MOTIVATION

External factors affecting motivation at work

External factors affecting motivation at work

For our understanding and comprehension, we shall be discussing the concept of motivation in a holistic context. The main focus of this paper shall be to highlight those factors and variables that contribute towards the varying levels of motivation experienced by employees, while working in the organization. Here, we shall maintain focus of the impact of employee discrimination upon the level of motivation of employees working in the organization (Bingham, 2002).

Defining Discrimination

Discrimination has been a serious concern for corporations even today for all of us to succumb and see. Recently, discrimination against lesbian women and gay men in the military has received a considerable amount of attention. Throughout American history, military service personnel have been removed from duty for identifying themselves as gay or lesbian. Considerable attention has also been devoted to violence against lesbian women and gay men. These forms of violence are often now considered a “hate crime,” as they are motivated by prejudice or “hate.” Matthew Sheppard, a gay man from Wyoming who was murdered in 1996, is the most well-known incident of hate crime, but other gay and lesbian people have also experienced violence because of their sexual orientation. Many studies, for example, suggest that gay and lesbian youth are more likely to be bullied than heterosexual adolescents. Discrimination against gay and lesbian people can have lasting psychological effects. When a gay or lesbian person is fired, for example, they may suffer not only a loss of income but also a loss of self-worth. In other cases these psychological effects may be short-lived, as some lesbian women and gay men are able to recover from the discrimination they confront (Bingham, 2002).

Gender Differences in Discriminatory Behavior

Scholars exploring sexual orientation-based discrimination have also outlined important gender differences. These scholars argue that lesbian women experience different forms of discrimination than gay men. That is, lesbian women confront forms of discrimination unique to their position in society. For instance, lesbian women are often more likely than gay men to confront forms of sexual harassment in the workforce or to be passed over for a job promotion. Moreover, lesbian women also sometimes face discrimination based on their gender.

Discrimination against gay men, in contrast, often reinforces the cultural devaluation of femininity. In other words, gay men frequently experience discrimination when they are perceived as feminine. In this sense, sexual orientation-based discrimination ...