Motivation
Frederick Herzberg did a study on employee motivation in the 1950s and 1960s. His conclusions are worth pointing out. He made an important distinction: there are things that motivate employees and there are things that de-motivate employees but they can (and usually are) different things. You can also say that the lack of motivational items don’t cause a person to be unmotivated. Conversely, the lack of de-motivating items does not cause motivation. They are separate ideas.
The things to Maximize (motivators):
Achievement
Recognition for Achievement
Work Itself
Responsibility
Growth
Advancement
The things to Minimize (de-motivators):
Company Policy
Administration
Supervision
Interpersonal Relationships
Working Conditions
Salary
Status
Security
The article appeared in the Harvard Business Review (“One More Time: How Do You Motivate Employees?“, January – February 1968). You can read an interesting take on these ideas here: http://www.consultpivotal.com/myths_dispelled.htm.