Staff Motivation – Which Works, “Nice-Guy Bosses” or “Intimidators”?

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Next week, the UK version of The Apprentice starts again. I always look forward to it.

Sir Alan Sugar

The apprentices get bullied, shouted at, criticized, made to look stupid…by Sir Alan Sugar.

May be a lot of it is to do with the cameras.

However, Sir Alan Sugar might find it hard to believe but nice guys may make the best bosses.

Nice bosses know how to motivate staff.

Staff want to work for and work hard for managers who treat them with honesty, kindness and respect, a study found.

In the BBC reality TV show The Apprentice, contestants frequently resort to underhand tactics in their attempt to win the show and a plum job with Sir Alan. His criticism of them is often so harsh they end up in tears.

According to the U.S. study, the key to success is ‘interactional fairness perception’ – or simply being nice.

Researchers from North Carolina State University studied the morale of team members who were developing products and bringing them to market – much like the tasks in The Apprentice.

Managers who treated team members with kindness and respect got more out of them.

Researcher Dr Jon Bohlmann said: ‘If you think you are being treated well, you work well with others on your team.’

Looking at the Managers I have worked for, it’s those who support, trust and sometimes muck-in and get their hands dirty, who I respect and will work all day and every day for.

What’s your experience?