Theoretical and methodological foundations and the essential content of labor motivation in the modern economy

Abstract

The study highlights the problem of labor motivation in the post-industrial economy, where material incentives are no longer a sufficient driver of productivity and retention. The aim is to identify industry and career differences in motivational structures and assess the effects of intangible tools on engagement. The novelty is the comparison of IT and industry on a common methodological basis with quantitative verification and applied typology of profiles. The questions relate to hierarchies of motivators, the impact of seniority, and the response to well-being programs. The empirical base is a survey of 1,250 employees of 30 organizations (15 IT and 15 industrial) in 2022-2023; stratification by industry, position level and length of service. Toolkit: standardized questionnaire for assessing the significance of factors, satisfaction with incentives and engagement; calculations in SPSS. Descriptive statistics, comparison of averages, and Pearson correlation analysis were used; additionally, eNPS were analyzed before and after the implementation of well-being programs. Reliability was ensured by anonymity and uniform data collection procedures. For IT, substantive factors are prioritized: «interesting and challenging tasks» - 8.91 and «work-life balance» - 8.54; industry is dominated by «salary» 9.12 and «stability and social guarantees» - 8.77 (salary in IT-8.72; stability - 7.23). Satisfaction with flexible schedule/remote work 61,3% in IT, compared to 18,9% in production; training 52,8% versus 35,4%; VMI/social package is higher in production 55,1% versus 48,2%; recognition is comparable 41,2% and 39,5%. With experience, the importance of «salary» r=-0.18 decreases and influence on strategy» r=+0.52, «mentoring» r=+0.47, «stability» r=+0.33, «task complexity» r=+0.21 grow. eNPS in IT increased from +15.3 to +42.8 (Δ+27.5), in industry from +5.1 to +18.6 (Δ+13.5). Industry-specific profiles evolve with a career: the meaning of work, flexibility and development are critical for IT, guarantees and material security are critical for production; experienced employees have an increasing need for influence and mentoring. Segmentation of HR policies and prioritization of flexibility and training in IT, social package and recognition in production are practically justified; well-being increases engagement, especially in IT. Limitations are self-reporting and industry composition of the sample; prospects are longitudinal and experimental designs.