The key to unlocking your staff's potential - camp staff motivation

Many different factors motivate people to work. Both organizational variables and individual variables (e.g., gender, age, college major, and camp experience) may have an impact on the work motivators of seasonal staff. It is important for camp directors to understand what motivates staff to seek summer positions, work throughout the summer, and return in future years.

A 1995 American Camping Association survey found that nearly 50 percent of agency camp directors and almost 40 percent of all camp directors identified staff recruitment and retention as their greatest concern. This concern has steadily increased for five years.

Today, an assortment of camps exists with a variety of operating philosophies, reflecting a wide range of services. This diversity brings up an important question: Are work motivators different for counselors in public organizations (municipal camps); nonprofit camps; and commercial camps?

Herzberg's motivator/hygiene theory

A number of models exist to help camp directors understand the process of work motivation. One of the most studied theories of work motivation is Herzberg's motivator/hygiene theory (1959). Based on his research on job satisfaction, Herzberg noted that the elements related to job content could be divided into two categories: hygiene factors and motivators. Herzberg found that hygiene factors, such as job security, salary, and company policies, were important in reducing job dissatisfaction but would not necessarily provide job satisfaction. In order to promote job satisfaction, the employer must use motivator factors such as the opportunity for advancement, recognition, responsibility, achievement, and doing quality work.

The study

The purpose of this study was to examine the factors that motivate camp staff to accept a camp position, work throughout the summer, and return in future years, as well as to test Herzberg's two-factor theory in relation to camp staff. This study also sought to explain the relationship between selected individual and organizational variables and camp staff's ranking of work motivators.

Methodology

The questionnaire used in this study was created from several previous studies (Neal, 1982; Becker, 1983; Servedio, 1981; and Hoff et al., 1988) that identified possible motivators of seasonal staff. The questionnaire asked respondents to rank and rate the importance of 20 different motivators. The reliability of this questionnaire was tested prior to the actual study on 35 students in a college-level camp counseling class. Results of this pilot test indicated a reliability coefficient of .62.

The questionnaire was administered to 196 camp counselors working in one of nine different camps in the Pacific Northwest in the summer of 1991. Camps were chosen using two major criteria: type of organization (public; nonprofit; commercial) and type of camp (day camp or resident camp).

The questionnaire was administered three times during the summer. The first data collection period was during the first week of precamp training and asked staff what motivated them to take a camp position. The second data collection period took place during the middle of camp and asked staff what motivated them to perform their jobs. The last data collection period was during the last week of camp and asked staff what would motivate them to return to camp in future years. The response rate varied from 177 respondents (90.3 percent) in the first data collection period to 127 respondents (62.8 percent) in the second data collection period, to 136 respondents (69.4 percent) in the third data collection period. When matching respondents across all three data collection periods, a total of 104 usable sets of data were examined.

Results

Motivator/hygiene factors

The rankings for each data collection period (Figure 1) show support for Herzberg's motivator/hygiene theory. The majority of the seventh to the twelfth positions are motivator factors, while the majority of the last seven positions are hygiene factors.

Individual and organizational variables

No individual variables were found to have a significant effect on camp staff's work motivators. The only variable that did have a significant impact on the ranking of work motivators was the type of organization. Staff in public, nonprofit, and commercial camps ranked their motives differently. Some of the more notable findings:

Public (municipal) camp staff:

* consistently ranked salary higher than other staff did in all three data collection periods.

* ranked good working conditions higher than other staff did in terms of accepting a camp job and working throughout the summer.

* ranked advancement significantly higher than other staff did in terms of accepting a camp position and working throughout the summer and significantly lower than other staff did in terms of returning to camps in future years.

Nonprofit camp staff:

* ranked meet new people significantly higher than other staff did in terms of working throughout the summer and returning to camp in future years.

* ranked good working conditions higher than other staff did in terms of returning in future years.

Commercial camp staff:

* ranked desire to help organization higher than other staff did in terms of accepting a camp job and lower than other staff did in terms of working throughout the summer and returning in future years.

* ranked work with youth and develop skills lower than other staff did in all three data collection periods.

* ranked meet new people significantly higher than other staff did in terms of accepting a camp position.

