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How
Culture Affects Motivation
By Dr. Karine Schomer, President, CMCT
When high-tech
employees and managers from India, the US and other cultural backgrounds
are thrown together in the intense environment of Silicon Valley, they
often bring with them divergent expectations about workplace success
factors, rewards and career development as well as differences in motivational "wiring."
 Understanding
these differences and adapting appropriately can be a key strategy for
managers and employees alike. Failure to do so can lead to costly misunderstandings.
Five
major differences in the following areas create the greatest challenges:
management styles, job security and compensation structures, career
development, performance evaluation, and motivational strategies.
Management
styles
American
employees react well to a boss who is friendly and professional with
them, treats them as equals, and expects them to be independent and
self-motivated. Managers and employees do not expect the boss-subordinate
relationship to be strongly hierarchical, or to be one of strongly committed
personal loyalty: it is all about mutual respect. This can create a
mismatch for employees from India, for whom a more quasi-paternal relationship
is more the norm.
Job
security and compensation structures
The
US has been through a workplace revolution in which expectations of
job security with a lifetime employer has been replaced by loyalty to
one's career and the attempt to maximize one's earnings. This results
in a common acceptance of modest a base salary but a high bonus-earning
potential. A common complaint I have heard from Silicon Valley employers
has been about the discomfort of their employees from India with such
an arrangement, with a strong preference for security over higher-stake
risk.
Career
development
A
very common American manager's question to an employee is: "What
are your career plans?" This question, which embodies the mutual
expectation that employees take independent responsibility for their
professional advancement, runs counter to the expectations of work cultures
in many other countries, including India, where the expectation is that
it is the boss's responsibility to look out for and decide on an employee's
future.
Performance
evaluation
The
performance evaluation process of US companies today is a major culture
shock for employees and managers from elsewhere. Highly formalized,
it is based on mutually agreed-upon goals, involves forthright discussion
of strengths and weaknesses, and has a formal written sign-off. Elsewhere,
there may be informally conducted reviews with mentoring counsel, or
a pattern of reprimands. The cultural problems of adaptation on all
sides are considerable: the American way seems confrontational and legalistic
to others, Americans feel insecure with methods that have less clarity.
Motivational
strategies
When
it comes to motivation, no one strategy works for everyone - even within
one culture. Across cultures, it's even more difficult. With Americans,
a manager shouldn't expect much from appeals to duty, authority, company
loyalty, group rewards or regular after-work socializing. Instead, he
or she should emphasize opportunities for personal growth and monetary
gain. With employees from India, personal loyalty, company prestige
and appeal to authority can be effective, but above all, the manager
should cultivate a certain "human touch" in relating to the
needs of subordinates, as their guide and friend as well as their boss.
© 2001 Karine Schomer. All Rights Reserved. Originally published in Siliconindia,
November 2000.
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229 Carmel Avenue . El Cerrito, CA
94530, USA . Tel: 510/525-9222
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