Motivating The Filipino Worker PDF

# Chapter 7: Motivating the Filipino Worker ## Ma. Ligaya M. Menguito In 2013, 38.5 million or nearly 60% of Filipinos of working age were employed (Philippine Statistics Office 2013). Three in every five employed persons are full-time workers while one in every five seek more hours of work. The...

# Chapter 7: Motivating the Filipino Worker ## Ma. Ligaya M. Menguito In 2013, 38.5 million or nearly 60% of Filipinos of working age were employed (Philippine Statistics Office 2013). Three in every five employed persons are full-time workers while one in every five seek more hours of work. The number of people working and even those constantly seeking different types of employment highlights work's importance in a regular adult's life (Social Weather Report 2001). For the most part, work is a means to satisfy the requirements of everyday living and maintaining a lifestyle (Henderson 2000). Enriquez (1993) said that work also gives a person a sense of identity and provides opportunities to make friends and expand one's social network. On a more abstract level, some people even find a more purposeful and meaningful life through work (Tiglao-Torres 1990). This chapter will introduce the reader to the reasons why Filipino workers take on the daily challenges of their work, and how organizations respond in return. We will learn the different components that make up an employer-employee relationship and how both sides contribute to sustaining it. Lastly, the chapter will discuss the different forms of organizational rewards which are cornerstones of motivation in the workplace. ## An Overview of Western Theories of Motivation Why do people work? Research tells us that any behavior is driven by a need that has to be satisfied. Basic needs include the person's physical needs such as their sustenance and security needs that point to their desire to live in a safe environment (Payos 2010). The force that drives a person to satisfy a need is called *motivation*, and it constitutes "those psychological processes that energize" (Payos 2010) and "cause the arousal, direction, and persistence of voluntary actions that are goal directed" (Kreitner and Kinicki 2007). According to Robbins and Judge (2011), there are three elements that should be noted in studying motivation: * The intensity of the effort exerted * The direction towards which the effort is aligned * The persistence of the person to reach the goal. Further, motivation is also considered as an "intrinsic inducement that propels an individual to think, feel and act" (Robbins and Judge 2011). ## Motivating the Filipino Worker The following are some of the key factors that contribute to motivating the Filipino worker. 1. **Identify the most pressing needs of employees.** Although we have presented the general needs of Filipino workers, the importance of needs and the extent to which they are met will vary depending on the profile of employees and the nature of the organization and industry. Thus, it is important for organizations to understand the needs of their employees and the extent to which they believe these needs are being met. Such data can guide the development of programs, policies, and interventions. 2. **Introduce challenging activities where the employee can potentially learn a new skill or acquire a new set of knowledge.** With the increasing competition from potential entrants in the workforce each year, more and more Filipinos acknowledge the need to remain employable (Ofreneo 2009). Engaging the employees in tasks that maximize their potential can add to their interest at work. Not only would this contribute to their growth but this can also reflect the organization's concern on their continued financial sustainability. 3. **Give meaningful rewards.** Rewards are most appreciated when it is perceived as valuable. Taking the extra effort to identify which rewards are most needed by the employees will ensure that it generates the most impact. Filipino workers in general, place a high value on cash (Asuncion 2000), travel, and recognition as powerful motivators for them to do productive work (Yao, Franco and Hechanova 2005). Further, a distinction between group and individual rewards should also be made. Group rewards are considered as supportive of the Filipinos' collectivist nature (Yao, Franco and Hechanova 2005). However, it is also important to distinguish the good from the poor performers in the organization in order to motivate individual achievers (Martires 1988). 4. **Respect the cultural norms and behavior that they have and use these as a vehicle to get through them.** Even as globalization has brought a confluence of cultures in today's workplace, culture remains a strong influence on behavior at work. For example, Filipinos are known to be family-oriented (Medina 2001). Work activities that have the potential to conflict with this aspect of the person, such as requiring work when they are supposed to spend time with the family, may not be received favorably even if they see the value of undertaking these activities. 5. **Harness Congenial Relationships.** Filipino workers are known to value the interpersonal relationships that they develop in the workplace (Tiglao-Torres 1990). Indeed, poor relationships can even make some leave their jobs (Geniza 2007). An employer should therefore harness the congenial relationships in the office that can facilitate productive collaboration on work activities. 6. **Build relationships with leaders and employees.