Browse > Article
http://dx.doi.org/10.13106/jafeb.2020.vol7.no11.1009

Factors Associated with Middle Managers' Work Motivation: Evidence from SMEs in Vietnam  

NGUYEN, Huong Thanh (Department of Management and Law, School of Economics and Management, Hanoi University of Science and Technology)
NGUYEN, Nguyen Danh (School of Economics and Management, Hanoi University of Science and Technology)
TRAN, Binh Van (Department of Industrial Economics, School of Economics and Management, Hanoi University of Science and Technology)
Publication Information
The Journal of Asian Finance, Economics and Business / v.7, no.11, 2020 , pp. 1009-1019 More about this Journal
Abstract
This study presents an exploratory investigation of SMEs in Vietnam to understand the impact of personal-level factors on middle managers' work motivation and the moderating role of work environment. A survey of 450 middle managers (MMs) in 150 Hanoi's SMEs was conducted. The findings of this research showed a significant positive impact of Achievement (ACHV), Recognition (RECOG), and Responsibility (RESP) on work motivation of MMs under the investigation. Furthermore, the result indicated that the work environment affects the relationship between personal-level factors and work motivation of participants. Consequently, both work environment improvement and strategies related to personal-level factors need to be taken into consideration. Especially, Recognition and transparency in Responsibility are appreciated in organizations with a low level of work environment satisfaction. However, there were no indications that Participation (PAR) and Communication (CMM) have a considerable impact on work motivation of respondents, being neither low level nor high level of work environment satisfaction. Based on the findings, recommendations are suggested for Vietnam's SMEs to improve work motivation of MMs, by (i) developing standards with emphasis on their achievement, (ii) paying attention to organizational culture focusing on the responsibility of this managerial level, and (iii) building an adequate incentive system, especially non-financial incentives.
Keywords
Motivation; Work Environment; Individual Factors; Middle Managers; SMEs;
Citations & Related Records
Times Cited By KSCI : 6  (Citation Analysis)
연도 인용수 순위
1 Cuong, T. T., Sang, L., & Anh, N. (2007). Vietnam's small and medium sized enterprises development: Characteristics, constraints and policy recommendations. SME in Asia and Globalization, ERIA Research Project Report, 5, 323-364.
2 De Hoogh, A. H., Den Hartog, D. N., & Koopman, P. L. (2005). Linking the Big Five-Factors of personality to charismatic and transactional leadership; perceived dynamic work environment as a moderator. Journal of Organizational Behavior: The International Journal of Industrial, Occupational and Organizational Psychology and Behavior, 26(7), 839-865.   DOI
3 Deci, E., & Ryan, R. (1985). Intrinsic motivation and selfdetermination in human behavior. Springer Science & Business Media.
4 Deci, E. L., & Vansteenkiste, M. (2004). Self-determination theory and basic need satisfaction: Understanding human development in positive psychology. Ricerche Di Psicologia, 27(1), 23-40.
5 Dose, J. J., & Klimoski, R. J. (1995). Doing the right thing in the workplace: Responsibility in the face of accountability. Employee Responsibilities and Rights Journal, 8(1), 35-56.   DOI
6 Georgellis, Y., Lange, T., & Tabvuma, V. (2012). The impact of life events on job satisfaction. Journal of Vocational Behavior, 80(2), 464-473.   DOI
7 Grawitch, M. J., & Barber, L. K. (2010). Work flexibility or nonwork support? Theoretical and empirical distinctions for work-life initiatives. Consulting Psychology Journal: Practice and Research, 62(3), 169.   DOI
8 GSO of Vietnam. (2020). Press release of White Book on Vietnamese Businesses 2020. Retrieved July 15, 2020 from https://gso.gov.vn/default.aspx?tabid=382&idmid=2&ItemID=19594
9 Comrey, A., & Lee, H. (1992). A First Course in Factor Analysis (2nd ed.). Hillsdale, NJ: Lawrence Earlbaum Associates.
10 Mergler, A. G., Spencer, F. H., & Patton, W. A. (2007). Development of a measure of personal responsibility for adolescents. Journal of Adolescence, 27.
11 Mulder, C. H., & Van Ham, M. (2005). Migration histories and occupational achievement. Population, Space and Place, 11(3), 173-186.   DOI
12 Nguyen, H. M., Mai, L. T., & Huynh, T. L. (2019). The role of transformational leadership toward work performance through intrinsic motivation: A study in the Pharmaceutical field in Vietnam. Journal of Asian Finance, Economics and Business, 6(4), 201-212. https://doi.org/10.13106/jafeb.2019.vol6.no4.201   DOI
13 Nilakant, V., & Ramnarayan, S. (1990). Manager in the Middle: A Case of Underdevelopment and Underutilization. Vikalpa, 15(2), 3-12.   DOI
14 Nunnally, J. C. (1994). Psychometric theory (3rd ed.). New York, NY: Tata McGraw-Hill education.
15 O'Neil, J. J. (2017). Developing middle managers in the Hong Kong Public sector: a critique of leadership development from a labour process perspective. Edinburgh Napier University.
