Manager Motivation Factors
Correlated With Service Levels in
a Shipping Company:
A Correlational Study
Dr. Raffi Arzoumanian
Dr. Linda Atkinson
UNIVERSITY OF PHOENIX
Background
• Host company has $44.3 billion in revenues
annually
• Operates in more than 220 countries
• Participating division has 70% of all revenues
• MD manages $435.6 million annually
• 21 years with company
• Manage operations in eight states
• 2000 employees
• 75 operation managers
• 12 senior managers
Statement of the Problem
• General problem
• Specific problem
• Nature of problem
– Recent manager motivation deficiencies
– Feedback received
Purpose Statement
• Quantitative Correlational Study
• Purpose contained two components
• Determine how motivation factors affect service
• Design motivation programs for managers
• Gain knowledge of entire population
Research Question
R1: What is the correlation of selected
demographic characteristics and
motivation factors of managers and
senior managers with service level?
Methodology
• Quantitative Method
• On-line survey used (SurveyMonkey)
• Analysis of manager demographics/motivating
factors and service level
• Considered other research methods
Sampling Frame
• Population
1. General - 1650 managers
and 300 senior managers
2. Specific - managers and
senior managers working
in western region (466)
• Invitation memo challenge
• Targeted sample size – 145
• Survey responses used - 128
Data Collection
1. Survey link
2. SurveyMonkey/Likert scale questions
3. Existing measurement tool
4. Survey advantages/disadvantages
Results
• Eight Motivation scales
studied
• Most important motivating
factors to improve service
level
• Work responsibility - not
correlated
Results
• Performance - correlated
• Growth - not correlated
• Recognition - correlated
Results
• Compensation - not
correlated
• Customer service correlated
• Job satisfaction correlated
Results
• Combined score of all
scales - correlated
• Manager/senior manager
title - not correlated
• Years of service - not
correlated
Results
• Employee to manager
ratio - not correlated
• Staffing levels correlated
• Five of 8 scales
correlated
• One demographic
variable correlated
• Analyzed 47 questions
Recommendations
• Reflection
• Recommendations for each motivation
scale
• Identify focus scales
• Leadership must know how to motivate
• Leaders can assess and calculate
motivation
• Motivation relates to service level
Recommendations
• Company policies, reward systems,
promotional opportunities
• Use feedback from this study
• Focus on relevant variables
• Make changes
• Improve motivation
• Leaders knowing their roles
• Manager and leader interactions
• Interaction and feedback is
important to managers
Conclusions
• Significant correlations
• Three scales not correlated
• Importance of which scales to
focus on
• Importance of findings to shipping
industry
• Study results should help leaders
Conclusions
• Importance of Likert-type
survey responses
• EVS question ratings
• Positive correlation between
motivation and service level
• Study findings – leaders using
EVS information
Conclusions
• Five of 8 scales correlated
• Leaders have been searching for this
information
• Know which scales to focus on and which to
spend less energy on
• New knowledge creation
• Possible paradigm shift with future studies
• This study is only the beginning
• EVS and other surveys administered at other
shipping companies