** Given the relational orientation of Filipinos, the quality of relationship of boss and subordinate appears to be an important motivational factor. Leaders, for one, are expected to add personal touch when dealing with their Filipino employees (Jocano 2001). Thus, leaders need to take the time and effort to know their employees-their lives, dreams, and plans for the future. Addressing their need for belongingness can make them feel cared for which leads to a feeling of oneness with the organization. In addition, developing sound relations with them not only opens the line for communication, but also leads to sustained productivity (Mayoralgo-Nolasco 2005). ## Understanding the Filipino Worker and Organization - **Table 1: A Total Rewards Mix of Objectives** This table shows the most suitable reward for each objective that an employees may want to achieve. | Objectives | Base Pay | Incentive Programs | Benefits | Recognition Programs | Work Life Programs | |---|---|---|---|---|---| | Attract right kind of associates | x | x | | | | | Retain critical talent | x | x | | | | | Drive performance | x | x | x | | x | | Recognize extraordinary effort | | x | x | x | | | Help employee meet needs | | | x | | x | | Improve quality of work-life | | | | | x | - **Implications** Filipinos are valued as workers both here and in other countries (Ofreneo 2009). Their skills, work ethic, warm personality, values, and cooperative disposition are important assets that can be harnessed by organizations. Ensuring top performance from Filipino workers therefore requires an understanding of their culture and beliefs. Below are some ways to enhance the motivation of Filipino employees: ## The STORM Flex Program STORM Flex begins the flexible benefits process with enrollment: Sun Life employees can choose the core (applied to all employees) and non-core (dependent on position) benefits they want to retain in their package, and the ones they prefer to convert to "flex points." Flex points are the currency in the STORM Flex system to separate them from the concept of compensation, which employees receive in pesos. After the employee converts their benefits budget into flex points, they can start picking the products and services on the store that they want to receive in place of the benefit they converted. On this platform, no two Sun Life employees will spend their benefits budget in the same way unless they deliberately decide to. A single 25-year-old male employee may choose to convert 50% of his rice allowance to avail of a gym membership and new training shoes. A married 32-year-old female employee may choose to convert 100% of her meal allowance to spend on a microwave oven or to allocate to her child's educational plan. STORM's marketplace includes product categories such as electronics, appliances, travel, and even Sun Life's own investment products. For the first year of the flexible benefits program, 72.68% of Sun Life employees enrolled. The program continued the following year with 100% of the population enrolled on STORM Flex. A survey conducted in October 2016 by STORM Technologies showed that Sun Life employees had an overall satisfaction rating of 2.95 on a four-point Likert scale. Results of the study implied that Sun Life employees appreciate their benefits better, are satisfied with the choice to convert the ones they don't use into points, and enjoy the freedom to choose to spend the points on products that are relevant to them. Although employees generally responded favorably to the program's administration, they were least satisfied with how the products and services on STORM's marketplace met their needs. The choices provided on the marketplace, thus, can be curated better to match the diverse employee lifestyles. Fortunately, on STORM Flex, products and services can be easily added without allotting additional budget--this makes the benefits program alive and evolving while protecting the cost. The case of Sun Life implementing STORM Flex, a working platform already used by several companies in the Philippines, shows that a one-size-fits-all standard benefits program can be replaced by a flexible benefits program to introduce autonomy in the company culture and to satisfy the diversifying company demographics. ## Designing a Total Rewards Package Determining the appropriate mix of financial and relational returns that will help in achieving the organization's goals is a challenge that most companies face. The relative worth of a job is carefully considered vis-a-vis the requirements of the employee while keeping in mind that the reward is attractive and motivating. For example, an employer may decide to give a minimum salary to a sales employee but above average commission rate after taking into consideration his risk-taking personality. Or an employee might be offered an average salary rate but a good benefits package that will cover most of his present responsibilities (e.g. educational support for dependents). Indeed, drafting a rewards package can be considered an art, and there is no standard template to come up with the most suitable one for any organization. What would be helpful for organizations though, is to get sufficient data about their employees to determine what rewards will be most valued. For example, a recent study on 487 Filipino employees working in the cooperate sector showed that a majority of the respondents was more intrinsically motivated than extrinsically motivated (Yao, Franco and Hechanova 2005). This result suggests that Filipino employees generally find their work fulfilling and even possibly contributing to their development. They are able to push themselves to accomplish the task at hand and value the learning that they get along the way. However, the power of external motivators should not be discounted especially since cash and travel were also cited as important by more than half of the total number of responses. Organizations would then do well to strike a balance between giving external rewards to their employees and designing jobs to sustain their motivation. The authors suggested that given the Filipinos' family-oriented culture, external rewards that are geared towards the family's enjoyment (e.g., group travel) should be considered over individual-based incentives. Likewise, recognition for employees' personal achievements should be highlighted in their immediate small group. ## Total Rewards for Filipino Employees The presence of both intrinsic and extrinsic rewards in an organization underlies the concept of total rewards. Total rewards refer to all the rewards that the employer gives to the employee, which include all forms of financial returns, benefits, tangible services, and intangible returns that employees receive as part of an employment relationship (Milkovich et.al 2014). This is clearly illustrated in **Figure 1.