16 Omar, M. W., Jusoff, K., & Hussin, H. (2010). Employee motivation and its impact on employee loyalty. World Applied Sciences Journal, 8(7), 871-873.
17 Pancasila, I., Haryono, S., & Sulistyo, B. A. (2020). Effects of Work Motivation and Leadership toward Work Satisfaction and Employee Performance: Evidence from Indonesia. Journal of Asian Finance, Economics and Business, 7(6), 387-397. https://doi.org/10.13106/jafeb.2020.vol7.no6.387   DOI
18 Petri, H. L. (1996). Motivation: Theory, research, and applications (4th ed.). Boston, MA: Thomson Brooks/Cole Publishing Co.
19 Herzberg, F. (1965). The motivation to work among Finnish supervisors. Personnel Psychology, 18(4), 393-402.   DOI
20 Hair, J. F., Black, W. C., Babin, B. J., & Anderson, R. E. (2010). Multivariate Data Analysis: A Global Perspective (7th ed.). London, UK: Pearson Education.
21 Hiebert, B. (2010). Comprehensive guidance and counseling in the schools: Career-life planning for all. Keynote presentation to the annual conference of the Portuguese Association for Career Development. Minho, Portugal,
22 Wahyuni, S., Widodo, S. E., & Retnowati, R. (2016). The Relationship of Interpersonal Communication, Working Motivation and Transformational Leadership to Teachers' Job Satisfaction. dalam International Journal of Managerial Studies and Research, 4(8), 89-93.
23 Ramirez, D. L. (2012). Organizational communication satisfaction and job satisfaction within university foodservice. Kansas State University.
24 Tran, T. T., & Do, Q. H. (2020). Factors Affecting Job Motivation among Faculty Members: Evidence from Vietnamese Public Universities. Journal of Asian Finance, Economics and Business, 7(9), 603-611. https://doi.org/10.13106/jafeb.2020.vol7.no9.603   DOI
25 Trinh, P. T. T., & Thanh, N. D. (2017). Development characteristics of SME sector in Vietnam: Evidence from the Vietnam enterprise census 2006-2015. VEPR [Viet Nam Institute for Economic and Policy Research, supported by The Friedrich Naumann Foundation for Freedom] Working Paper WP-18. Hanoi, Vietnam.
26 Van den Broeck, A., Vansteenkiste, M., De Witte, H., Soenens, B., & Lens, W. (2010). Capturing autonomy, competence, and relatedness at work: Construction and initial validation of the Work-related Basic Need Satisfaction scale. Journal of Occupational and Organizational Psychology, 83(4), 981-1002.   DOI
27 Venkatesh, B., & Sharma, A. K. (2015). Interactive motivational concept: a study of motivation among corporate of Bhopal region in India. Journal of Asian Finance, Economics and Business, 2(2), 35-38. https://doi.org/10.13106/jafeb.2015.vol2.no2.35.   DOI
28 Westley, F. R. (1990). Middle managers and strategy: Microdynamics of inclusion. Strategic Management Journal, 11(5), 337-351.   DOI
29 WTO. (2019). World Trade Statistical Review 2019. https://doi.org/10.30875/7195c6e1-en
30 Jansen, A., & Samuel, M. O. (2014). Achievement of organisational goals and motivation of middle level managers within the context of the two-factor theory. Mediterranean Journal of Social Sciences, 5(16), 53-53.
31 Jo, S., & Shim, S. W. (2005). Paradigm shift of employee communication: The effect of management communication on trusting relationships. Public Relations Review, 31(2), 277-280.   DOI
32 Kanfer, R., & Chen, G. (2016). Motivation in organizational behavior: History, advances and prospects. Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes, 136, 6-19.   DOI
33 Keskgn, H., Genturk, C., Sungur, O., & Kgrgg, H. M. (2010). The importance of SMEs in developing economies. 2nd International Symposium on Sustainable Development,
34 Khang, D. D. N. (2014). A study on factors affecting employee motivation in Vinamilk Can Tho company. International University HCMC, Vietnam.
35 Khuong, M. N., & Hoang, D. T. (2015). The effects of leadership styles on employee motivation in auditing companies in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. International Journal of Trade, Economics and Finance, 6(4), 210.   DOI
36 Kline, R. B. (2011). Principles and practice of structural equation modeling (3rd ed.). New York, NY: Guilford Press.
37 Ali, A., Bin, L. Z., Piang, H. J., & Ali, Z. (2016). The impact of motivation on the employee performance and job satisfaction in it park (software house) sector of Peshawar, Pakistan. International Journal of Academic Research in Business and Social Sciences, 6(9), 297-310.
