greg's situation.
"Greg enjoys his work, unfortunately, he feels the weight of the world on his
shoulders with two children in college at the same time. If we asked Greg if he
could walk away from his job, we would get a resounding no. Fortunately, for
Greg, this is a manageable short term problem and he views it as such. Often, most
things like this are short term problems for most of us. However, if they become
chronic, we have a problem that can interfere with the employee's motivation and
then, we may have a problem that requires counseling.
McGregor looked over at the young man's notebook. In the margins of the
table the young man was making some additional notes on the handout to the right
of the cells. "That's very astute. Let's see, we covered the yes, yes situation in the
general model where the employee is happy with what he is doing and can walk
away from his job. The work trap covered the no, no situation. Greg covered the
yes, no situation where the employee likes what he is doing but can't walk away
from the job. That leaves the no, yes situation." McGregor paused for a moment
to think. "Ah, yes. Let's go see Mary."
Down the hall they walked. Through another door and off on the left was
Mary's office. McGregor introduced the young man to Mary, a young middle
management executive in the marketing department. "Are you still leaving us next
month?" asked McGregor.
"Yes," responded Mary. "As you know, I'm making a career shift. I want a
field where I deal with my clients directly in a hands-on fashion."
"Do you mind recounting your experiences regarding what led you to make
your decision?" asked McGregor.
Mary proceeded to tell them of her experience. She was young, without
ties, so it was much easier for her to make the career shift. It was not so much that
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she didn't like working here, because she liked working with the other employees.
She didn't like the content of her position, marketing analysis. It wasn't as if she
just decided to leave; the process was more evolutionary than spontaneous. She
noted all her symptoms like not wanting to come to work, the unpleasantness of
being in the office and the general unpleasantness which she displayed toward
others. She went through a brief denial phase. This was her chosen course of study
in college and her parents thought that marketing was a good career for her. She
told them how she went to her supervisor who encouraged her to take a leave of
absence so that she could work things out. Also, she expressed appreciation with
the company's support and their assistance in helping her. Her leave of absence
clarified her desire to change positions which she is currently in the process of
doing.
"You seem very happy for someone who is leaving," asked the young man.
"It may seem kind of funny," replied Mary, "but when you are moving forward in
the direction that you desire to move, even a job which you had previously learned
to hate, in its own way, becomes enjoyable. It is amazing how much you can enjoy
work again when you see the light at the end of the tunnel. I really appreciated the
help I received in making the transition."
"Thank-you for your assistance, Mary." In Mary's case, if she decides to
return she knows that we will assist her in finding a position with us based on her
past performance."
They left Mary's office and returned to McGregor's office. "Mary seems to
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be in unusually good spirits for a person who is about to leave."
"People make transitions all the time in their lives. We need to
accommodate them," added McGregor. "But more importantly, she is productive
again. Also, remember what happens to the rotten apple in the barrel. She is not
the rotten apple who is infecting everyone else with negativism."
They returned to McGregor's office and chatted about Mary's situation.
McGregor continued. "We have pretty much covered everything. However, before
you leave, I think that it would be fitting to show you one last plaque which is in
keeping with Hugh's tradition. This plaque summarizes the importance of intrinsic
motivation in directed play and in increasing productivity. It states that ‘find
someone intrinsically motivated at work and find someone who is truly
productive.’
As they had when they met, they shook hands as the young man departed.
As the young man left the office to return to Hugh, he thought of the new
perspective which he gained for motivation and the manager's role in facilitating it
in the workplace.
* * * * * * * * * *
"So tell me what you learned on your visit with McGregor?" asked Hugh.
"I always thought that intrinsic motivation was something which was only
up to the individual. However, I had no idea that a manager could facilitate it
within the work place. An employee who is intrinsically motivated is productive.
In a sense, it becomes the supervisor's role to point the employee in the right
direction," added the young man jokingly.
"Remember when I asked the question why volunteers are often more
productive than the paid employees," continued Hugh. "Well, I like to reverse the
question to show what we need to do as managers." Hugh leaned forward in his
chair as he pointed to another plaque on the wall and read out loud. “Not only is
play fun, but it is a good motivator and with directed play in the workplace, it
results in increased productivity.”
"Remember, we concluded that the volunteer was often more productive
than the employee. Then the solution to productivity lies in creating a work
environment which mimics the situation of the volunteer," continued Hugh. "Most
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of the techniques are already in existence. The question is how do we use them.
For example, many of our clients use performance based management techniques
where both the manager and the employee determine the goals and objectives, and
where the supervisor and the subordinate sit down with each other and come to a
mutual agreement on the subordinate's work objects for the next work period. It
may seem to take longer to implement but productivity is greater since both parties
are in agreement. In addition, the employee usually brings to the table what needs
to be done."
"I see that process is important to the final outcome," added the young man.
"I can also see how easy it is for the supervisor to resort to the carrots and sticks
approach as a way to avoid process."
"True, but don't confuse process with the supervisor's traditional role in the
organization which is still to direct, control and coordinate employees," noted
Hugh. "Remember when you were a child and your mother told you to go outside
and play. From the look on her face, you got the message that you'd better go
outside. Although going outside was extrinsically motivated, once outside you
played and had fun. Once again, you became intrinsically motivated. Just as your
mother directed and supervised what you did, your supervisor does the same thing
in the work place. This is his responsibility. However, it is important that the
supervisor pay attention to the process in order that you can direct your activities
in a way that benefit both yourself and the organization."
"So in a sense, directed play is a symbiotic relationship where both the
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employee and the employee benefit," concluded the young man. "However, for
maximum benefit and productivity, the employer should facilitate intrinsic rewards
rather than the traditional extrinsic rewards found in the workplace."
"Right," added Hugh. "Directed play can flourish within the workplace. The
employer needs to created a work environment which allows employees to enjoy
their work and if they feel as if they are working because they want to rather than
because they have to, then directed play can flourish in the workplace. Remember
the first aid instructor. He was doing the activities not only because management
desired them, but because he found them enjoyable and because he wanted to do
them. He was intrinsically motivated even though it was by management's choice.
The result is that he had fun. A second and equally as important result was that he
was extremely productive."
"So employees can use the two simple questions as a litmus test to
determine if they are intrinsically motivated within the workplace," concluded the
young man. He paused, then added. "And employers can use the same two
questions to determine if their employees are intrinsically motivated."
"You've got it," complemented Hugh. "Tomorrow I want you to look more
deeply into the next component of play. I've arranged for you to meet with Ellis. I
think you will find him quite stimulating. He creates designer playgrounds."