© 2007 Institute of Current World Affairs
The Institute awards long-term fellowships to develop a deep understanding of an issue, country, or region outside the US and to share that understanding with a wider public.
Institute of Current World Affairs - Home Page

Below is a hobbled text version of a PDF document.
In order to read the actual document please click the link below and register if necessary.
(One-time registration is free and very quick.)
Read article

6/30/1973 - Motivation without Money by Jeffrey E. Race

NOT FOR PUBLICATION WITHOUT WRITER S CONSENT INSTITUTE OF CURRENT ORLD AFFAIRS JEF Ngamwongwan Road Bangkok Thailand Motivation without Money June Mr Richard H Nolte Institute Current World Affairs Fifth Avenue New York NY 10017 Dear Mr Nolte Improving people lives throughout world means change practically definitional In world efforts achieve change I struck mania economic change economic means achieve change In newsletter I mentioned problems incentive scarce aggravates maldistribution income serious world growing worse doesn relevance monetized poorly monetized areas But leave these facts aside moment consider something rather obvious about human behavior behavior including economically relevant behavior vated incentives To examples clothing speech patterns dialects beliefs about worthy goals striving after habits hygiene health habits saving spending especially surplus leisure Let specific example monetary social centives motivated behavior which risky distasteful contemporary instance I quote recent issue Newsweek reporting Senator Baker questioning Bart Porter about committing perjury Baker Did think saying I think quite right ought Porter Yes I Baker What about Porter I anything Baker Why Porter In honesty probably because group pressure would ensue being player A comparable account comes April New York Times which Ernest Fitzgerald reported tremendous group pressures within Pentagon prevent unpleasant information overruns reaching Congress My point dwell unfortunate instances improper official But these cases permit dramatize monetary incentives provide extremely powerful levers human behavior compelling actions which individuals themselves would otherwise perform Now hardly comes psychologists sociologists probably Just ordinary thoughtful people But seems obvious overwhelming relevance attempts uplift lives Of people throughout world I refer economic developmen broader kinds institutional changes which I discussed ewsletter I difficult reconcile easily learn about changing human behavior preoccupation might obsession developmental literature economic motivation nomic growth capit investment input output ratios It seems whole trend analysis policy response treats constants portant variables processes concerned We speak putting engine speed while ignoring firing cylinders Having about general nature problem I would describe situations region where motivational methods service social change As perjury previous I advocating particular goals methods employed I extent limits benefits various kinds arrangements The first approach employed Thai government rural community development projects It attempts where possible program controversial involve local Buddhist monks development efforts their influence brought villagers extent might otherwise It might helpful describe briefly local context which these efforts place Rural communities formally headed villager selected village serve years though practice election The headman receives minute stipend government return which carries certain administrative responsibilities His official powers limited remains villager leads nowhere The other local representa tives external power structure local teacher civil servant employed Ministry Education local priest village temple For reasons which concern Bangkok authorities interested carrying various development projects constructing certain artifacts roads which funds suffi cient labor required The problem inspiring rural people something would otherwise Ex perience reveals enough village headman issue order villagers assemble carry Thus often standing local Buddhist priest invoked motivate villagers cooperate The resulting cooperation often explained desire individuals acquire merit accord beliefs Theravada Buddhist faith Anthro pological investigators concluded however participation religious activities activities which religious leaders endorse motivated desire social approval other enhanced standing local community there nothing particularly Buddhist about course consider business credit standing active status Pro testant denomination U S One investigator effor employ monkhood stimulate development noted Of formal informal positions village social structure position occupied village priest without doubt ranks highest terms village prestige respect influence scale clearly outranking positions headman school principal It influence Bangkok authorities trade I should passing because central point I develop later relatively greater influence priest headman understand results villagers perceptions priest important linkage excuse jargon important outside forces headman That villagers perceive priest powerfully powerful outside forces local national political spheres supernatural world headman It essential understand order under stand would increase influence headman Put another understand order understand institution village government ineffective example agent social change In quote investigator report illustrate influence Buddhist priests effectiveness motivational system The observational studies conducted clearly reveal achievement important village improvements relating example school water supply systems largely efforts certain energetic local priests Two telling examples cited In Amphur district Phina Ubon province villages agreed collab orate constructing kilometer would villages ARD Accelerated Rural Development under construction The contemplated village developed would across property several village families Most these families readily agreed donate affected families refused After unsuccessful attempts local secular leaders secure cooperation these latter families abbots villages involved approached their assistance Whe abbots personally appealed heads families resistance melted villagers joined completing construction The second example comes village Udorn province There acceptance local abbot position honorary treasurer campaign construction local bridge resulted being oversubscribed local people Until abbot weight prestige influence campaign local secular