After my previous two posts on motivating affiliates [Introduction to affiliate motivation and Intrinsic motivation as ultimate goal] I have been reading a lot about different models and frameworks, approaches and interpretations. But today’s reading from Haslam’s Psychology in Organizations: The Social Identity Approach summarized them all too beautifully for me not to blog about it today. Haslam writes that “despite the plethora of seemingly distinct theoretical approaches to motivation a unity of process” can be traced throughout all of them; and this unity “arises from the fact that the nature of work motivation is bound up” with the followers’ “sense of who they are” [italics mine]. Every manager should understand that motivation has two main dimensions: (i) the personal one, and (ii) the organizational one. Here is a chart from Haslam’s book:
I have highlighted the focus on personal identity (self as individual), commitment to career and personal advancement, and motivation by personal needs, norms and goals. This is what affiliate managers should be focused on while seeking to motivate affiliates. Affiliate marketers are highly motivated by personal advancement, and affiliate program managers should motivate by underscoring the affiliate’s personal benefit, and focusing on their individual objectives. Much tailoring should take place, but remember this dimension yourself, and communicate it to the management of your company. Countless affiliate program management mistakes stem from misunderstanding the context, and treating affiliates as employers and members of a team (when, in fact, they are predominantly teams of one). Focus on individual advancement of every affiliate, and personal needs and goals.