Motivation in extreme conditions (PDF)

Doctoral Thesis / Dissertation from the year 2019 in the subject Sociology - Work, Profession, Education, Organisation, grade: A, University of Aarhus, language: English, abstract: Mogadishu, Somalia is one of the most dangerous cities in the world to live in due to the ongoing political instability in Somalia and frequent terror attacks on hotels, diplomatic residences, government offices and even residential areas in the city. In this case, Mogadishu is not just risky to live in but also dangerous to work in. However, there are daring workers who come from all over the world to serve in different capacities and tasks in the city. The researcher, therefore, sought to establish what motivates these people to leave their peaceful countries to work and stay in Mogadishu.

To answer the question, the researcher conducted a qualitative study. The study involved 34 participants who were interviewed on motivation strategies, organisation culture and management of the organisation they work to understand what attracts them to work in Mogadishu. From the interviews, the researcher noted that salaries and bonuses, challenging tasks, need to help the disadvantaged and adventure were the main reasons that made people to leave their peaceful countries and move to Somalia. In a nutshell, the researcher found that motivation to work in violent areas such as Mogadishu depended on a combination of both intrinsic and extrinsic motivation factors as well as environmental factors.