Remote Work and Controllers Motivation.: How does Remote Work impact the Motivation of German Controllers, and how can it be positively handled? – A Case study of a German Automotive Manufacturer
Authors
Ben Messaoud, Amir ; Gupta, Moumita Sen
Term
4. Term
Publication year
2021
Submitted on
2021-06-02
Pages
85
Abstract
Globalization, technological change, and the COVID-19 pandemic have expanded remote work in Germany, yet job-specific evidence on motivation remains limited. This thesis examines how remote work affects the motivation of German controllers and how negative effects can be addressed, using a qualitative single case study at a German automotive manufacturer. Conceptually, motivation is viewed as arising from the interplay between needs/motives (personal factors) and incentives (environmental factors), with unmet needs leading to frustration and demotivation. Drawing on 11 semi-structured interviews and a thematic analysis, the study identifies mainly negative consequences of remote work: loss of organizational culture and social isolation, limited informal conversation and information flow, quality loss, blurred boundaries between work and private life, perceived threat of outsourcing/layoffs, difficulty assessing interpersonal skills, and technical issues. These impacts particularly affect power, affiliation, and achievement motives as well as security and physiological needs. To mitigate them, the thesis proposes an incentive framework comprising a hybrid work model (to sustain relationships and informal communication), people-management-oriented leadership, feedback and open communication, greater autonomy, and financial incentives. While the approach can be adapted to other contexts, generalizability is constrained by the thematic literature review and single-case design.
Globalisering, teknologiske fremskridt og COVID-19-pandemien har øget udbredelsen af fjernarbejde i Tyskland, men viden om job-specifik motivation er begrænset. Denne afhandling undersøger, hvordan fjernarbejde påvirker motivationen hos tyske controllere, og hvordan eventuelle negative effekter kan håndteres, med udgangspunkt i en kvalitativ enkeltcasestudie hos en tysk bilproducent. Teoretisk forstås motivation som et resultat af samspillet mellem behov/motiver (personlige faktorer) og incitamenter (omgivelsesfaktorer), hvor utilfredsstillede behov kan føre til frustration og demotivation. Baseret på 11 semistrukturerede interviews og tematisk analyse identificeres primært negative konsekvenser af fjernarbejde: tab af organisationskultur og social isolation, begrænset uformel dialog og informationsflow, kvalitetstab, uklar grænse mellem arbejde og privatliv, trussel om outsourcing/afskedigelser, vanskeligheder med at vurdere interpersonelle kompetencer samt tekniske udfordringer. Disse påvirker især magt-, tilhørs- og præstationsmotiver samt sikkerheds- og fysiologiske behov. For at afbøde effekterne foreslås en incitamentsramme med hybridarbejde (for at støtte relationer og uformel kommunikation), menneskeorienteret ledelse, feedback og åben kommunikation, øget autonomi og økonomiske incitamenter. Studiet kan tilpasses andre kontekster, men generaliserbarheden er begrænset af den tematiske litteraturgennemgang og enkeltcasens design.
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