** - **Figure 1: Total Rewards for Work** This diagram shows the total rewards structure that includes cash compensation, benefits, relational returns, and income protection. There are two main parts of an employee's compensation. The first is the financial remuneration or cash which includes a person's base pay, merit pay, and individual incentives. Employees earn this based on different factors such as the time that they spent working, and abilities (Medina 2007, Hechanova et al 2005), challenge them, and promote their learning and development is a strong motivator (Corpuz 2000). The essence and quality of their job can spur them to actively engage in their work (Hechanova and Franco 2005) These people enjoy the tasks and challenges that their jobs bring. They feel satisfied for performing well, and may eagerly search for opportunities to grow on the job. On the other hand, extrinsically motivated people are those who rely on factors outside of themselves. They tend to search for validation and approval from others to feel positive about their work (Corpuz 2000). The impetus to work may also come from other external motivators. For example, rewards, promotion, merit increases, and fringe benefits can be powerful predictors of an employee's performance (Tiglao-Torres 1990). Symbols of status such as rank or recognition may also serve as extrinsic sources of motivation. Another external motivator is the physical work setting, such as workspace design and the availability of technology. A carefully planned workspace, which can promote an effective execution of work procedures, has the potential to engage a worker and maximize their effort (Yao, Franco and Hechanova 2005). ## Motivating Agents at IBM On the average, 30 to 40% of the call center agents leave IBM Philippines' Business Process Outsourcing unit in a given year. Roddy Abaya, GPS HR Partner at IBM Philippines partly attributes this to the nature of the job: "(It's) a very structured work environment. The BPO business is characterized by performance measures. Everything is measured: from the amount of time you spend in a call to the number of calls you take, to the quality of calls you take, to the number of minutes you take... (the agents) live and die by the results that they deliver day to day and in some cases, from hour to hour." Clearly, this type of work environment would not work for most people. Some may find the austere measures that the agents observe as too stifling, maybe even punishing. Employees who take this as their first job can easily buckle under pressure and leave the post in haste. Yet the setup works especially for those who are enticed by the results that they get at the end of the day. Ensuring that the agents are in top form therefore presents a formidable challenge to the company. From the initial contact, Roddy thinks that it is important to level the applicant's expectations. "You have to thoroughly discuss the nature of the job with them. What is important is to negotiate the expectations into something that can be challenging but deliverable," he shares. It's not advisable to overcommit just to get the applicant to join the company. In keeping the agents motivated, it may help to discuss with them the possible opportunities and avenues for growth that are present in the industry. Too often, a call center job is seen as a dead end, but Roddy disagrees: "If you take a look at the potential, moving into front office, phone-based work to leading front-office teams to moving to back office.. there's a lot of potential in being able to sell a proposition that is beyond just the agent's work." Young people, in particular, should be the target of this information. They usually want everything fast and at the same time. They are also more impulsive and react more easily to stress. Presenting the bigger picture to them can help them craft long-term goals for themselves and see the purpose of the struggles in their daily work. Short-term rewards are given frequently in IBM. The business operates in such a way that the revenue depends on the performance of the agents on a monthly basis. Given the high pressure that the agents experience, rewards offset these and help sustain their performance. The company also puts an emphasis on the way the leaders manage their members. Since the business relies largely on team effort, it helps to select and develop those that have the talent to lead and manage people. Indeed, even for leaders who deliver excellent business results, the way they handle the people aspect of their job is equally important. From Roddy's experience, engaging employees is more effective than using intimidation. He explains that effective leaders are those who are able to bring out the best in their followers: "We continue to coach the leaders who are like that, continue to say that business results are not the only measure. There's the business results...the organization results... (and) there's a development plan which says we have commitment to the people aspect of the relationship." This is in line with IBM's philosophy of Human