Ramparsad, Sherin2017-04-072017-04-072017-03-302017Pfafferott, C 2017, The value of non-financial rewards on semi-skilled workers, MBA Mini Dissertation, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, viewed yymmdd <http://hdl.handle.net/2263/59750>http://hdl.handle.net/2263/59750Mini Dissertation (MBA)--University of Pretoria, 2017.Substantial research regarding skilled employee motivation exists, however the same degree of insight into what motivates semi-skilled workers, specifically through nonfinancial rewards, is sparse. Popular motivational theories postulate that financial rewards are the forerunner in motivating semi-skilled employees. While this may be true in certain circumstances, this approach can be costly and disregards the potential value semi-skilled workers might ascribe to non-financial rewards. This study aims to understand the value semi-skilled workers attribute to non-financial rewards. Given the limited amount of research related to semi-skilled worker motivation through non-financial rewards, an exploratory qualitative study was conducted to gain deep insights. 18 Semi-structured interviews were conducted with a total of 75 respondents acquired through non-probability sampling. Diversity was considered through the selection of three companies across three different industries of building retail, hotel, and contact centre services. Interviews were conducted at three employee levels of semiskilled workers, middle management, and senior management. The inclusion of management levels intended to understand differences in their perception of what motivates semi-skilled workers. This research uncovered that semi-skilled workers are chiefly motivated by non-financial rewards as opposed to financial rewards. Dominant non-financial motivators identified included customer satisfaction, interaction, and team spirit, while popular forms of demotivation included lack of work-life balance and poor management. The role of context became apparent with themes such as culture, industry, and individual differences emerging as reward preference influencers. Management misperceptions illustrated a shortfall in understanding what motivates semi-skilled workers. The study concludes with the presentation of the SCMAL motivation model as a recommendation for management seeking to increase semi-skilled worker loyalty and discretionary effort.en© 2017 University of Pretoria. All rights reserved. The copyright in this work vests in the University of Pretoria.UCTDMini Dissertation22037022