Thesis paper about the cultural differences in motivating and managing human resources between the German and United States workforce and managers.
Outstanding leadership performance of today’s very culturally diversified workforce is, if not the, one of the most important challenges for organizations. One very important aspect of leadership is the ability to motivate; this is a much needed skill in order to allow co-workers and subordinates to use their full potential.
Motivation is an essential part of any profession, not only for the employer or leader but also for the employee. This paper researches the differences in job-motivation that exist across cultures, particularly the cultural differences between Germany and the United States and presents a comparative analysis of these two cultures. Not every cultural difference seems directly linked to job-motivation, but on a deeper level many inconspicuous differences do affect motivation after all. The aim of this work is to find the discrepancies and similarities of values, beliefs and attitudes in the workplace and to come to an explanation of these influences and to conclude the implications they have.
In pursuance of demonstrating the implications of culture on motivation, understanding of the concepts behind motivation and culture is absolutely necessary. Therefore, this paper will introduce the key concepts in the field of motivation and culture before analyzing the key differences, in the American and German culture as well as the differences in motivation.
The scope of this work is broad; different industries and subcultures are mentioned, but are not the focus of the research. The aim is to draw a generalized and extensive picture of both cultures on a national level, and to subsequently introduce a guideline of intercultural management for companies and managers in the field of international business.
Inhaltsverzeichnis (Table of Contents)
- Introduction - A first Glance
- Aims of this Work
- Limitations
- Structural Overview
- Background of Motivation and Culture
- Motivation
- Measurement
- Intrinsic Motivation
- Extrinsic Motivation and Over-Justification
- Theory X and Y
- Introduction of Influential Motivation Theories
- Law of effect and Operant Conditioning
- Equity Theory by John Adam
- Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs
- Two Factor Theory by Frederick Herzberg
- Vroom's Expectancy Theory
- Questioning the Validity of Motivation Theories
- Culture
- The Cross-Cultural Model by Edward Hall
- Hofstede's Cultural Dimensions
- Questioning the Validity of Cultural Classification
- Intermediate Summary
- The Application of Key Concepts
- Cultural Classification
- Germany
- United States
- Cultural Comparison
- Statistical Data Analysis
- Job Satisfaction
- Important values
- Employee Engagement
- Personal Interpretation and Recommendation
- Summary and Conclusion
- Recommendation
Zielsetzung und Themenschwerpunkte (Objectives and Key Themes)
This paper aims to explore the differences in job motivation across cultures, particularly the cultural differences between Germany and the United States. It analyzes the discrepancies and similarities of values, beliefs, and attitudes in the workplace, examining how these factors influence motivation and their implications for international business.
- The influence of culture on motivation
- Key concepts of motivation and culture
- Cultural differences between Germany and the United States
- The impact of cultural differences on job motivation
- Implications for intercultural management in international business
Zusammenfassung der Kapitel (Chapter Summaries)
The introduction provides an overview of the paper's objectives, limitations, and structure. Chapter 2 delves into the theoretical background of motivation and culture, exploring various influential theories and models, including Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs, Herzberg's Two-Factor Theory, and Hofstede's Cultural Dimensions. Chapter 3 examines the application of these concepts to Germany and the United States, analyzing cultural classifications, statistical data, and cultural comparisons. The final chapter presents a personal interpretation and recommendations based on the findings of the study.
Schlüsselwörter (Keywords)
This paper focuses on the key concepts of job motivation, culture, intercultural management, Germany, the United States, values, beliefs, attitudes, and workplace dynamics. It explores the influence of culture on motivation, analyzing the differences and similarities between German and American work cultures.
- Quote paper
- Lennart Reinhold (Author), 2016, Job Motivation and Culture. A Cross-Cultural Comparison of Germany and the United States, Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/351324
