Effect of Cultural Differences on Motivation of Analysts and Programmers: Singapore vs. the United States

A 1985 survey of Singaporean analysts and programmers, on their perceptions on motivation, enables a comparison to earlier U.S. survey results. Growth need strength (GNS) of U.S. analysts is significantly higher than that of U.S. programmers. The GNS of Singaporean analysts and programmers was found to be equivalent to their U.S. counterparts. However, there were significant differences between the U.S. and Singaporean computer professionals for the other side of the motivation equation, the job’s motivating potential. The Singaporean motivating potential score (MPS) was significantly lower for both job types, indicating a need for job enrichment and enlargement.