Date Approved

6-18-1996

Embargo Period

8-31-2016

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

M.A. in Public Relations

Department

Public Relations & Advertising

College

Ric Edelman College of Communication & Creative Arts

Advisor

Fulginiti, Anthony J.

Subject(s)

Employee motivation

Disciplines

Public Relations and Advertising

Abstract

Motivating front-line employees to perform at optimum levels is a challenge for managers and business owners. Non-management employees from Southern New Jersey for-profit and non-profit companies responded to a survey to offer comments as to which of six specific types of motivational phrases would best motivate them to perform optimally in common workplace situations involving: quality, teamwork, personal responsibility to organizational policy and procedure, initiative, and customer service issues. Participants considered top performers by their managers were asked to choose which phrase would best motivate them in each situation in an attempt to identify which phrases are most effective in each situation.

Results of the survey suggested that the type of motivational communication that is most effective varies slightly from situation to situation, but that peak performers are consistently those who bring a high level of personal motivation to the job and apply that standard to all types of work-related situations. This finding implies that locating such workers and tailoring situation-appropriate messages to them might prove more effective in achieving desired results than searching for an ideal motivational means and applying it generically to all employees, because mass application would include those from whom desired results might not be possible.

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