Capital Development-to take the matter of their people to heart, understanding that IBMers are the ones who have the power to transform companies and communities. ## Understanding Filipino Work Motivation In understanding the motivations of Filipino employees, it is important to consider what is important in their lives as this may guide their work activities and goals. A central feature in Filipino culture is the sense of familism (pagkakamag-anak) that is reflected in the different interactions that they engage in. This familism is the tendency to promote the interests of the immediate small group even over personal requirements (Jocano 2001). The family interest is foremost in making decisions on the type of work that one engages in; thus, Filipino overseas workers may give more importance to the economic gain for their families over their personal feelings of separation. The benefits of the financial rewards are contextualized in terms of how these will improve the conditions of the family and contribute to their social mobility. Likewise, efforts to pursue personal recognition and success at work can be seen as contributors to the family's prestige. Indeed, obtaining a favorable status for the family in society is an important aspect in Filipino culture since individuals are seen more as part of their group than as individuals (Medina 2001). For Filipinos, work is also an essential tool for personal growth. It is an avenue for self-expression and learning. (Yabut et al. 2009). The tenacity to improve one's self and their condition in society reflects the Filipino's pagsusumikap-a valued social trait (Jocano 2001). One is expected to work hard to improve their lot. To be perceived otherwise is a stigma and is avoided in Filipino society. This desire to further one's self (kaunlaran) applies even if it means leaving the country to seek this advancement (Jocano 2001). To prevent such brain drain, it is therefore important for organizations to provide opportunities for growth and promotion (Tiglao-Torres 1990). More recently, a research of Ilagan et al. in 2014 identified several motivating factors of Filipino employees to come up with a Filipino Needs Theory of Motivation. These needs were grouped into four categories: those that were job related, those that were organization related, those that address the family's needs and finally, those that contribute to the person's career, Job-related needs concern those that are specific to the worker's immediate tasks (e.g., co-worker relations) while organization-related considers the larger working environment (e.g., being a role model to others). Family-related needs include education for family members and having good pay and benefits. Lastly, Career-related needs are those that contribute to their professional development. In general, two findings of the study stand out: first is the identification of family-related needs which is not a continent in Western literature. This finding reaffirms the perception that Filipino society is a collectivist one and that one's personal welfare is tied with the immediate group. The study also found that job-related needs predict employee engagement. This result suggests that workers appreciate and become motivated to do more when the organization provides them the resources needed to perform their jobs. Thus, organizations should take a closer look at what the requirements of the different jobs are and ensure that these are met. Studying the specific requirements of the job is done by performing a job analysis and evaluation. ## Job Analysis and Evaluation Though tedious and resource-intensive, organizations would do well to perform a job analysis to clearly identify the tasks, resources, and behaviors required by the job. One of the outcomes of a job analysis is a job description, which gives detailed information regarding the job such as the tasks to be completed, procedures to be observed, responsibilities involved, required resources, and the expected output/s. By analyzing a job description, one can easily identify the characteristics of the job that will help the organization pursue its strategies and determine what the company is willing to pay for, which are called *compensable factors*. Some of the more known compensable factors include knowledge, accountability, reasoning, communication, effort, and working conditions. (See chapter on Workforce Planning, Job Analysis, and Design.) Some of the methods by which jobs can be evaluated are through ranking, classification, point, and factor comparison method (Milkovich, Newman, and Gerhart 2014). Ranking is done by ordering the jobs from highest to lowest based on a global definition of the value of each job. The value is usually determined by compensable factors such as skill, effort, responsibility and working conditions; thus for example, the job of an administrative assistant might be considered higher in rank compared to a security guard. The classification method groups job descriptions according to class (for those that have similar jobs) and grades (for those jobs that are similar in difficulty but can be considered different). Aside from compensable factors, this method also includes the performance standards for each job grade. The point method assigns values and weights to each compensable factor and a total point is then generated for the job. Lastly, the factor comparison method compares jobs according to factors to arrive at a numerical value which are then summed up to arrive at pay rates (Milkovich et al. 2014). ## Utilizing Intrinsic and Extrinsic Motivators According to Martires (1988), at its very basic level, work satisfies a person's need for survival due to the financial gains it brings. Indeed, the compensation that employees receive in return for the work that they perform in the organization