leaders unable secure necessary monetary contribution people What lessons these incidents First lainly something motivated without expenditure Indeed actually extracted obviously pleasant means taxation confiscation A second point which needs emphasis there nothing uniquely religious about process could duplicated secular context The principle employed simply convincing respected leaders coherent social group serve mediators between local members group rural Thai village outsiders wanted local people something authorities Bangkok Such groups exist already among almost fixed community usually particularly coherent rural underdeveloped especially poorly monetized areas which ticularly concerned To compare different possible approaches ought several questions about process First local people In social approval cooperating As byproduct bridge What mediators Here BUddhist priests presumably complied request outsiders order fulfill their perceived anyway agents uplift villagers their This important since compliance obligation ideology religious doctrine permits passing certain messages local community important limitation using religious hierarchies agents social change What outsiders process They wanted bridge which We would participant process The villagers labor They considered worth while exchange approval The priests their limited influence given project which judged consistent withthe message instructed carry The outsiders inspired everyone behave wanted without having anything Alter natively might their limited influence priests With example I would consider completely different situation which technique motivation It differs other respects though which I believe learn about process general The situation I discuss development counter government number weakly ruled rural areas Thailand actual revolutionary adminis tration This revolutionary administration accomplishes changes broader scope those sought Bangkok authorities broader incentives still I should study similar situation Vietnam iated interest motivational methods social change At I concerned amazing motivation revolutionary military forces Vietnam motivation which often explained terms fanaticism terror As I studied methods I kinds currency motivate remarkable performance demonstrated battlefield which vided quantities barely sufficient subsistence As I studied situation I found motivational methods military context evoke effort revolutionary movements governments bring about social change accomplish labor intensive infrastructure projects without money wages What I illustrate revolutionary adminis tration Thailand motivates social change without Some techniques similar those employed Bangkok authorities The revolutionary leaders would bring about kinds behavi example collective labor projects kinds participation political institu tions agricultural techniques different family economic surplus Furthermore order protect their areas would motivate participation military quasi military activities They little these poses furthermore opposed motivation ideological grounds undesirable distributive consequences which capitalist economists noted The revolutionar employ mechanisms which I compare those Bangkok authorities The first social approval priesthood influence government areas As I determine however prefer secular leaders their purposes The cedure locate informal Community leaders those respected influential though holding official The persuaded operate effort mediators I spoke earlier Through their influence villagerS kinds things would otherwise example local defense groups village nomic cooperatives begin hygienic practices The local informal leaders reward behavior orchestrating local opinion praise those innovate range anywhere simple mouth approval organized festivities especially occasion awarding special titles honorific positions outstanding individuals You recall Stakhanovites revolutionary Russia method The effectiveness technique determined degree which selected mediators indeed informal leaders extent which people spontaneously respect follow This quality leadership personal nature while always advantage natural leadership where exists really limited random process outside control either To overcome problem revolutionaries adopt types institutional changes I discussed newsletter steps enhance influence among villagers local secular leaders village headman described earlier I suppose everyone looking Myrdal spoke paragraph I quoted using coercion But defeating Actually hated although means appears somewhat paradoxical The revolutionaries increase influence local leaders among their people increasing their influence outside world It simple Let spell detail A short while I described reason greater influence priest headman villagers perceive priest powerful outside forces villagers their purposes The principle plain I respect compliance those indivi duals position third party including world The village headman doesn count villager knows those power rural areas dlstrlct level repre sentatives service These people appointed Bangkok control disposition resources dispensing justice issuance title deeds forth Villagers comply district officer cannot really cutting rural change development since there perhaps villages As between priest headman priest influence influence world As between government headman revolutionary headman latter influence increasing power world That revolutionary leaders their system permit Jr headmen share kinds decisions which would unilaterally under Bangkok system district officer superiors What level powerful influence elites further population since there headman village compared district officer I00 sometimes villages Actually revolutionaries further I wanted principle established first What amplify expanded tration elites population replace government headman committee peOple jointly responsible decisions local level This means further expanding local influence since instead person network followers village might persons influence networks among women farmers young people elderly Also revolutionaries further change source which distriCt officer category people chosen rather being recruited Bangkok recruited active people villages What about comparison between these approaches This difficult I seeking information It seems clear Bangkok authorities somewhat successful using mechanisms social appro stimulate construction artifacts rural areas Certainly roadbuilding projects completed saving scarce national treasury avoiding unfortunate distributive consequences vation The people involved