Year 12 IB Extended Essays 2018

Pink advocates that people who have purpose in the workplace uncover the highest level of motivation. Purpose is Tesla's greatest asset and generator of motivation. According to Daniel Pink, it is a sense that their job betters their own lives and the world.

Additionally, Daniel Pink hypothesizes that his theory will most effectively work on jobs that require creativity and problem-solving skills. In this context, he argues that the “carrot & stick” approach of financial incentives is outdated, and do not foster creative thinking like intrinsic motivation does. He goes on further by saying the outdated theory may actually have negative impacts in productivity, affecting both the employees and the business in the long term. He reinforces his argument by stating:

“Promises of rewards or the threats of punishment actually narrow the focus and intellectual range of employees, which diminishes their capacity to innovate or be creative”

Pink also addresses that extrinsic motivators are not effective for employees with less capacity to complete slightly more difficult tasks, because of this, employees lose the will to perform efficiently and lose motivation and get less satisfaction from their work.

6.2 - Pink’s theories applied to Tesla Inc.’s motivational strategies

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