What works in the workplace ?

A new survey conducted by consulting firm Mercer has shown that Asian employees, especially those in India and China, regard respect from their employers so highly that even pay does not motivate them as much.

This is a most interesting finding, if true. It means that companies probably do not have to spend all that time and money on trying to woo their employees through mere incentives, if they are otherwise missing the point and losing the confidence of their employees.

But is this feeling actually universal in Asia, and even in India? Can we claim to be absolutely free of the lure of lucre? True, a boss's respect would mean the world. But does this mean that money does not play a part at all? What if one got kudos all around from his immediate boss all the way up, but when the pay packet or incentive comes around, it seems like all that 'hard work' went in vain? That popular television ad for a job site comes to mind. The feeling could well be like a mighty deflation in the chest.

So how much then does money play a role in modern India? Does the finding of the survey mean that money may be important but just not as much as respect from an employer? Or is the study all wrong in the first place?