Uses and Applications of the MBA Inventory
The MBA inventory was developed to look at the languages of appreciation, encouragement
and motivation utilized in work-related settings (as opposed to personal
relationships with family and friends.)
While the Five Love Languages of quality time, verbal praise, acts of service,
tangible gifts, and physical touch are important and appropriate in personal relationships,
initial research conducted found that:
1) physical touch was rarely, if ever, a
person’s primary language of appreciation in the work setting, and
2) many people
felt uncomfortable with the idea of physical touch in work-based relationships (even
though certain actions such as a firm handshake, a pat on the back, or a "high five"
in celebration can be appropriate). As a result, the language of physical touch
was not included in the final version of the MBA Inventory.
Specific Applications of the MBA Inventory.
Educational Institutions. Public and private schools (elementary, middle,
high schools), colleges and even preschools have personnel who are committed professionals
who work hard and who need encouragement. However, most of the time, administrators
and board members have limited ability to reward employees with raises or bonuses
outside of the contractual obligations. Therefore, school administrators often are
looking for non-monetary ways to encourage and show appreciation to their staff.
The MBA Inventory, MBA Report, and Appreciation Action List provide this information
to educational administrators.
Non-profits Organizations. Staff members of non-profit organizations usually
are paid less than their compatriots in the for-profit sector while they also often
provide services to difficult clientele. Almost always, non-profits are limited
in their ability to reward staff with higher salaries or bonuses. And “burn out”
rates in non-profits can be fairly high, given the demanding nature of the work
along with less prestige associated with the positions. Thus, the need to encourage
staff and volunteers and to communicate appreciation is huge. The MBA Inventory,
MBA Report and Appreciation Action List can be critical resources for non-profit
administrators (and the Board of Directors) in encouraging their personnel.
Churches and Ministries. Churches and other non-church based ministries make
up one of the largest groups of volunteer organizations in the United States. In
addition to having highly committed staff members (who often are not paid much),
churches have large numbers of volunteers who do much of the work – small group
leaders, Sunday school teachers, child care providers, program workers. Pastors
and their staff often do not know how to adequately express their appreciation for
the many hours of service provided by their church members. The MBA Inventory, MBA
Report, and Appreciation Action List can be an excellent resource to generate ideas
of ways to communicate appreciation accurately to staff and volunteers.
Retention of Current Employees. The lack of qualified employees in the U.S.
has been documented extensively and finding good candidates for positions is increasingly
difficult. As a result, retaining current staff is a critical issue for most businesses
and organizations. Research has demonstrated that the single most frequent reason
given for individuals leaving their current employment is due to a feeling of lack
of appreciation (as opposed to financial reasons.)
Thus, the more frequently that employers, supervisors and managers can accurately
and practically communicate appreciation to valued employees, the more likely they
will be able to retain their quality staff. The MBA Inventory, MBA Report, and Appreciation
Action Checklist were designed specifically to meet this need.
Training and Acculturation of New Employees. Given the difficulty of finding
quality employees, it is imperative for employers to be able to successfully integrate
newly hired staff. Research has demonstrated that the hiring process is only about
50% of the issues contributing to a successful hire. The remaining 50% lies in the
initial training and acculturation of the new employee (many new employees decide
to leave after six to twelve months of their employment, which creates huge training
costs for the employer.) Identifying in what ways the new employees feel appreciated
and valued is a key step and critical information needed for managers to successfully
solidify the placement of recently hired staff.