As there seems to be a thread developing today of people doing their MA's related to electronic delivery I thought I'd throw mine in too! I am currently studying an MA in Educational Leadership and Management at the Institute of Education in London. The research for my dissertation is on motivation and I am using (as part of a CEL project I'm also undertaking) an electronically rendered questionnaire. If anyone is interested in helping my research I would be really grateful - and you stand the chance of winning a Dell Axim Bluetooth PDA as well!

The research

Have you ever wondered how well motivated you are in your job? Would you like to know how you compare to others in the sector? This Nationwide e-rendered survey is a chance for you to contribute to some important research, and gain insight into morale and motivation in the educational sector. There are just 16 multiple choice questions and they will consider 5 different aspects to give you specific and general measures of your level of motivation at work. The results are updated instantly so you will be able to see the current data for your sector after each response.

The confidential survey is aimed at all levels of staff within the Further Education, Adult & Community Learning, Secondary (including middle schools) and Primary (including pre-school) sectors. It is funded by the Centre for Excellence in Leadership (CEL) and a prize draw is sponsored by Dell and Microsoft. The website can be found at:

http://oaklearn.oaklands.ac.uk/emotivation/index.htm

What’s in it for me? How do I gain as an individual in participating in this research?

Imagine being able to discuss with your line manager how you tick, to be given the opportunity for your organisation to help you to be happy in your job. You will be able to establish through using this “instrument” what motivates you and what de-motivates you. It will enable you to discuss with your manager, should you choose to do so, how your job can be improved. It will empower you to make your job more fulfilling for you and your organisation.

You can also stand a chance of winning a Dell Axim Bluetooth PDA, Microsoft Software or a USB pen drive in the prize draw.

How do I gain as a manager in participating in this research?

According to research from the CBI… happy workers are productive workers! Consider how more effective your organisation could be if your workforce was more productive. The key is tapping into each individual’s motivation. By using this instrument in your environment you will be able to establish what your workers are ‘turned on’ by and how you can get more out of them. It will facilitate a discussion with your employees which will enable you to create a better relationship between you and your staff.

What are the benefits of this ‘Instrument’ to the sectors?

Putting excellence in leadership at the centre of management practice in your institution is important. This instrument will help you to do that. It will give you valuable feedback from your staff on what you are doing right (and what you are doing wrong). It will also enable you to compare your results with others in your sector to see how you are performing. Specifically the instrument has a dual function:

1. To act as a useful feedback mechanism for individuals telling them how satisfied they are in their job. It is also useful in identifying what the issues are that arise then, if the individual chooses, this facilitates a discussion with their manager to improve the situation.

2. To enable comparative data to be collected on the motivations of the different sectors being researched. This could lead to identification of areas that need collective or separate attention by organisations involved and/or their managers enabling the sectors to identify good practice (and then to emulate it).

These two factors taken together should result in a better relationship being forged between managers, supervisors and staff to the benefit of their organisations and the individuals concerned.