2.5 AS90847 Investigate the application of motivation theory in a Business
Moderator’s Clarification (Facilitator has added emphasis or additional
information, latter appearing in blue; hyperlinks provided by moderator)
For Excellence: Tell me about the motivation practices of the business
studied. Use because … because
The NZQA approved task published on TKI (December 2012) provides guidance in regards to
steps students should undertake when completing the requirements of the standard. See
Level 2 Business Studies assessment resources.
Awarding a grade
When assessing work against this standard, it is important to ascertain the depth to which
the student has analysed the relationship between the motivation practice(s) of the
business studied and theory, as this provides evidence for the level of grade awarded.
Discussion of motivation theory/ies alone does not provide evidence for application, and
assessors should take care to identify aspects of student work that are “data dumps” of
theory rather than evidence of explaining relevant examples of theory.
ACHIEVED
Students:
 describe relevant motivation practices they find within the business based on their
investigation.
 explain practice by stating how or why examples they find relate to theory/ies studied.
The practices students discuss need to relate to theory/ies investigated.
For example, if the motivation examples found in the business relate to personal growth of
staff and grooming all staff towards future leadership, relevant motivation theories that
relate to the practices found would be explained.
MERIT
Students explain:
 relevant motivation practices they find within the business based on collecting in-depth
evidence in their investigation
 practices in the business by citing how or why certain practices occur from the business’s
internal point of view citing their investigation notes as a reference.
 how and why examples they find in the business relate to the theory/ies by linking the
examples to the theory/ies. This requires some explanation of relevant theory/ies in
context
2.5 (motivation) clarification & additional notes
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EXCELLENCE
Students fully explain:
 relevant motivation practices they find in the business based on collecting in-depth
evidence in their investigation from a range of sources.
 practices by stating how and why certain practices occur from the business’s internal
point of view and cite relevant examples from their investigation.
 by justifying the link between motivation practice and theory. They do this by
explaining how and why examples they found relate to relevant theory/ies and the
significance of the relationship for the firm.
Motivation Theory
Relevant motivation theory knowledge, concepts, and content include:
1. the purpose of motivation
2. different types of motivation, for example, collective (whānau, hapū, iwi) versus
individual motivation Excellent opportunity to link with Maori concepts.
3. motivation theories (Maslow, Taylor, Mayo, Herzberg, McGregor, Vroom)
4. factors (financial and non-financial, intrinsic and extrinsic)
5. evaluation of motivation techniques for business success
The assessment undertaken by the students should enable them to demonstrate their
understanding of the theoretical aspects above. The higher level of understanding in these
aspects provides a sound base for applying theory/ies and justifying the links (as required for
Excellence) between theory and practice when students commence their investigation.
Investigation using interviews or local businesses
Students are required to investigate what occurs in a specific business. Students who
comprehensively investigate undertake a greater depth of investigation as their questions
are focused appropriately and reflect aspects of motivation theory/ies. When students meet
with owners, managers and staff (a range of sources are required for excellence), they could
incorporate the extent to which the business:
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invests in training
considers flexible working arrangements
performs performance reviews and their purpose see more.
These topics are recognised as having a significant impact on productivity and may form the
basis of questions posed by students in their investigation of the business as they help
reduce staff turnover and recruitment costs (Source: Ministry of Business Innovation and
Employment: Motivate and retain staff).
Investigation based on secondary data
2.5 (motivation) clarification & additional notes
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Students can investigate application of motivation theory using a range of secondary data
(either from a business’s website or other materials) and other sources. The student is
required to choose a single business as the focus of their investigation.
Although not a complete list, the following links may provide a range of businesses (and case
studies based on them as a starting point) that align the interest of individual students to the
needs of the standard. Teachers should approve the suitability of the chosen business prior
to students commencing the investigation:
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New Zealand Trade and Enterprise Case studies: New Zealand businesses in Australia
Victoria University of Wellington, New Zealand company case histories, freely available
see CANZ (Competitive Advantage New Zealand)
I-Start New Zealand ICT e-business portal has a number of freely available N.Z. business
cases
Immigration New Zealand has freely available case studies that showcase successful N.Z.
businesses see more
New Zealand Department of Labour has case studies on:
o Workplace Productivity in Practice
o Work Life Balance in New Zealand
o Partnership Resource Centre
New Zealand Ministry of the Environment has 5 freely available Sustainable Tourism
Case Studies.
The focus of applying motivation has generally been assessed as to worker motivation within
a business and how these align to business goals. However, in medium sized enterprises, the
motivation of the owner/CEO is also significant as this leads to the business practice(s) used
to motivate staff.
2.5 (motivation) clarification & additional notes
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