Motivation, Culture, and the Workforce

Analyze motivation from a cultural perspective
Differentiate the experience of emotion across cultures
Apply concepts of cross-cultural psychology
Demonstrate an understanding of cross-cultural perspectives on motivation, behavior, and emotion
Discussion: Motivation, Culture, and the Workforce
Have you ever considered what motivated you? Pause to consider that question as it is key to this Discussion. For example, are you driven by the need for security or by a sense of duty? Do you see recognition or self-actualization? Are you motivated to achieve my inner drives or by external sources like your family? We all have our unique set of motivations, but we don’t always consider the role of culture in shaping them. Our like experiences shape us in many ways, and you have most likely met a number of people with motivations similar to your own and many with very different motivations. When we are dealing with people from different cultural backgrounds there is an increased chance that our motivations will differ. Motivational theory can be applied in many settings, but in this Discussion let’s focus on achievement. This covers what you want to accomplish in work settings, school settings, and with your life in general. As you read this week’s resources, begin to reflect on times and situations when you have found yourself puzzled—or downright frustrated—by the attitudes, priorities, and behavior of other people. They could be co-workers, friends, family, strangers, or classmates. It is always easiest to simply observe what people choose to do, but it can be much more interesting to understand why they do it!