In this chapter, "we review a number of motivation techniques and programs that have gained varying degrees of acceptance in practice. And for each of the techniques and programs we review, we specifically address how they build on one or more of the motivation theories covered in the previous chapter" ( p. 188/189).

WHAT IS MOTIVATION?

"Maybe the place to begin is to say what motivation isn't. Many people incorrectly view motivation as a personal trait –that is, some have it and others don't. In practice, inexperienced managers often label employees who seem to lack motivation as lazy. Such a label assumes that an individual is always lazy or is lacking in motivation. Our knowledge of motivation tells us that this just isn't true. What we know is that motivation is the result of the interaction of the individual and the situation" (p. 155).

"We'll define motivationas the processes that account for an individual's intensity, direction, and persistence of effort toward attaining a goal. While general motivation is concerned with effort toward any goal, we'll narrow the focus to organizational goals in order to reflect our singular interest in work-relatedbehavior" (p. 155).

Servant leadership is a paradox—an approach to leadership that runs counter to common sense. Our everyday images of leadership do not coincide with leaders being servants. Leaders influence, and servants follow.

How can leadership be both service and influence? How can a person be a leader and a servant at the same time? Although servant leadership seems contradictory and challenges our traditional beliefs about leadership, it is an approach that offers a unique perspective.

Servant leadership, which originated in the writings of Greenleaf (1970, 1972, 1977), has been of interest to leadership scholars for more than 40 years. Until recently, little empirical research on servant leadership has appeared in established peer-reviewed journals. Most of the academic and nonacademic writing on the topic has been prescriptive, focusing on how servant leadership should ideally be, rather than descriptive, focusing on what servant leadership actually is in practice (van Dierendonck, 2011). However, in the past 10 years, multiple publications have helped to clarify servant leadership and substantiate its basic assumptions.

Similar to earlier leadership theories discussed in this book (e.g., skills approach and styles approach), servant leadership is an approach focusing on leadership from the point of view of the leader and his or her behaviors. Servant leadership emphasizes that leaders be attentive to the concerns of their followers, empathize with them, and nurture them. Servant leaders put followers first, empower them, and help them develop their full personal capacities. Furthermore, servant leaders are ethical (see Chapter 16, “Leadership Ethics,” for an extended discussion of this topic) and lead in ways that serve the greater good of the organization, community, and society at large.

"Making decisions is a critical element of organizational life. In this chapter, we'll describe how decisions in organizations are made.But first, we discuss perceptual processes and show how they are linked to individual decision making" (p. 121).

Perception:A process by which individuals organize and interpret their sensory impressions in order to give meaning to their environment.

"Why is perception important in the study of OB? Simply because people'sbehavioris based on their perception of what reality is, not on reality itself. The world as it is perceived is the world that is behaviourally important " (p. 122).

WHAT IS PERSONALITY?

"When psychologists talk of personality, they mean a dynamic concept describing the growth and development of a person's whole psychological system. Rather than looking at parts of the person, personality looks at some aggregate whole that is greater than the sum of the parts" (p. 92).