Gene,
You questioned the value of exploring intrinsic and extrinsic motivation
as follows
>I do not understand the relevance of the debate about motivation being
>internal or external. I do not see the relevant to a team leader or
>manager. What mangers need to know is how to obtain the behavior in the
>best interest of the organization.
The issue is that organizations need more of the intellect and intuition
from their workers. Contributions to the success of innovative business
requires that workers invest more of their selves. How does a manager
influence people to make this investment? A bonus, or free trip to Hawaii
or other extrinsic rewards are not effective in these cases.
You continue
>People will always behave in their own
>best interest. The will intuitively seek the behavior that best fills
>their own needs.
Is this sophisticated enough to explain the complex, and often
paradoxical, choices facing people? Most people haven't a clue to what
their best interest is. Many choose on the emotion of the moment or
because it is what my pal in the next cube did and they think they
minimized grief and maximized reward.
You continued with the following.
>With that in mind it becomes management's job to be certain of the
>behavior required and help people understand how they can meet their own
>needs while behaving in the best interest of the organization. Align the
>interest of the person and the organization.
You are right. However, more and more the alignment is dependent on
tapping into the factors that fill people's internal needs. How does a
leader help someone feel fulfilled? How do you help someone internalize
that their contribution is significant and meaningful?
These are hard questions whose answers are not by extrinsic means.
The value of a dialog about motivation and differentiating between
extrinsic and intrinsic is that leaders are learning that their behavior
links to intrinsic motivation either positively or negatively in very
subtle and powerful way. A large part of this learning is based on
understanding the difference.
--"William J. Hobler, Jr" <bhobler@worldnet.att.net>
Learning-org -- An Internet Dialog on Learning Organizations For info: <rkarash@karash.com> -or- <http://world.std.com/~lo/>