Motivation by Project and Functional Managers in Matrix Organizations

Abstract

A project team in a matrix organizational structure is assembled by collecting individuals from supporting organizations with specific skills required for that project. Thus, its management guidance comes typically from one functional manager and one or more project managers. Historically, the functional manager has been identified with the oversight and well-being of the employee, while the project manager is focused on project deliverables. There has been very little empirical research examining the behavioral aspects of this multiple-manager form as it pertains to project team members.This article documents a study of 222 individuals from 18 matrix-type organizations that examines who provides influence or control for factors that result in job satisfaction or dissatisfaction. Factors developed by Frederick Herzberg were used in the study, with an examination of the factor groupings that Herzberg called hygiene (or maintenance) factors and motivators. This study provides empirical evidence that project managers bear a significant responsibility for the well-being of project team members, in that functional managers have control or influence for the hygiene factors while project managers have significant control or influence for the motivator factors.

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