Page 582 - Handbook of Modern Telecommunications

Network Organization and Governance 4-113

1. Compensation: Payment is still the most important motivation factor. Organizations try to use a
number of person-based or skill-based compensation techniques combined with the dependence
on sales revenues of the larger organization, if applicable. Pay is a matter of perception and values
that often generates conflict.
2. Benefits: Benefits take special forms, depending on the employer’s business; e.g., company car, life
insurance, lower interest rates, housing. The cost of benefits at companies can be as high as 35 to
45% of pay dollar.
3. Job security: Seniority with job assignments is a very valuable management practice, in particular,
when the economy is stressed. Job security policies include retirement plans, options for early
retirement, and agreements of non-layoff. Job security packages are more advanced in Europe and
Japan than in the United States.
4. Recognition: Recognition may come from the organization or from fellow employees. The peri-
odic form of recognition is the performance appraisal conducted by the supervisor. A relatively
new form, the so-called upward appraisal is considered a form of subordinates recognition. It is
difficult because most managers do not want to be evaluated by their subordinates. For the subor-
dinates, it is the forum of communicating ideas for improvement.
5. Career path and creation of dual ladders: In order to keep motivation high, managerial and tech-
nical assignments must be compensated equally. Promoting technically interested persons into
managerial positions may not have the desired results; these persons are usually high in affilia-
tion motivation and low in power motivation. Helpful activities include career counseling and
exploration, increased company career opportunity information, improving career feedback,
enhancing linear career, slower early career advancement, and enrichment of lower-level jobs
with more challenges.
6. Effective training: This type of motivation helps to keep the specific and generic knowledge of
the employees at the most advanced level. Three to six weeks training and education annually is
considered adequate in the dynamically changing network management environment.
7. Quality of assignments: Job descriptions are expected to give the framework for expectations.
But dynamic job descriptions may help to avoid monotony and promote job rotation. The client
contact point, systems administration and change control may be rotated periodically.
8. Use of adequate tools: Better instrumented networking environments facilitate the jobs of the net-
work management staff, increase the service quality to users, and improve the image of the net-
work management organization. At the same time, persons working with advanced tools are proud
of their special knowledge, and of their employer. They are highly motivated to continue with the
company.
9. Realistic performance goals: As part of dynamic job descriptions and job rotation, realistic per-
formance expectations may help to stabilize the position of the network management team.
Management must find the balance between quantifiable and non-quantifiable goals. Average
time spent on trouble calls, response time to problems, time of repair, and end-user satisfaction or
dissatisfaction are examples for both types of goals.
10. Quality of environment: This is more or less a generic term expressing the mix of network man-
agement related instruments, pleasant working atmosphere, comfortable furniture, adequate leg-
room, easy access to filing cabinets or to hypermedia, acceptance of opinions on shortcomings,
and team spirit.
11. Employee control: Despite high team spirit, individuals need certain levels of control that can
only be determined by managerial skills. Depending on the person, positive or negative motiva-
tion, or a combination of both, may work best.

The preceding list has tried to concentrate on key motivation alternatives only, but there are many
more. In order to find the optimal combination for individual installations, a human resources manage-
ment audit is recommended.