Part A - Discuss the following in your discussion post, referencing a Cross-Cultural conflict situation:

Using a past or present cross-cultural conflict situation that is in your organization, department or your business (feel free to change the name of the organization as well), operating as a diversity consultant, complete the following questions:

a) Describe your own assumptions about motivation. Frame this as the leader/manager/team supervisor. Why do you think that people work today?  How do your own assumptions about motivation work in a cross-cultural workforce?

b) Name one of the "models on motivation" (either from the book or other resource-remember to cite and reference too) and why you feel in a cross-cultural workplace, the motivational model may or may not work. 

c) In today's workplace, what ideas do you have to keep the team motivated and why could you motivate others to work for your company (either a company you currently work for or if you are a business owner)?

Part B - And respond to the following discussions:

Student A

My assumption about motivation is that the majority of people are motivated by money first and foremost. I assume that's the case because it's the variable that influences so much of a person's wellbeing. In past classes we've Abraham Maslow's hierarchy of needs and I think it's an appropriate model for this evaluation. Money alone can address some of the two most fundamental levels of needs: the physiological needs of food and water, and the safety needs of shelter, employment, resources, health, and property. I think everyone is motivated by money until those base level needs are no longer a concern moving forward.

I think the expectancy theory is an interesting theory when considering people's motivation to work. Adler mentions (2008), "Expectancy theories claim that people are driven by the expectation that their acts will produce certain results" (pg 188). I think this is a model which certainly holds true in any workplace. I think everybody has expectations for what their work will provide them, and I'm sure those can be varied. Working provides people and opportunity to fulfill that expectation, whether it's for increase pay, promotion, influence, gratitude, etc.

I think in order to keep workers motivated you need to provide them room for continued growth. I don't believe most people are fulfilled if they can't strengthen their current role or if they lack an opportunity to grow into a more advanced role. I think employees need room to grow and develop as professionals.

Student B

My assumption about motivation is a way encourage people to fulfill passion into work, it is more like win-win situation, when company or any team motivate people, they can create more value and productive for this company but also they can improve themselves as personal. I believe people working today, one of most important reason is living, they need money to have good life, but also here are some people they want to recognized by other people, they want to be self-sublimation. My assumption about motivation work in a cross-culture workforce is make them feel comfortable when they working at different culture or environment, because they might get used to work at their own culture environment, so motivating work should make them feel comfortable and encourage them to working as hard as they work at their own home. One of motivation model I learned is Maslow Model, this model tells people when they at different level they will have different satisfaction, I think this model is important because when need understand people are different, some people working for money, but some people working for self-actualization, we should motivate people based on their demand. My Idea about in today's workplace, let everybody participate and make them believe he/she is an important part of team is important to keep motivated. Also, understand different culture is very important to keep cross-culture team motivated, understand them, make them satisfaction, feel comfortable at work environment are all important to keep them motivated.