Title: Identification of optimal initiatives for motivation enhancement of human assets

Authors: Ahmad Ali Khaef Elahi; Rohhollah Hosseini

Addresses: Management and Economics Department, Tarbiat Modares University, Iran ' Faculty of Management and Accounting, University of Payam Noor, Iran

Abstract: The concept of motivation is typically the beginning point of cognitive process behind any behaviour. The aim of this study is to rank organisational motivational plans in terms of importance by collecting empirical data in three satellite campuses of a large university. In this regard, a field survey is conducted and organisational experts in each campus are provided a questionnaire. The collected data was analysed by using technique for order of preference by similarity to ideal solution (TOPSIS), simple additive weighting (SAW) and numerical taxonomy techniques. Then, a hybrid approach was used as it compensates the points of the weaknesses of the aforementioned techniques. The findings show that participative management style, job promotion and optimisation of compensatory system in the three campuses are the most important motivational action plans. Findings of this research contribute to both scholars and practitioners in enhancing the understanding of motivational plans in terms of importance, as well as the improved decision making on design and implementation of these plans.

Keywords: motivation plans; multi-attribute decision making; MADM; technique for order of preference by similarity to ideal solution; TOPSIS; simple additive weighting; SAW; numerical taxonomy; hybrid approach.

DOI: 10.1504/IJBPM.2018.095062

International Journal of Business Performance Management, 2018 Vol.19 No.4, pp.500 - 516

Received: 04 Mar 2016
Accepted: 27 Dec 2016

Published online: 01 Oct 2018 *

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