Human Resource Management : motivation among emplyees in multinational corporations

Problem: Motivation is the number one problem facing businesses today. It is essential for employers to recognize what motivates employees in order to improve productivity and ensure the success of the company (Wiley, 1997). Even though employee motivation is a well researched topic, most studies have particularly focused on small domestic companies. Opportunities within MNCs and small companies are significantly different. Qualitative methods in the field of management is very limited, which the article by Cassell, Symon, Buehring and Johnson (2006) supports.  Purpose: The purpose of this dissertation is to explore what motivates employees to work. Focus will be on employees working in multinational corporations in Sweden. In order to do so, we aim to identify key factors which have an impact on motivation at work. This study will contribute with a framework of motivational factors in a organization. It will also give an insight in employees’ attitudes towards motivation and what motivation means to them.  Methodology: This thesis will use a qualitative method. The study is based on an interpretivistic philosophy with an abductive research approach. In order to answer our research question, primary data is collected through interviews with a number of employees from multinational companies in Sweden. This research strategy enables us to make investigations about work motivation. Conclusions: After analyzing the motivational factors in our study, we can make the conclusion that motivation is highly personal and differs from individual to individual. Work motivation is also not consistent over time, meaning, the factor which motivates an individual today will most likely not be the same motivational factor a year from now. It is clear that personal circumstances will have an impact on employee motivation. Results reveal that employees who are in the same profession are similarly motivated and satisfied in their work

Franchisor-franchisee relationships : an interaction approach

Purpose- The purpose of this paper is to examine franchise relationships by using an interaction approach which involves several exchanges or actor bonds between a franchisor and franchisee, such as information, social, and cooperative exchanges, which create a long-term relationship. The objective is to provide a conceptual framework to investigate the relationship from the franchisee’s point of view since little research has been conducted from this perspective. Design/methodology/approach- This study is based on a web survey directed towards franchisees in Sweden. A total of 191 survey responses were obtained from a wide range of industries, representing a 16.2% response rate. A Pearson Correlation test was performed for the hypotheses. Findings- The findings supported all five hypotheses. The results show that 160 firms exchange information with the franchisor through an IT system. It is also evident that the majority who use IT systems are small businesses, however, this is due to the fact that the largest sample of this study consists of small firms (n=180). Research limitations/implications- Limitations of this study involve the somewhat difficulty to obtain access to a large sample of franchisees because of franchisors´ unwillingness to provide contact and email information (in some cases due to confidentiality). The majority of firms participating in the study are categorized as small organizations, a desired comparison of results from larger firms is, consequently, limited. Originality/value- The paper contributes to filling the gap within franchise relationship literature by applying an interaction approach in contrast to prior economic theories in this field of study