1. Current issues in motivation
Cross-cultural challenges
Although most current motivation theories were developed in U.S. and validated with american
workers, the ways how to motivate employees are different in many countries and depends on their
cultural characteristics.
Managers should understand deeply cultural characteristics before they design and launch any
motivational program.
Despite these cross-cultural differences in motivation, there are some cross-cultural consistencies
such as the desire for interesting work, growth, achievement, and responsibility.
Motivating unique groups of workers
The employees have different needs, personalities, skills, abitilities, interest, apitude, and vary
widely in what they want from their jobs. Hence, motivating unique groups of workers has never
been an easy task.
1) Motivating a diverse workforce :
To motivate employees with such diverse needs, managers should use flexible work
arrangement such as:
y compressed workweek
y flextime
y job sharing
y telecomuting
2) Motivating Professionals
Characteristics of professionals :
y Strong and long-term commitment to their field of expertise.
y Loyalty is to their profession, not to the employer.
y Have a need to regularly update their knowledge.
y Barely define their workweek as 8:00 am to 5:00 pm. five days per week.
Motivating programs for professionals :
y Job challenge
y Organizational support of their works.
y Work itself
3) Motivating contingent workers
For that small set of indivuduals who prefer the freedom of their temporary status, the lack
of stability may not be an issue. But for the temporary employees are not temporary by
choice, these are the answers how to motivate them :
y An opportunity to become a permanent employee
y Opportunity for training
y Equity in compensation and benefits
4) Motivating low-skilled, minimum wage employees
To motivate minimum-wage employees, managers should use :
y Recognition programs
y Sincere appreciation

2. Designing Approriate Rewards Programs:
1) Open-book management:
This method will help employees think like an owner by showing them the effect of their
decisions and actions have on financial results. Employees, therefore, start to see the
connection between thier efforts , level of performance and operational results.
2) Employee Recognition Programs:
It has personal attention and expressing interest, approval and appreciattion for the job well
done.
3) Pay-for-performance:
It is variable compensation plan that pays employees on the basis of some performance
measure.
4) Stock Option Programs:
Stock option programs are known as financial methods that give employees the right to
purchase shares of stock at a set price.