Figure 1 - Ranking of Work Motives (number of respondents = 104)

Accept a Camp Job

Work with youth               H
Personal growth               M
Have fun                      H
Help others                   M
Meet new people               H
Interesting work              M
Personal achievement          M
Exercise skills               M
Develop skills                M
Good working conditions       H
Responsibility of job         M
Camp's location               H
Opportunity to travel         H
Like camp director            H
Help organization             H
Appreciation of effort        M
New status                    H
Advancement                   M
Administration policies       H
Increase in salary            H

Work Throughout the Summer

Work with youth               H
Personal growth               M
Have fun                      H
Help others                   M
Meet new people               H
Personal achievement          M
Exercise skills               M
Interesting work              M
Develop skills                M
Responsibility of job         M
Good working conditions       H
Like camp director            H
Help organization             H
Camp's location               H
Opportunity to travel         H
Appreciation of effort        M
New status                    H
Advancement                   M
Administration policies       H
Increase in salary            H

Return in Future Years

Have fun                      H
Work with youth               H
Personal growth               M
Help others                   M
Personal achievement          M
Meet new people               H
Interesting work              M
Exercise skills               M
Develop skills                M
Good working conditions       H
Responsibility of job         M
Camp's location               H
Opportunity to travel         H
Like camp director            H
Appreciation of effort        M
Advancement                   H
New status                    H
Help organization             H
Increase in salary            H
Administration policies       H

Practical implications for camp administrators

Research completed by William Jones in the early 1970s found "employees could maintain their jobs, (not be fired), by working at approximately 20 to 30 percent of their ability ... and employees can work at close to 80 to 90 percent of their ability if they are highly motivated" (cited in Hershey and Blanchard, 1972, p. 5). Camp directors must understand the motivating potential of various jobs and create an environment in which staff can be self motivating. Recommendations for camp directors, based on the results of this study, include:

* Recognize the uniqueness of seasonal staff members. They are generally younger, have more of a short-term outlook, and their commitment to the program may vary greatly. Their desire for advancement, status, and upward mobility may be absent.

* Camp directors need to explain the philosophical orientation of the organization when hiring staff and at every other opportunity. Finding the right match between individuals and organizations seems to be important in motivating staff. Sharing your vision for the camp program also helps staff buy into that vision and feel a part of a working team. This study suggests that the philosophical orientation of the organization has an impact on employee motivation (evident in the significant impact that the type of organization had on the ranking of motive stems).

* Understand why applicants wish to work at the camp and what they hope to gain from a camp staff experience. Take the time to know the motivators of each staff member in order to create a motivating environment for him or her. "Knowing applicants' goals prior to hiring them will help the director select employees who are best suited for the job and who have the potential to receive the most benefits from the camp experience" (Magnuson, 1992, p. 42).

* Emphasize the social and growth opportunities inherent in working in a camp. Motive stems that deal with personal growth and meeting other people ranked high in all three data collection periods.

* Establish a means for staff to support each other and to give each other feedback; this will help the staff feel more ownership of their work.

* Find innovative ways to help staff enjoy their work and create unique staff perks. Surprise staff by creating fun ways to fulfill job requirements. The staff examined in this study indicated that having fun is a strong motive to accept a camp job, to work throughout the summer, and to return in future years.

Camp directors are often frustrated with their lack of resources to provide higher salaries and better working conditions. However, this study indicates that these factors are not as important to staff as other factors. Although the motivation process is complex, there are a number of factors that camp directors can control to create a motivating environment for their staff. To most effectively motivate staff, camp directors must understand the unique factors present in their camp environment and the needs, interests, and desires of each staff member. Camp directors must make a commitment to knowing each staff member and bringing out the best in each of them throughout the summer.

References

Becker, W. (1983). A study of job satisfaction among returning camp counselors. Unpublished doctoral dissertation, Temple University, Philadelphia, PA.

Ditter, R.B. (1988). Today's child - Tomorrow's camp. Camping Magazine, 60(3),24-27.

Henderson, K. (1982). Who are our counselors? Camping Magazine, 54(2),44-45.

Hershey, P. & Blanchard, K. (1972). Management of organizational behavior: Utilizing human resources (2nd ed.). Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice-Hall.

Herzberg, F. (1959). The motivation to work. New York: Wiley.

Hoff, A., Ellis, G., & Crossley, J. (1988). Employment motives of summer job seekers in recreation settings: A test of Herzberg's motivation/hygiene theory. Journal of Parks and Recreation Administration, 6(1), 66-73.

Magnuson, C. (1992). Why do counselors return? Camping Magazine, 64(5), 38-42.

Neal, L. (1982). Motivational discrepancy between staff level in municipal leisure services. Technical Report No. 3, Eugene, Ore.: Center for Leisure Studies.

Servedio, W. (1981). Prospective counselors rank camp priorities. Camping Magazine, 53(5), 12-13.

1995 Summer Camp Survey Results. Camping Magazine, 68(4), 46.

Don DeGraff is a former camp director who is now an assistant professor at the University of Northern Iowa. Presently he has taken a one-year leave of absence and is working as a program advisor at TREATS, a camp program for children with disabilities in Hong Kong.

COPYRIGHT 1996 American Camping Association
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