3.4.2 Rewarding individual commitment

The Reward Inducement System

The assumption held is that motivation is achieved and sustained where rewards match effort. For instance, individuals work harder where they expect to be well paid for their effort, and will sustain this motivation where this expectation is realised. Payment for work is also a social and peer means to gauge status. For some individuals pay is therefore not only a reward in terms of purchasing power, but also in perceived recognition and status for effort. This inducement or reward also reinforce snot only the individual's self perceptions, but also their external self-concept as shaped by how others perceive their 'status'.

The Inducement System

The motivational drive is somewhat tautological. People often adopt jobs because they fit:

• what motivates them; and/ or
• how they want other to perceive them.

For instance Internal Self Concept - based individual (usually applied to leaders) may seek roles and organisational duties that avoid roles requiring a large degree of interpersonal interaction. Instead they may provide professional, research or other forms of work consistent with both individual search for excellence and the lack of need for feedback from peers on actual goal attainment. External Self Concept-based individual may adopt transitional practices because they value the respect and esteem of peers who wish to avoid radical change/ transformations (Kuhnert & Lewis, 1987:648-651).

As a result some individuals are motivated and believe others are motivated by the level and type of role they wish to assume.

Task Inducement System

Applied to a wide range of different conditions task inducement can be a very effective means to stimulate motivation. Strategies may include:

• Job design
• Task independence or ownership
• Job sharing
• Task or job rotation
• Structured challenges
• Access to learning and qualifications
• Multi-skilling (competency development)

Individuals may be motivated not only to develop their task competence (skills, knowledge and attitudes), but also by how others reward or perceive their competence. Peer recognition and individual job challenges are different motivators for different individuals, but they can be linked to and utilised by an individual's self concept and motivation. Task completion and competence also can be recognised through formal career plans or qualifications that identify not only attainment of competence, but also progression against one peers.

Social - Cultural Inducement System

This form of inducement is becoming an expanded area for investigation. Many instrumentally-motivated individuals respond to inducements that are social or shared values. Concepts of social capital (shared aspirations and values in networks of individuals) and ecology of organisations and communities reinforces how the beliefs and values of a group may stimulate an individual to undertake actions that add value to that group. This is common in activist or religious organisations.

Under such an approach, leaders and individuals are perceived to attune to society and the cultural environment within which they interact. The individual then assume the attributes and perform according to these expectations. Alternatively, perceptions of what constitutes acceptable behaviour or performance reinforce both the individual's performance and their expectations of leaders and managers.