Opinion Essay Nowadays there are plenty of motivation theories which give a great opportunity for employers to use the human capital more effectively. However, it is very important to understand that a theory that works in one country not necessarily will work in another one. To prove it, I would like to show an example by comparing the motivation degree of middle managers from Sweden and Russia as a result of using the same motivation tools. As an example I would like to use Maslow’s Need Theory and my hypothesis is: Salary level is a more important motivating factor for Russian middle managers than for Swedish managers.
First of all, I should mention the fact that living conditions in Russia and Sweden differ greatly. Using need theory language, Russians are likely to be at a lower level of the need hierarchy than Swedes. So, the first ones should be more interested in increasing their salary level. Secondly, even though the middle managers my example is based on have above-average salaries, they often have to share their salaries with less well-to-do relatives, especially retired parents and grandparents who receive very small pensions on which one cannot live on.
As we all know, in Sweden the situation differs greatly from what I have just described. Thus, Russians should be willing to accept the fact that they will have to work harder to obtain a higher salary whereas Swedes might prefer to have an easier time at a well-paid work and a guaranteed salary. It does not mean that Swedes do not have relatives, it is just mean that living conditions in Russia and Sweden differ tremendously. Last but not least, rich and poor Russians alike struggle to fulfill basic needs such as affording a nutritious diet, appropriate heath care, and a decent standard of living.
However, in a welfare state like Sweden these things are taken for granted. Taking everything into account, I should say that since salary is the main vehicle to achieve these basic needs for Russian middle managers, Russians are more interested in having a high salary than Swedes, providing support for my hypothesis. Personally I think, that it is extremely important that firms understand how to motivate their employees to work to their full potential. Furthermore, employers should know that people from different national cultures are likely to be motivated by different factors.
