Unlocking Motivation at Work

Theories Behind Motivation

Ruby Sturt: Alright folks, welcome back to IBDP Business Management – The Success Podcast! I’m Ruby Sturt, and as always I’ve got Eric Marquette with me. Eric, feeling motivated today?

Eric Marquette: Absolutely, Ruby. Although, I suppose my motivation could use a bit of a caffeine boost! But that ties perfectly into what we’re chatting about—motivation at work. If you listened to our recent episode on leadership, you’ll remember we talked about how leaders inspire teams. But here’s the thing: Even the best leader can’t get far if everyone is just... well, meh. You know, those days when a team’s totally checked out versus the buzz you feel with a group that’s genuinely inspired—worlds apart.

Ruby Sturt: Completely! Honestly, motivation is, like, the fuel that keeps the business car running. Without it, even fancy leadership can’t do much. And—fun fact—I learned that first-hand back at uni working shifts at my local café. If I knew I was just there for the pay and nothing else, my “sparkling” customer service could get seriously dodgy. But later, managing my own club, suddenly I’m running on pure internal drive. That’s a good segue to old Frederick Taylor, yeah?

Eric Marquette: Right—Taylor’s scientific management. He reckoned people are mainly driven by pay and efficiency. So, classic carrot-and-stick. But—well—I mean, modern workplaces show us that’s just the starting line. Enter Maslow, with his famous hierarchy of needs pyramid—basic things like pay and safety are at the bottom, but real motivation comes from things like belonging and that sense of achievement, right?

Ruby Sturt: Yeah! And then Herzberg shakes things up with the difference between “hygiene factors”—you know, pay, safe workspace, good policies—and “motivators”, which are all about job satisfaction, achievement, responsibility. It’s like, paying me stops me from being cranky, but it won’t get me leaping out of bed to start the shift. I always think of my uni café days: as long as the coffee machine worked and the tips were okay, I didn’t complain. But managing my own club? Suddenly the motivators kicked in—purpose, ownership, you name it.

Eric Marquette: Brilliant example. But then, at the higher level, we’ve got folks like McClelland, who said we’re all after certain needs: achievement, power, and affiliation. Or Deci and Ryan, who focus on autonomy, competence, and relatedness. Which—if I’m not mistaken—are big reasons why companies like Google pour so much into perks, flexible roles, and creative time, yeah?

Ruby Sturt: Totally! Google’s offices look like playgrounds, partly because, well, that sense of autonomy and belonging makes people innovate. Compare that to investment banking—huge salaries, sure, but the burnout rate’s through the roof. Probably because you can throw money at people, but if the environment’s toxic or there’s no personal growth? Well, they won’t stick around. Or they’ll stick around, but look miserable at Friday drinks.

Eric Marquette: So, these motivation theories don’t just live in textbooks—they explain why HR decisions genuinely shape whether people thrive or just survive at work. I’d say that’s a thread tying everything we cover in this series, really—how each bit of management fits into real human behaviour.

From Turnover to Rewards

Eric Marquette: Let’s pivot a bit. Motivation—when it’s missing—often shows up in turnover. And that’s not just something abstract; it’s a measurable stat. Companies like Zappos are, er, almost famous for obsessing over turnover rates. High turnover isn't just a headache—it signals something’s off, usually demotivation, poor fit, or even a toxic atmosphere.

Ruby Sturt: Yeah, and turnover rates can be calculated, tracked, and tackled. Sometimes it’s recruitment, sometimes it’s the way people are managed. Which brings us to appraisal types—this is especially for you HL listeners. Eric, didn’t you try out a full 360-degree appraisal when managing your first team? How was that for you?

Eric Marquette: Oh, I did. And I’ll just say, it’s a bit weird suddenly getting feedback from literally everyone—your team, your manager, and even the people you support. The first time, my feedback said I needed to, uh, “step back and let others shine.” Which stung, but it was probably spot on. A mix of formative feedback—little check-ins—and summative reviews at the year’s end help, but 360-degree can really highlight blind spots. And don’t get me started on self-appraisal; that’s a fun exercise in, well, selective memory!

Ruby Sturt: So true! And how you recruit—internal versus external—matters too, like we touched on before. Internal means promoting from within; great for morale. External? Good for shaking things up. But after that, you need the right rewards. Let’s break down the common ones: salary, classic wages—paid by the hour or by product—commission, profit-related pay, share schemes, and those little fringe benefits, like company cars or gym memberships. The financial stuff’s important but usually just keeps the boat afloat.

Eric Marquette: Yeah, exactly. But non-financial rewards often make a bigger long-term impact: job enrichment—more interesting tasks—or job rotation and enlargement so your day isn’t just... rinse and repeat. Empowerment, sense of purpose, even teamwork; companies like Deloitte use super flexible benefit packages, letting people choose perks that fit their lives. All these things add up, often making people feel more valued than just a bump in pay.

Ruby Sturt: And, honestly, even the way people are trained can make a difference. Things like induction training for new hires, on-the-job shadowing, or even off-the-job courses—if companies invest in people, everyone picks up on it. It all links back to our core theme—motivation isn’t just one thing, it’s a toolkit.

Inquiry, Bias, and Sustainable Behavior

Ruby Sturt: Alright, time for our favourite part—big questions. Can financial rewards alone actually create sustainable employee motivation? Patagonia says no: they focus just as much on purpose-driven work as they do on pay. Meanwhile, Walmart throws financial incentives into the mix but still struggles with staff turnover. So, it seems throwing money at people isn’t the golden ticket.

Eric Marquette: Definitely. That brings us to an IB Theory of Knowledge staple: Is it inevitable that the implicit biases of the interviewer will influence interview outcomes? Studies suggest yes—at least to an extent. People tend to prefer people like themselves, even unconsciously. Recruitment’s never truly neutral, no matter how hard you try—although tools and structured processes can help reduce that bias.

Ruby Sturt: Exactly, and if you zoom out further, firms that operate globally have to adjust motivation strategies to fit culture. Hofstede’s cultural dimensions come in here—what motivates someone in, say, the Netherlands might not work at all in Japan. The big idea is you need to blend financial and non-financial rewards based on the team you’re working with.

Eric Marquette: As we wrap up, we challenge you: What actually motivates you? If you mapped your top motivators onto Maslow’s hierarchy, where would you land? For me, honestly, it shifts—sometimes autonomy, sometimes recognition. Depends on the week!

Ruby Sturt: Yeah, same here! And that’s the essence of good HR—it’s ethical, flexible, and always evolving. Thanks for tuning in, everyone. Next time, we’ll dig into growth and evolution in business, so don’t miss it!

Eric Marquette: Brilliant discussion, Ruby—as always. Cheers to everyone listening, see you next episode!

Ruby Sturt: Thanks Eric, take care everyone—catch you next time on The Success Podcast!