plainly sense being participating likely facilities constructed better maintained built contract labor outside local areas The couple sources I checked indicate approach successful stimulating adoption behavior habits regard sonal hyglene It difficult reliable information effectiveness lutionary movement methods fragmentary sources suggest artifacts revolutionary movement equally successful These sources suggest scope success broader For example known effective labor exchange teams effective purchase cooperatives established lutionary areas something government difficulty areas Some indicators revolutionary presence suggestive disappearance addiction disappearance bandits cattle rustlers obvious ovements personal hygiene toothpaste unusual cleanliness houses villages That police military personnel instructed observe whether characteristics present without activity government considered indication presence revolutionary organiza This suggests motivational techniques revolutionary effective development artifacts change social behavior institutions What meaning these facts I rigid rules inference certainly consistent Thailand serious social change requires mechanism social approval requires going beyond existing structures religious hierarchy Thailand The Bangkok authorities utilize social approval religious mediators artifacts quite successfully They would establish effective cooperatives improve health sanitation practices reduce thievery corruption perhaps redirect economic surplus ritual penditure economically productive investment These things accomplished revolutionary movement further Bangkok authorities shares power further Bangkok authori recruits people different social groups concentrates rather religious mediators Thus seems inspire broader energetic participation limited areas limited kinds messages mediators willing transmit For example possible social economic modernization might redirection ritual expenditures It might difficult religious mediator transmit message followers although cannot rigid about Buddhism itself lutionary faith founding reaction perceived excesses Hinduism And Weber famous observations economic consequences Pro testant belief repeating W about distribution costs benefits In qualitative terms differences pretty clearly Under government system villagers obtain physical development local facilities roads wells schools electricity Social change decisive alteration people interact another transmitted mechanism What mediators The village headman receive satisfaction accomplishing village tasks monthly stipend about The village priest similarly derive sense being taking leading cooperative village activities The people higher receive substantial rewards Thus district officer under whose supervision these efforts place greater satsifaction great power which wields Consider deference given everywhere Examples respectful terms ddress ceremonial receptions whenever visits seeing people their beneath He addition psychic income prospect promotion upward powerful higher status positions As capital rewards greater still Here located senior people district officer bureaucracy receive greater amounts deference greater authority receive substantial financial Moreover since speaking system emphasizing economic growth nomic incentives physical artifacts funded foreign donors these through capital bureaucracies located there A certain centage retained overhead administrative expenses capital offices people there supplied jeeps radios phones conditioners What about alternative system Under villagers receive physical construction Thailand However receive social goals which Bangkok authorities declared would achieve themselves Such saving cleanliness better health improved literacy better public security In short social change The villagers adjunct getting these things greater articipat_ion decision process since means motivate changes first place This participation which U S Congress talking about Title IX Because changed recruitment system coming members political administrative leadership become district officers Under system position mediators changes considerably since given considerably power their superiors order paradoxically I enhance their power influence villagers Thus addition feelings satisfaction which government headman village priest doing their deference influence which reserved district officer under Bangkok system In other words distribution benefits moved level least I information happens higher levels system information things clear First since lower levels power higher higher levels psychic income their their counterparts under Bangkok system Second since there emphasis physical artifats fewer physical resources through system fewer retained levels cover overhead adminis trative charges Now trade involved process We plainly discussing continuum sible measures which might employed behavior might employed depending change wants wants costs It difficult because notoriously quantify payoffs public programs I going crude estimates because I exact quantitative relationships shape trade0ffs From I revolutionary areas Thailand I think using motivational techniques described would possible double change number indices annual increase literacy annual increase certain sanitation measures numbers people functioning cooperatives Say these programs through country costing million dollars To double increase current methods money minded economists World Bank might another million dollars What apparent argument could incre change without paying money kinds institutional changes described What would The crucial nexus seems between district officer level villages In order motivate villagers valent million dollars could power deference district officers people There about districts country there people would psychic income money As really rough guess could benefits people offer about others thing spending million dollars World Bank money You might might maybe people maybe fewer general shape tradeoff I think ought seriously considered those business economic development social change In future I better grasp these estimates perhaps develop specific examples I think I conservative though In I think under present system certain kinds social change which Bangkok authorities declared favor never accomplished Fortunately there I described I refine descriptions I The point I emphasize however social change means change It enough resources If people change prepared change things Pa repetition after couple decades rhetoric theshasnot Se J Race Received New York July