160 • 100 GREAT BUSINESS IDEAS
- Physiological—such as having a safe working environment or
manageable workload. - Economic—including pay, benefi ts, and job security.
- Psychological—being treated consistently, fairly, considerately,
and with respect.
Feelings of equity are infl uenced by a sense of relative treatment.
For example, people ask themselves, am I being treated fairly in
relation to my peers and colleagues?
Achievement. This means taking pride in one’s accomplishments
by doing things that matter and by doing them well, receiving
recognition for those accomplishments, and taking pride in the
team’s accomplishments. Sirota Consulting’s research suggests that
this sense of achievement has six primary sources:
- The challenge of the work and the extent to which an employee
can apply his/her skills and abilities. - Acquiring new skills and the opportunity to develop, take risks,
and expand personal horizons. - Ability to perform—and possessing the resources, authority,
information, and support to do the job well. - Perceived importance of the job—knowing the work has a
purpose and value, whether to the organization, customer, or
society as a whole. - Recognition for performance—this is non-fi nancial as well as
fi nancial. - Pride in the organization—resulting from the fi rm’s purpose,
success, ethics, the quality of its leadership, as well as the quality
and impact of its products.