Gender, Non-Monetary Rewards, and Workplace Motivatio

Three investigations have considered gender effects on the motivational value of non-monetary workplace rewards, with contradictory findings. Most studies have occurred overseas in cultures different from the U.S., e.g., Turkey, Pakistan, Nigeria, or Japan. Therefore, there is clear need to assess the potential role of gender in the motivational value of various non-monetary rewards in U.S. workplaces. The researcher recruited 176 U.S. workers, 70% female, 30% male, from social media, who completed questionnaires used in prior research (Ijaz & Khan, 2013). It was hypothesized that female employees would be more motivated by non-monetary rewards than male employees. Results indicated that females rated the overall impact of non-monetary rewards on motivation at 3.67 out of 5; males rated the impact lower, 3.25. A significant MANOVA analyzed the impact of gender on 22 forms of reward, indicating that workers' perceptions of rewards' motivational value varied by gender. Specifically, 3 non-monetary rewards differed by gender, with female's ratings of motivational values consistently higher than male's: 1. overall importance of non-monetary rewards; 2. respect; and 3. positive working environment. Results support the hypothesis that gender affects the perceived motivational value of non-monetary rewards in U.S. workplaces, with females reporting more motivation than males from non-monetary rewards and specifically from respect and positive working environments. Additional details about specific rewards valued by males vs. females were also detected. Findings have implications for rewards program designs in U.S. workplaces, suggesting that a rewards menu may be needed, including specific items to motivate each gender.