Motivating Black Workers

Motivating Black Workers by W. Backer (McGraw‑Hill Book Co., 1973) is a specialised labour‑relations and organisational behaviour study focused on the psychological and practical dimensions of motivating Black employees within industrial workplaces. Published in 1973 by McGraw‑Hill in hardcover format with approximately 141 pages, this edition reflects the management and social science perspectives of its era, addressing workforce motivation in racially stratified labour markets, particularly within the South African context of the early 1970s.

Backer’s work examines key factors that influence job motivation and performance among Black workers, drawing on contemporary research in industrial psychology, organisational behaviour, and human relations. Motivating Black Workers engages with themes such as employee morale, incentive structures, communication barriers, and the role of management practices in shaping worker engagement and satisfaction. While grounded in the vocabulary and context of its time, it also engages with broader theories of motivation that were emerging in mid‑twentieth‑century personnel management, including hygiene‑motivation concepts and early explorations of cross‑cultural workplace dynamics.

Motivating Black Workers was published during a period when organisations and researchers were increasingly interested in understanding how motivation differed across worker groups and how human resources practices could be adapted to improve productivity and labour relations. Its emphasis on Black labour reflects both the social realities of segregation‑era workforces and the practical concerns of managers seeking to improve organisational effectiveness in racially stratified environments.

Today, this 1973 edition is of interest to scholars of labour history, organisational behaviour, and industrial relations as a historical document that captures a specific moment in management thought and social context. It offers both historical insight and a snapshot of how workplace motivation was conceptualised in relation to racial dynamics in industry during the early 1970s.

Condition: Very Good – Wear on dust jacket.