38 Yusof, H. S. M., Munap, R., Badrillah, M. I. M., Ab Hamid, N. R., & Khir, R. M. (2017). The relationship between organizational culture and employee motivation as moderated by work attitude. Journal of Administrative and Business Studies, 3(1), 21-25.
39 Aarabi, M. S., Subramaniam, I. D., & Akeel, A. B. A. A. B. (2013). Relationship between motivational factors and job performance of employees in Malaysian service industry. Asian Social Science, 9(9), 301.
40 Al Harbi, J. A., Alarifi, S., & Mosbah, A. (2019). Transformation leadership and creativity. Personnel Review.
41 Azar, M., & Shafighi, A. A. (2013). The effect of work motivation on employees' job performance (Case study: employees of Isfahan Islamic Revolution Housing Foundation). International Journal of Academic Research in Business and Social Sciences, 3(9), 432.
42 Balogun, J. (2003). From blaming the middle to harnessing its potential: Creating change intermediaries. British Journal of Management, 14(1), 69-83.   DOI
43 Bawa, M. (2017). Employee motivation and productivity: a review of literature and implications for management practice. International Journal of Economics, Commerce and Management, 12, 662-673.
44 Shaaban, S. (2018). The Impact of Motivation on Organisational Citizenship Behaviour (OCB): The Mediation Effect of Employees' Engagement. Journal of Human Resource Management, 6(2), 58-66.   DOI
45 Reeve, J., & Deci, E. L. (1996). Elements of the competitive situation that affect intrinsic motivation. Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, 22(1), 24-33.   DOI
46 Ryan, R. M., & Deci, E. L. (2000). Intrinsic and extrinsic motivations: Classic definitions and new directions. Contemporary Educational Psychology, 25(1), 54-67.   DOI
47 Samuel, R. (2014). The gendered interplay between success and well-being during transitions. Educational Research, 56(2), 202-219.   DOI
48 Singh, A. K. (2014). Role of interpersonal communication in organizational effectiveness. International Journal of Research in Management and Business Studies, 1(4).
49 Sonawane, P. (2008). Non-monetary rewards: Employee choices & organizational practices. Indian Journal of Industrial Relations, 44(2), 256-271.
50 Spakovska, K., & Vanek, M. (2016). Influence of motivation on work performance and loyalty of employees in industrial enterprises. SGEM2015 Conference Proceedings, 1(3), 399-406.
51 Larsen, A. F., Rand, J., & Torm, N. (2011). Do recruitment ties affect wages? An analysis using matched employer-employee data from Vietnam. Review of Development Economics, 15(3), 541-555.   DOI
52 Bing, M., Donglai, L., & Zhongmin, L. (2011). Research on relationship between the knowledge-based workers' sense of responsibility and job performance. International Conference on Information and Business Intelligence,
53 Bruce, K., & Nyland, C. (2011). Elton Mayo and the deification of human relations. Organization Studies, 32(3), 383-405.   DOI
54 Kominis, G., & Emmanuel, C. R. (2007). The expectancy-valence theory revisited: Developing an extended model of managerial motivation. Management Accounting Research, 18(1), 49-75.   DOI
55 Kovach, K. A. (1987). What motivates employees? Workers and supervisors give different answers. Business Horizons, 30(5), 58-65.   DOI
56 Swart, R. (2010). The influence of employee motivation on productivity in a merged real estate environment. North-West University.].
57 Swierczek, F. W., & Thai, T. H. (2003). Motivation, entrepreneurship and the performance of SMEs in Vietnam. Journal of Enterprising Culture, 11(01), 47-68.   DOI
58 Thuy, T. T. P., & Nhung, T. T. B. (2018). Factors affecting work motivation of office workers - a study in Ho Chi Minh city, Vietnam. Journal of Business and IT. https://doi.org/10.14311/bit.2018.02.01
59 Kumarasinghe, S., & Hoshino, Y. (2010). The role and perceptions of middle managers and their influence on business performance: The case of Sri Lanka. International Business Research, 3(4), 3-16.   DOI
60 Lang, J. W., & Fries, S. (2006). A revised 10-item version of the Achievement Motives Scale. European Journal of Psychological Assessment, 22(3), 216-224.   DOI
61 Larson, S. A., & Hewitt, A. S. (2005). Staff recruitment, retention, & training strategies for community human services organizations. Baltimore, MD: Paul H. Brookes Pub. Co.
62 Lewis, R. B. (1972). Motivation model for extension. Journal of Extension, 10(4), 23-34.
63 Li, P., & Pan, G. (2009). The Relationship between Motivation and Achievement-A Survey of the Study Motivation of English Majors in Qingdao Agricultural University. English Language Teaching, 2(1), 123-128.
64 Likert, R. (1967). The human organization: its management and values. New York, NY: McGraw-Hill.
65 Madura, J. (2007). Introduction to business (4th ed.). Cincinnati, OH: South-Western College Pub.
66 McGregor, D. (1960). The human side of enterprise. New York, NY: McGraw-Hill.