IMPACT OF COVID -19 PANDEMIC ON THE HIERARCHY OF MOTIVATING FACTORS AMONG SALES DEPARTMENT EMPLOYEES

The purpose of this study is to identify, assess and compare the hierarchy of motivating factors among sales department employees of Polish companies before and during the COVID-19 pandemic. The study examines the COVID-19 pandemic as a specific and unprecedented crisis we had not encountered on such a scale before. The study used a survey questionnaire, the results of which were analysed using methods from multivariate statistical analysis. A decrease in respondents' preferences for motivating factors related to the work team, the atmosphere at work and employee benefits, and a substantial increase in the importance of employment security have been observed. Attractive remuneration has retained its high position in the hierarchy of motivating factors from the time before the COVID-19 pandemic. From the point of view of a company's surviving the crisis, sales department employees are its key assets. Understanding the changes in motivating factors caused by an unstable environment may be very useful to managers in creating effective and practical tools for motivating employees. © 2022, Czestochowa University of Technology. All rights reserved.