An exploration into Managers and Their Motivation at Work. The Case of Dairy Industry in Iran.

There is lack of empirical exploratory studies investigating manager motivation in the dairy industry in Iran. This study has aimed to fill this gap and take into account the socio-economic and religious factors that influence managers’ motivation in this industry thus contextualising motivation of managers in Iranian dairy industry. In order to achieve this aim and related objectives a mixed method approach, combining quantitative and qualitative methods, was adopted collect the adequate and relevant data. Findings showed that a significant proportion of managers are responding neutrally to and/or are satisfied with underlying factors that reflect hygiene at Damdaran. Results also indicated a sharp difference between response trends to items representing hygiene and motivators. Moreover, it was discovered that managers reported a high relation between performance and motivator factors, such as job status and recognition. Findings validated the key distinction made in literature between motivators and hygiene factors and that motivators tend to emerge from intrinsic job characteristics. Further analysis revealed that at Damdaran worsening economic condition during the past five years has increased managers’ ii perceived level of stress at work thus adversely affecting their motivation. Managers showed concern for security, family responsibility, working condition and the worsening of the economy in recent years. One of the most important recommendations is the need for more future empirical research into the influence of special socio-economic and cultural forces that shape the reality for managers’ work, their perception and expectation of reward system in the dairy organisations in Iran