dictates the lifestyle and comfort that they, together with their family, will enjoy (Franco 2008), such as acquiring a house for themselves (Jocano 2001). Perhaps seeing its utility in guaranteeing stability in their lives and their family, majority of Filipino workers regard a high compensation together with job security as equally important (Social Weather Stations 2005). Nevertheless, determining the relative worth of a job and reward that accompanies the resulting performance of the worker entails a good understanding of intrinsic and extrinsic motivation. Franco (2008) described intrinsically-motivated people as those who work "for the love of it." For these individuals, work that allows them to apply their talents a piece of work from beginning to end was found to be motivating. Task significance comes from seeing the impact of one's job on other people, whereas autonomy is the degree of discretion that a person has in completing the job, such as in scheduling tasks. Finally, receiving regular, specific, and significant feedback on one's performance is also considered a motivating factor (Robbins and Jaudge 2011). ## Understanding Filipino Work Motivation In understanding the motivations of Filipino employees, it is important to consider what is important in their lives as this may guide their work activities and goals. A central feature in Filipino culture is the sense of familism (pagkakamag-anak) that is reflected in the reflected in the different interactions that they engage in. This familism is the tendency to promote the interests of the immediate small group even over personal requirements (Jocano 2001). The family interest is foremost in making decisions on the type of work that one engages in; thus, Filipino overseas workers may give more importance to the economic gain for their families over their personal feelings of separation. The benefits of the financial rewards are contextualized in terms of how these will improve the conditions of the family and contribute to their social mobility. Likewise, efforts to pursue personal recognition and success at work can be seen as contributors to the family's prestige. Indeed, obtaining a favorable status for the family in society is an important aspect in Filipino culture since individuals are seen more as part of their group than as individuals (Medina 2001). For Filipinos, work is also an essential tool for personal growth. It is an avenue for self-expression and learning. (Yabut et al. 2009). The tenacity to improve one's self and their condition in society reflects the Filipino's pagsusumikap-a valued social trait (Jocano 2001). One is expected to work hard to improve their lot. To be perceived otherwise is a stigma and is avoided in Filipino society. This desire to further one's self (kaunlaran) applies even if it means leaving the country to seek this advancement (Jocano 2001). To prevent such brain drain, it is therefore important for organizations to provide opportunities for growth and promotion (Tiglao-Torres 1990). More recently, a research of Ilagan et al. in 2014 identified several motivating factors of Filipino employees to come up with a Filipino Needs Theory of Motivation. These needs were grouped into four categories: those that were job related, those that were organization related, those that address the family's needs and finally, those that contribute to the person's career, Job-related needs concern those that are specific to the worker's immediate tasks (e.g., co-worker relations) while organization-related considers the larger working environment (e.g., being a role model to others). Family-related needs include education for family members and having good pay and benefits. Lastly, Career-related needs are those that contribute to their professional development. In general, two findings of the study stand out: first is the identification of family-related needs which is not a continent in Western literature. This finding reaffirms the perception that Filipino society is a collectivist one and that one's personal welfare is tied with the immediate group. The study also found that job-related needs predict employee engagement. This result suggests that workers appreciate and become motivated to do more when the organization provides them the resources needed to perform their jobs. Thus, organizations should take a closer look at what the requirements of the different jobs are and ensure that these are met. Studying the specific requirements of the job is done by performing a job analysis and evaluation. ## Job Analysis and Evaluation Though tedious and resource-intensive, organizations would do well to perform a job analysis to clearly identify the tasks, resources, and behaviors required by the job. One of the outcomes of a job analysis is a job description, which gives detailed information regarding the job such as the tasks to be completed, procedures to be observed, responsibilities involved, required resources, and the expected output/s. By analyzing a job description, one can easily identify the characteristics of the job that will help the organization pursue its strategies and determine what the company is willing to pay for, which are called *compensable factors*. Some of the more known compensable factors include knowledge, accountability, reasoning, communication, effort, and working conditions. (See chapter on *Workforce Planning, Job Analysis, and Design.