After reading one of my peer’s blog posts: https://blogs.ubc.ca/thaoatkinson/2017/02/05/109/, I was aware of Daniel Pink and I was inspired to give research more about him and his management style. The blog written by my peer was very good and interesting, giving me a lot to write about.

After conducting research, I found a very interesting theory crafted by Daniel Pink, a modern writer on business & management. His theory focuses more on complex jobs, admitting that for simple jobs money is the major motivator. Pink believes that people are no longer driven by the “stick” but respond more to the “carrot” when referring to the old carrot & stick metaphor which regards rewards and punishment as motivation. Pink believes that people are now motivated by autonomy, mastery, and purpose.

According to Pink, autonomy is the desire to direct our own lives. Pink argues that allowing employees autonomy runs counter to the traditional view of management which wants employees to “comply” with what is required of them. Pink describes mastery as the desire to continually improve at something that matters. Pink argues that humans love to “get better at stuff” – they enjoy the satisfaction from personal achievement and progress. Allowing employees to enjoy a sense of progress at work contributes to their inner drive. Pink describes purpose as the desire to do things in service of something larger than ourselves. Pink argues that people intrinsically want to do things that matter.

If the three main elements just described above were implemented into a workplace, success would be imminent as I believe that Pink’s theory knows how to bring out the best of people in order to get better at their jobs as well as being happy with their jobs.

I found Pink’s theory to be very interesting because it is not like the theories we have studied in class. I believe Pink’s approach is very contemporary and affective. It relates to the development of humans and how we now seek more than merely money. Pink’s theories are heavily based on research.

References

“6 Management Styles And When Best To Use Them – The Leaders Tool Kit – Leaders In Heels”. Leaders in Heels. N.p., 2017. Web. 5 Feb. 2017.

McQuarrie, Fiona. “Daniel Pink’S ‘Drive’: A Short Journey On A Tiny Piece Of Road”. All About Work. N.p., 2017. Web. 5 Feb. 2017.

“Quora”. Is there any proof behind Dan Pink’s assertion that “autonomy, mastery, and purpose” are better motivators than financial incentives?. N.p., 2017. Web. 5 Feb. 2017.

Sylvester, John. “Pink’S Theory Set To Drive Up Employee Motivation And Engagement | P&MM Motivation”. Staffmotivationmatters.co.uk. N.p., 2017. Web. 5 Feb. 2017.