Workplace motivation has been a forefront topic of discussion for many year within organizations. The organizational climate and culture is always evolving. Managers, supervisors, and leaders are constantly looking for ways to motivate employees. The discussion below is a comparison of a video by Daniel Pink titled “The Puzzle of Motivation” and a Training Journal article by John Berry titled “Revolutionising Motivation”.
Daniel Pink earned a bachelor’s degree from Northwestern University and a law degree from Yale Law School. Pink worked with in various positions in politics, he was an aide to Secretary of Labor Robert Reich, and a chief speechwriter for Vice President Al Gore. In 1997 Daniel Pink quit his job and ventured out on his own. …show more content…
He begins the discussion by setting up a case by using his credentials in law. The first piece of evidence Pink begins with is “The Candle Problem”, an experiment by Karl Duncker. In the candle problem, an experimenter gives a person a candle, some thumbtacks, and matches. The experimenter then says to that person that it is their job to attach the candle to the wall so the wax doesn’t drip onto the table. Many people when faced with this problem try multiple failed approaches. After five to ten minutes they eventually figure out the solution. The key to the solution is to overcome functional fixedness. Functional fixedness is related to having blinders on and not seeing what the possibilities are with the objects that are right in front of you. After Pink explains functional fixedness he uses an experiment by Sam Luxemburg that uses two groups of people to establish norms in solving a problem. One group is offered incentives and the other group is not. The group that is offered incentives takes an average 3-½ minutes longer to establish norms. Pink uses the Sam Luxemburg example to explain that incentives dull thinking and block creativity. Pink also concludes that if/then rewards also work really well when there is a simple set of rules and a clear …show more content…
Pink and Berry both have extensive credentials and experience with motivation. They both use rational examples to support their points. The target audience for both Pink and Berry is the workplace managers, supervisors, and leaders. Both Pink and Berry have similar messages but I think Berry’s is more meaningful to me from an application perspective. Pink’s message is directed toward incentives and how incentives can dull thinking. Pink does present a new approach that consists of autonomy, mastery, and purpose. Berry’s article agrees with Pinks approach of autonomy, mastery, and purpose but it goes deeper and explains how you measure motivation through results, behavior and feedback. Berry also uses figures to show how managers can motivate employees by influencing the
Daniel Pink earned a bachelor’s degree from Northwestern University and a law degree from Yale Law School. Pink worked with in various positions in politics, he was an aide to Secretary of Labor Robert Reich, and a chief speechwriter for Vice President Al Gore. In 1997 Daniel Pink quit his job and ventured out on his own. …show more content…
He begins the discussion by setting up a case by using his credentials in law. The first piece of evidence Pink begins with is “The Candle Problem”, an experiment by Karl Duncker. In the candle problem, an experimenter gives a person a candle, some thumbtacks, and matches. The experimenter then says to that person that it is their job to attach the candle to the wall so the wax doesn’t drip onto the table. Many people when faced with this problem try multiple failed approaches. After five to ten minutes they eventually figure out the solution. The key to the solution is to overcome functional fixedness. Functional fixedness is related to having blinders on and not seeing what the possibilities are with the objects that are right in front of you. After Pink explains functional fixedness he uses an experiment by Sam Luxemburg that uses two groups of people to establish norms in solving a problem. One group is offered incentives and the other group is not. The group that is offered incentives takes an average 3-½ minutes longer to establish norms. Pink uses the Sam Luxemburg example to explain that incentives dull thinking and block creativity. Pink also concludes that if/then rewards also work really well when there is a simple set of rules and a clear …show more content…
Pink and Berry both have extensive credentials and experience with motivation. They both use rational examples to support their points. The target audience for both Pink and Berry is the workplace managers, supervisors, and leaders. Both Pink and Berry have similar messages but I think Berry’s is more meaningful to me from an application perspective. Pink’s message is directed toward incentives and how incentives can dull thinking. Pink does present a new approach that consists of autonomy, mastery, and purpose. Berry’s article agrees with Pinks approach of autonomy, mastery, and purpose but it goes deeper and explains how you measure motivation through results, behavior and feedback. Berry also uses figures to show how managers can motivate employees by influencing the