個案總覽

It's a manager's perennial question: "How do I get an employee to do what I want?" The psychology of motivation is very complex, but the surest way of getting someone to do something is to deliver a kick in the pants--put bluntly, the KITA. Companies usually resort to positive KITAs, ranging from fringe benefits to employee counseling. But although a KITA might produce some change in behavior, it doesn't motivate. Frederick Herzberg, whose work influenced a generation of scholars and managers, likens motivation to an internal generator. An employee with an internal generator, he argues, needs no KITA. Achievement, recognition for achievement, the work itself, responsibility, and growth or advancement motivate people. The author cites research showing that those intrinsic factors are distinct from extrinsic, or KITA, elements that lead to job dissatisfaction. Jobs can be changed and enriched. Managers should focus on positions where people's attitudes are poor. The investment needed in industrial engineering is cost effective, and motivation will make a difference in performance.

Five separate studies, conducted under confidential but controlled conditions, investigate the feasibility of job enrichment in several varied occupations. Companies participating in the study reported high financial gains, improved job performance, and gradual growth in job satisfaction. Job enrichment allows managers to concentrate primarily on task organization and task support. The job itself functions as the primary vehicle for individual development; management provides authentic and motivational tasks.