The motivation of personnel in analytical laboratories

The aim of this study was to compare motivational techniques used in analytical laboratories in South Africa from. The three different size laboratories selected were: Those in large corporations, those in smaller companies and contract laboratories located in Gauteng. The researcher attempted to find an underlying lack of motivational techniques being applied in this particular industry. This was achieved through a qualitative interpretation of data gathered during interviews with the laboratory managers. The interviews investigated the motivational techniques being applied in accordance with well known theories on what motivates employees. The three laboratories selected were chosen because of their unique circumstances and to be able to ascertain if the motivational techniques being applied differed between laboratories as a result of the size of their environments. A literature review was conducted detailing the findings of well known authors and their theories on what motivates people. The research of Hertzberg, McClelland, Maslow and others mentioned in the review gave evidence to support the concept of motivation in terms of: What motivates employees and evidence that motivated employees work better improving productivity. The research methodology was a qualitative analysis of responses to semi-structured interviews with the laboratory managers of the selected laboratories. The questions were divided into three sections. The first section dealt with the interviewee’s demographics. The second section focussed on the environment within the laboratory. The third section dealt with laboratory motivators being applied relative to the theories discussed in the literature review. From the results it was apparent that motivators were generally well applied in all three laboratories within the constraints of the organisations size and opportunities available. The research was successful in demonstrating the influence of the work environment on motivators being applied as well as recognising common motivational techniques used between laboratories and organisations. Future studies should focus on the effectiveness of motivators being applied from the perspective of an analyst. Following this their views should be compared with the opportunities made available by the organisation and the way in which they are applied by the laboratory managers from different laboratories.Dr. D. J. Thero