The primary objective of this research is to investigate how non-financial incentives impact employee motivation within the Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) operating in Saudi Arabia. Employing a positivist research approach, we employed a carefully crafted survey to collect data from 365 employees employed by SMEs situated in Jeddah. The study explores various aspects, including the most common non-monetary motivators, the interplay between non-monetary and monetary incentives, and the effects of non-financial incentives on employee engagement, job satisfaction, and commitment. The results of the study indicate that employees working in small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in Saudi Arabia place a significant emphasis on a good work environment, recognition, possibilities for personal and professional development, and career growth as prevalent non-monetary motivators. Additionally, the research illustrates a notable difference in the perceived efficacy of non-financial and financial incentives, whereby non-financial incentives are seen to have an equal, if not greater, impact on both motivation and work satisfaction. Moreover, the study reveals robust positive correlations between non-financial incentives and employee outcomes, underscoring the significance of these incentives in augmenting work satisfaction, job engagement, and commitment. The consequences of employee motivation are influenced by control factors, which have diverse influences, highlighting the complex nature of this phenomenon.

Organizations are gradually focusing on creating a healthy workplace for their employees and becoming more people-centric. This occurs because a healthy workforce increases the work performance of the organisation and the personal development of its employees. This study aims to investigate the HR functions that impact employee motivation in the Malaysian banking sector. The three HR functions that were selected were training and development, rewards and recognition, and career management. The study utilised a cross-sectional design, and the research instruments were adapted from a number of past studies. A total of 350 respondents from the Malaysian banking industry were recruited. Using SPSS Version 26.0, the research hypotheses were examined. The results show that rewards and recognition are not significant predictors of employee motivation in the Malaysian banking industry; however, training and development and career management are significant predictors of employee motivation. These results will help the human resources department develop and improve its HR operations.

In the highly competitive employment environment, most college students have left their jobs for a short time after employment, and attention should be paid to students’ career adaptation. However, the further influence of skilled goal orientation, social support and career-determined self-efficacy on college students’ career adaptation needs to be confirmed. This study analyzes the effects of these factors on college students’ career adaptation. This study aims to analyze the impact of mastery goal orientation, social support, and vocational decision self-efficacy on career adaptation among 224 university students in East China. The results indicated that university students generally exhibit positive levels of mastery goal orientation, social support, vocational decision self-efficacy, and overall career adaptation. Female students demonstrate higher levels of mastery goal orientation, social support, vocational decision self-efficacy, and career adaptation compared to male students. As students progress in their academic years, their levels of mastery goal orientation, social support, vocational decision self-efficacy, and career adaptation tend to increase. Students majoring in humanities and social sciences have higher level than students majoring in science and engineering in all factors. Students majoring in humanities and social sciences exhibit more optimism in all factors compared to students in science and technology fields. The relationships among these factors show positive correlations. Mastery goal orientation, social support, and vocational decision self-efficacy all have positive effects on career adaptation. Among these, family support stands out as the most influential subordinate factor of social support on career adaptation. The most influential subordinate factor of vocational decision self-efficacy on career adaptation is conscious decision-making. Therefore, male, lower grade, science and engineering college students are the groups that need to be paid attention to in improving career adaptation. Skilled goal orientation, family support and conscious decision making have a better effect on the improvement of career adaptation. These results can provide important reference information for universities, counselors and college students in the training of career planning, and theoretically enrich the relevant research on college students’ career adaptation, and provide certain enlightenment for future researchers.

In today’s rapidly evolving organizational landscape, understanding the dynamics of employee incentives is crucial for fostering high performance. This research delves into the intricate interplay between moral and financial incentives and their repercussions on employee performance within the dynamic context of healthcare organizations. Drawing upon a comprehensive analysis of 226 respondents from three healthcare organizations in Klang Valley, Peninsular Malaysia, the study employs a quantitative approach to explore the relationships between independent variables (career growth, recognition, decision-making, salary, bonus, promotion) and the dependent variable of employee performance. The research unveils that moral incentives, including career growth, recognition, and decision-making, significantly impact employee performance. Professionals motivated by opportunities for growth, acknowledgment, and participation in decision-making demonstrate heightened engagement and commitment. In the financial realm, competitive salaries, performance-based bonuses, and transparent promotion pathways are identified as crucial factors influencing employee performance. The study advocates a holistic approach, emphasizing the synergistic integration of both moral and financial incentives. Healthcare organizations are encouraged to tailor their incentive structures to create a supportive and rewarding workplace, addressing the multifaceted needs and motivations of healthcare professionals. The implications extend beyond academia, offering practical guidance for organizations seeking to optimize workforce dynamics, foster job satisfaction, and ensure the sustainability of healthcare organizations.

What personal competences of successful project managers are determined by their former career as an elite athlete? To answer the question, comprehensive research is carried out, implemented as part of the EEIG-EU/P-Kr/06.12/23 project. The primary aim is to establish conclusively which particular personality traits, identified and analysed using the Big Five Inventory-2 and supplemented by structured interviews, directly contribute to the success of former elite athletes transitioning into roles as effective project managers. We found that successful project managers who were also elite athletes possess personality traits that can be identified as positive determinants of success in either sport or professional careers. Among these personality traits, we can include a low level of neuroticism and a high level of conscientiousness, then extraversion and agreeableness. This paper contributes to a nuanced understanding of how the realms of sports and management intersect and overlap. The presented paper can serve as a basis for further research in the field of personality psychology and management studies.

The purpose of this study is to investigate the correlation between sponsorship and the performance and development of early career athletes transitioning from junior level to professional sports, because this issue has not been fully explored in the Czech Republic. The reason is the almost absolute absence of financial or material support for such early-career athletes, when their transition from junior categories and the entire junior category is almost always exclusively financed and supported by their parents and families. We also emphasise the absolute absence of legislative provisions that would give supporters of such athletes at least a tax or other advantage. The research is based on research of Cardenas (2023), Hong and Fraser (2023) and Moolman and Shuttleworth (2023) and aims to assess how financial and material support provided by sponsors can enhance an athlete’s performance and long-term career trajectory. A mixed method approach was adopted, combining quantitative analysis through surveys and performance data with qualitative interviews. Data from 173 early career athletes from various disciplines were analysed using t-tests and ANOVA statistical methods to assess financial stability, access to better training, and community participation. Results indicate that sponsorship significantly contributes to better performance metrics, with sponsored athletes showing a 20% improvement in competition results compared to nonsponsored athletes. Furthermore, sponsorship financial support improved training opportunities and access to elite facilities, which was shown to increase athletes’ performance by 15%. However, some challenges related to sponsorship obligations, such as marketing commitments, were highlighted by athletes, underscoring the pressures that sponsorship can introduce. The implications of this study suggest that effective sponsorship strategies can play a vital role in an athlete’s career development, offering not only financial stability but also opportunities for personal branding and increased community engagement. Another implication is a possible consideration for legislators in the context of preparing a legislative framework enabling tax or other benefits for companies and organisations sponsoring or supporting these young athletes. More research is recommended to explore the long-term impact of sponsorship on athlete mental health and career sustainability, as well as the differences in sponsorship effects across various sports disciplines.