Money is not the only Motivator

Greetings!!

According to the common Asian belief prevailing in this region that money (bonuses and pay raises) can motivate a person to excel his/her own performance, reality says otherwise. Money is not the only motivator – on the contrary, money can become a demotivating factor. In my previous semester, while studying the course “Organizational Behavior”, I studied around 13 leadership styles, all accompanied with a disclaimer that the schemes may or may not work because each person is different from the other. Same is the case here; money may be the motivating factor for many but may not prove to be so for everyone.

It is often quoted, “Money can never buy happiness”. Experience says it is true. Similar is the case in question – money cannot guarantee high performance. Consider an average 9-5 worker. If you ask this person to work 18hours every day for double the money s/he currently earns, this person might agree to it, work for maximum a week and then throw a resignation in your face. Now consider an unemployed person. If you ask this person to work 10hours everyday for an amount that is insufficient to cater to his/her basic needs, this person will be demotivated to work too.

That being said, I repeat my statement – money is not the only motivator. There are many other factors involved in motivating an individual to compete his/her performance. This may include career opportunities, good environment, allowances, flexibility and many more. Thus leadership is heavily emphasized upon – since every person is not the same, leadership styles need to vary accordingly too!

Peace.