1. Communication

Communication has certainly accelerated thanks to changes in communication technology and transport but this has not always been for the better. Email, mobile phones, text-messaging, and portable computers with Wi-Fi allow communication to take place on the move, almost anywhere. Employees and managers are unable to escape the demands of their organization and clients. On the plus side, conference calls and videoconferencing allow people, perhaps on different sides of the globe, to participate in meetings without being physically present in the same room, saving a fortune in transport costs. All the same, many people feel that there is no substitute for the face-to-face meeting where you can properly meet and get to know the person opposite you.

Looking back in time, few would have imagined that a language spoken by a few million people from an island in the north-west of Europe would become the language of international communication. Its success derives initially from Britain's long period as a maritime power and colonizer of America, India, parts of Africa, and Australia. When its influence waned, the English-speaking North Americans were there to perpetuate and spread the language's dominance. English was retained as the main language, or a second or official language, in many of its ex-colonies.

Having a working knowledge of English is considered a basic skill like being able to drive or know how to use a PC. Many multinational businesses have adopted it as their company language, even some based in countries where English is not an official language. They have had to dedicate time and resources to raising the language skills of employees. International examinations studies such as TOEIC, TOEFL, or the University of Cambridge's suite of examinations are used as a benchmark or standard. This may become a delicate issue within the company as language training may appear to favour members of management, specifically marketing and sales, and technical functions at the expense of other employees.

A globalized version of English, a kind of reduced dialect is already spoken around the world by millions of people.

2. Theories of motivation

There are many different theories which attempt to explain human motivation in general, and motivation at the workplace in particular.

Maslow expresses Human motivation as a hierarchy of needs:

1 physiological needs: air, food, and drink

2 safety needs

3 the need to belong and for love and affection

4 esteem needs: self-respect and the good opinion of others

5 self-actualization needs.

McGregor's Theory X, Theory Y contrasts two opposing views about why people work. Which philosophy is followed will broadly determine an organization's management style.

Theory X suggests that people find work unpleasant, have to be forced to work well, and have to be told what to do. By contrast, a Theory Y philosophy claims that work is as natural as rest or play; that people find it personally rewarding and fun, and that they will come up •with imaginative solutions to problems.

There are organizations which have become famous for one approach or the other. The Semco corporation of Brazil is an example of an organization where formal management is kept to a minimum and employees are able to make most key decisions themselves. Internet start-ups and high-tech businesses which employ well qualified and motivated staff are famous for their relative freedom and lack of hierarchy.

However, it is difficult to see how performing a boring, repetitive task in unpleasant working conditions could ever be turned into a Theory Y activity. It is often only the threat of sanctions or punishment that motivates people to work and necessitates a management style which is essentially Theory-X-informed.

These theories appeared in McGregor's The Human Side of Enterprise.

Theory Z is a more recent addition by Ouchi which integrates the Japanese attitude to work which had evolved from the principles of kaizen (William Ouchi, Theory Z).

Herzberg stressed the importance of satisfying what he called the 'hygiene factors' of work This not only recognized the need to ensure a safe working environment, but included the recognition of the importance of fair wages and supervision in how workers felt about their employers. What is interesting about Hertzberg is that he insists that man is more than simply an economic animal. He emphasizes the importance of job satisfaction, the sense of personal development, and recognition as part of the system of rewards as motivating factors. This helps to explain why some people will remain in poorly paid jobs because they derive personal satisfaction and receive recognition. A more prestigious-sounding job title can be more of a motivator than a pay rise.

We should remember that no single theory can explain what motivates people at work. In addition, for most of us, motivation is dynamic not static. It changes according to our age and the point we are at in our careers and what material needs we need to satisfy, through working. More and more companies now allow employees to choose from among a range of additional benefits to fit their particular circumstances. This could include bonuses, cars, health insurance, childcare, concierge services where the firm arranges for someone to do the shopping and everyday chores for employees. A blend of these different factors will provide the right motivational mix for the employee.