Cross-Cultural Motivation

Identify three different cultures you have worked with or with which you are somewhat familiar. Describe the role of motivation in each culture, and describe common types of motivation that are used by or acceptable to people in that culture.

The cultures in which I have worked, which I will discuss here, are work cultures. That is they are different working environments which have specific needs to for motivation.

The first one is a non-profit or ministry culture. In this setting the work is done for the purpose of fulfilling the mission and/or vision of the culture. Motivation is not done from a standpoint of successful business practices but rather are people being helped, lives being changed, and services being provided. Motivation is based on intrinsic motivators of a sense of compassion and a feeling of contribution to the well-being of others.

The second culture is one of a sales environment of which the main goal is to reach sales quotas and make money. Motivation is based off extrinsic factors such as commission, recognition, and status. The individuals in this culture are not concerned with what it takes to achieve the goal but instead reaching it as quickly as possible.

The last culture is that of volunteer coaches. Individuals who are serving in a capacity that receives not compensation and expects none. They are motivated by the ability to work with young people and teach a game they themselves love to play. The motivators are intrinsic and extrinsic in nature. The intrinsic motivators are the sense of passing on something to a younger generation through a game that is played. The extrinsic motivators are in the accomplishments and abilities of the young people they are coaching.

All three cultures require specific motivational techniques that would not work in the others. It is essential to understanding the culture to understand how to motivate those within the culture. As a former instructor of mine always says, "All meaning is context dependent." In this case all motivation is culture dependent.