*) Some of the methods by which jobs can be evaluated are through ranking, classification, point, and factor comparison method (Milkovich, Newman, and Gerhart 2014). Ranking is done by ordering the jobs from highest to lowest based on a global definition of the value of each job. The value is usually determined by compensable factors such as skill, effort, responsibility and working conditions; thus for example, the job of an administrative assistant might be considered higher in rank compared to a security guard. The classification method groups job descriptions according to class (for those that have similar jobs) and grades (for those jobs that are similar in difficulty but can be considered different). Aside from compensable factors, this method also includes the performance standards for each job grade. The point method assigns values and weights to each compensable factor and a total point is then generated for the job. Lastly, the factor comparison method compares jobs according to factors to arrive at a numerical value which are then summed up to arrive at pay rates (Milkovich et al. 2014). ## Utilizing Intrinsic and Extrinsic Motivators According to Martires (1988), at its very basic level, work satisfies a person's need for survival due to the financial gains it brings. Indeed, the compensation that employees receive in return for the work that they perform in the organization dictates the lifestyle and comfort that they, together with their family, will enjoy (Franco 2008), such as acquiring a house for themselves (Jocano 2001). Perhaps seeing its utility in guaranteeing stability in their lives and their family, majority of Filipino workers regard a high compensation together with job security as equally important (Social Weather Stations 2005). Nevertheless, determining the relative worth of a job and reward that accompanies the resulting performance of the worker entails a good understanding of intrinsic and extrinsic motivation. Franco (2008) described intrinsically-motivated people as those who work "for the love of it." For these individuals, work that allows them to apply their talents perform in certain ways" (Martires 1988). In other words, it is the driving force that dictates their flow of thought, the corresponding emotions, and their resulting course of action. Applying this to organizations, Corpuz (2000) defines work motivation as a "willingness to exert a high level of effort to reach organizational goals." This definition came from her observation that motivated employees tend to work harder. The extensive body of work on the concept of motivation produced several theories that are classified as either content or process (McShane and Von Glinow 2010). Content theories of motivation point to a person's needs as the source of motivation. These theories propose that a person's behavior is motivated by their desire to satisfy their needs. The most popular need theories are Abraham Maslow’s Needs Hierarchy Theory, Alderfer’s ERG Theory, and David McClelland’s Need Theory (Robbins and Judge 2011). Maslow’s theory ranks five levels of needs: basic (physiological), safety, affiliation, self-esteem, and self-actualization. It also states that people are motivated to satisfy the lower level needs before progressing to the higher order ones. This theory is also known as the satisfaction-progression process. Alderfer’s ERG Theory similarly groups and ranks needs according to physiological and safety (existence), belongingness (relatedness), and the higher-ranking esteem and self-actualization (growth). In contrast to Maslow’s, however, the ERG theory proposes that a person regresses to a lower level need when unable to satisfy a higher-level need, known as the frustration-regression process. Veering away from the instinctive needs as proposed by these earlier theories, McClelland suggested that people have learned needs that they developed as a result of their interaction with others. Thus, one develops a need for achievement (nAch) or the desire to accomplish goals thru their own effort, a need for affiliation (nAff) wherein they seek approval from others, and a desire to control the people and environment that they operate in, or simply, their need for power (nPow). Process theories of motivation, on the other hand, propose that a person’s perceptions, thoughts and beliefs influence motivation. These theories highlight the interaction of internal factors in determining behavior. Adam’s Equity Theory of Motivation, for example, points to people’s perception of fairness in social exchanges as determining their later actions. Victor Vroom’s Expectancy Theory, on the other hand, states that people’s motivations depend on the strength of their expectancy of an outcome and the attractiveness of that outcome to them; that is, individuals will exert more effort to do the work if they believe that they have the ability to do it (expectancy), that it will lead to good performance (instrumentality), and that the rewards to be given for that performance would be something they value (valence). Edwin Locke’s Goal Setting Theory banks on the idea that people are motivated to achieve specific and difficult goals when they are given feedback on their performance. Finally, Hackman and Oldham’s Job Characteristics Model suggests that five factors can make the job more motivating: skill variety, task identity, task significance, autonomy, and feedback. Skill variety refers to the amount of activities that individuals can do in their jobs that will tap their different talents. Thus, jobs are more motivating when more skills are used to accomplish them. Task identity refers to the contribution of one’s task to the whole piece of work; that is, being able to participate in the accomplishment of a piece of work from beginning to end was found to be motivating. Task significance comes from seeing the impact of one’s job on other people, whereas autonomy is the degree of discretion that a person has in completing the job, such as in scheduling tasks. Finally, receiving regular, specific, and significant feedback on one’s performance is also considered a motivating factor (Robbins and Jaudge 2011). ## Understanding Filipino Work Motivation In