A motivated workforce: A mixed methods study of worker motivation at a Nebraska manufacturing company

ions from BAD experiences was Work Itself. The fact that the sample size was small for the pilot study complicated the issue of saturation of categories, which required a higher degree of researcher intuition in developing solid categories. “Devising categories is a largely intuitive process, but it is also systematic and informed by the study’s purpose, the investigator’s orientation and knowledge, and the meanings made explicit by the participants themselves” (Merriam, 2009, p. 183-184). My intuition was guided first by the participants themselves, then the 32 study’s purpose, and lastly by the investigator’s orientation and knowledge. The memos taken attempted to capture the magnitude, or passion of the participants’ responses to interview questions with a rigorous metric of worker motivation central to the study’s purpose and a determined effort to remain objective excepting the biases of the existing literature and studies on worker motivation, particularly that of Frederick Herzberg’s (Herzberg et al.,1959). Every attempt was made to adhere to the same rigor used by Herzberg in the analysis of factors and factors-attitude-effects as discussed in earlier sections. Findings The stated goal of the pilot study was to test the feasibility of this research approach. This goal was achieved; the exercise proved beneficial for the development and modification of research instruments as well as for skill development in the use of the research instruments. Additionally, the data from the pilot study provided a significant amount of data with which coding and categorization techniques were practiced and developed. The actual findings from the pilot study were inconclusive due to the small sample size and the concomitant inability to saturate the data categories. However, some categories, or themes emerged from the axial coding step. A total of 36 codes were identified by interview participants in their description of events, or sequences when the participants felt exceptionally GOOD or exceptionally BAD about their jobs. The most compelling theme that emerged from the codes associated with exceptionally GOOD feelings about their jobs was Relationships. The Relationship category was broken up into five separate coding categories: Supervisor, Customer, Personal Bond, Personal Growth, and Company Culture. The 33 aggregate responses to the Relationship category reflected an overwhelming positive ratio (19:2) in support of relationships playing a significant role in workers feeling GOOD about their jobs. Arguably, the coding categories Leadership, Loyalty-Company, LoyaltyTeam, Team, and Respect could also be considered for inclusion into the Relationship category. If these categories were subsumed, then the positive ratio increased even further (25:3) in support of relationships being integral to worker motivation. Contrariwise, the coding categories that interview participants associated with BAD job experiences were: Relationship-Supervisor (counted “negatively” in the ratio referenced in the paragraph above), Work Obstacles-Equipment, Job Security, and Emotions-Anxiety, Worry, Change. These coding categories were largely unrelated and closer associations were not evident following a review of the interview transcripts; thus, these coding categories remained independent. How do the findings from the pilot study compare to Herzberg’s research? The top six satisfiers or motivators identified by Herzberg were: Achievement, Recognition, Work Itself, Responsibility, Advancement, and Growth. Achievement, Recognition, Advancement, and Growth were all overwhelmingly associated with a positive job experience consistent with Herzberg’s motivators. However, Work Itself and Responsibility were equally satisfying and dissatisfying. The top dissatisfier identified by Herzberg, Company Policy and Administration, was not mentioned by interview participants in GOOD or BAD sequences. The coding categories from the pilot study, Relationship-Supervisor and Job Security, were consistent with Herzberg’s dissatisfiers