A central point of the chapter is that some motivational practices may have universal appeal, but more often they need tailoring to fit to the culture in which an MNC may be working. Research shows that some motivational approaches in the United States have been successfully transferred to Russia.

More often creative modification to familiar approaches is necessary. The importance for international managers of focusing on employee motivation is unquestioned. The challenge lies in finding the appropriate applications of motivational theory to the specific culture at hand.