First choose a specific subject related to topics specific to this class and applicable to your region of the country. Make sure your subject is one you can research and one that you can prove something about. The paper must be a minimum of 8 content pages in length and written in APA format Research papers must be original work for each class. Students submitting the same research paper for more than one class will receive a grade of zero All papers must have a minimum of 5 references. Three sources must be print or electronic books, research journals, periodicals or electronic database references. Two sources may be web based. Your paper must end with a conclusion paragraph pulling everything together. No more than 50% of the research paper content can be cited references. You do need documented research to construct your paper but most of the research paper needs to be your personal write up after completing the research. All work in your research paper should be your own work. National American University has a zero tolerance for plagiarism. Students who plagiarize any part of their research paper will receive a grade of zero for the paper. MOTIVATING A DIVERSE WORKFORCE Today''s workforce is more diverse than it has ever been. How can one motivational approach work for all employees? In today''s best-managed companies, motivational policies include some type of rewards. Rewards do not always have to be monetary. Praise, recognition, or a token gift can be equally effective, and much cheaper. Focus on the positive - what an employee is doing well, rather than only speaking to them when they do something wrong. What motivates you? Most of the motivation theories minimize the impact of using money as a motivator. Do you agree or disagree with this presumption? Motivation can be defined as the drive to fulfill a need. On the job, motivation is the drive to fulfill the goals (needs) of the organization. MASLOW''S HIERARCHY Abraham Maslow saw needs as belonging to a series of categories or levels. At the bottom of the model (see p. 123) he placed survival needs; things like water and food. His theory states that a person is motivated to obtain that which they do not have. Once that need is fulfilled, it no longer motivates, and a higher-order need presents itself and causes motivation. So if a person has a job where they earn enough for basic shelter and food, they will not be a motivated worker with the promise of shelter and food. That worker already has that, and now wants something better, security. Once security is gained, it no longer motivates, and the worker now wants his social needs met in order to feel motivated. So to keep that worker motivated, the employer must provide a workplace that fulfills the worker''s social needs. And so on through the next 2 levels of self-esteem and self-fulfillment. You don''t have to worry about a worker running out of levels. The top of the hierarchy is a place few people actually reach. HERZBERG''S 2-FACTOR THEORY Frederick Herzberg looked at motivation together with another factor-job satisfaction. He disagreed with the assumption that a worker who is satisfied with his/her job will be motivated to work harder. He identified the factors that lead to job satisfaction, so that managers can make sure they are present, and he called them hygiene factors. This would include things like working conditions, adequate salary, company policy, and an acceptable relationship with supervisors. VROOM''S EXPECTANCY THEORY Your text does not really explain this theory very well, so make sure you review it here..... The expectancy theory states that three beliefs must be held by an employee before he or she feels motivated. First, the employee must feel that he is capable of the task being put in front of him. He must believe he will be able to obtain the goal. Second, the employee must trust that if he reaches the goal he will be rewarded. Third, the employee must value that reward. Is it a bonus, a paid day off, a name carved on a plaque? Each individual is different, and values different rewards. ADAM''S EQUITY THEORY If you''ve ever heard an employee complain that "It''s not fair!" the Equity Theory is probably at work, especially if this employee''s attitude is getting in the way of accomplishing his/her goals. According to the theory, a worker lets perceived inequities get in the way of motivation. How to combat this? Try to be as fair as possible, and address worker complaints with justifications for certain decisions. The cartoon on page 131 illustrates how a worker might be motivated to change a situation to bring it into balance. We''ve discussed many motivation theories - which one is "the right one"? The answer to that is, there is no one right answer. As a supervisor, you can mix and match parts of the different theories until you come up with a motivational system that works well for your department. COMPARING THEORY X AND Y