understanding the motivations of Filipino employees, it is important to consider what is important in their lives as this may guide their work activities and goals. A central feature in Filipino culture is the sense of familism (pagkakamag-anak) that is reflected in the reflected in the different interactions that they engage in. This familism is the tendency to promote the interests of the immediate small group even over personal requirements (Jocano 2001). The family interest is foremost in making decisions on the type of work that one engages in; thus, Filipino overseas workers may give more importance to the economic gain for their families over their personal feelings of separation. The benefits of the financial rewards are contextualized in terms of how these will improve the conditions of the family and contribute to their social mobility. Likewise, efforts to pursue personal recognition and success at work can be seen as contributors to the family's prestige. Indeed, obtaining a favorable status for the family in society is an important aspect in Filipino culture since individuals are seen more as part of their group than as individuals (Medina 2001). For Filipinos, work is also an essential tool for personal growth. It is an avenue for self-expression and learning. (Yabut et al. 2009). The tenacity to improve one's self and their condition in society reflects the Filipinós pagsusumikap—a valued social trait (Jocano 2001). One is expected to work hard to improve their lot. To be perceived otherwise is a stigma and is avoided in Filipino society. This desire to further one’s self (kaunlaran) applies even if it means leaving the country to seek this advancement (Jocano 2001). To prevent such brain drain, it is therefore important for organizations to provide opportunities for growth and promotion (Tiglao-Torres 1990). More recently, a research of Ilagan et al. in 2014 identified several motivating factors of Filipino employees to come up with a Filipino Needs Theory of Motivation. These needs were grouped into four categories: those that were job related, those that were organization related, those that address the family's needs and finally, those that contribute to the person’s career, Job-related needs concern those that are specific to the worker’s immediate tasks (e.g., co-worker relations) while organization-related considers the larger working environment (e.g., being a role model to others). Family-related needs include education for family members and having good pay and benefits. Lastly, Career-related needs are those that contribute to their professional development. In general, two findings of the study stand out: first is the identification of family-related needs which is not a continent in Western literature. This finding reaffirms the perception that Filipino society is a collectivist one and that one’s personal welfare is tied with the immediate group. The study also found that job-related needs predict employee engagement. This result suggests that workers appreciate and become motivated to do more when the organization provides them the resources needed to perform their jobs. Thus, organizations should take a closer look at what the requirements of the different jobs are and ensure that these are met. Studying the specific requirements of the job is done by performing a job analysis and evaluation. ## Job Analysis and Evaluation Though tedious and resource-intensive, organizations would do well to perform a job analysis to clearly identify the tasks, resources, and behaviors required by the job. One of the outcomes of a job analysis is a job description, which gives detailed information regarding the job such as the tasks to be completed, procedures to be observed, responsibilities involved, required resources, and the expected output/s. By analyzing a job description, one can easily identify the characteristics of the job that will help the organization pursue its strategies and determine what the company is willing to pay for, which are called *compensable factors*. Some of the more known compensable factors include knowledge, accountability, reasoning, communication, effort, and working conditions. (See chapter on *Workforce Planning, Job Analysis, and Design.*) Some of the methods by which jobs can be evaluated are through ranking, classification, point, and factor comparison method (Milkovich, Newman, and Gerhart 2014). Ranking is done by ordering the jobs from highest to lowest based on a global definition of the value of each job. The value is usually determined by compensable factors such as skill, effort, responsibility and working conditions; thus for example, the job of an administrative assistant might be considered higher in rank compared to a security guard. The classification method groups job descriptions according to class (for those that have similar jobs) and grades (for those jobs that are similar in difficulty but can be considered different). Aside from compensable factors, this method also includes the performance standards for each job grade. The point method assigns values and weights to each compensable factor and a total point is then generated for the job. Lastly, the factor comparison method compares jobs according to factors to arrive at a numerical value which are then summed up to arrive at pay rates (Milkovich et al. 2014). ## Utilizing Intrinsic and Extrinsic Motivators According to Martires (1988), at its very basic level, work satisfies a person's need for survival due to the financial gains it brings. Indeed, the compensation that employees receive in return for the work that they perform in the organization dictates the lifestyle and comfort that they, together with their family, will enjoy (Franco 2008), such as acquiring a house for themselves (Jocano 2001). Perhaps seeing its utility