This chapter tells the fascinating story of how human motivational processes evolved from the humblest of creatures, starting with “primordial” goals and precursors of basic emotions. In addition to explaining how our capabilities for self-direction and self-regulation evolved, this chapter provides a way of understanding the complexly organized motivational systems we see in humans in a way that transcends specific motivation theories. It is thus a chapter about the fundamental properties of human nature as they relate to motivation and optimal functioning rather than a chapter about a particular theoretical approach to human motivation. That is an essential framing, as one of the basic premises of this book is that efforts to motivate self and others can best succeed if they are consistent with basic human nature.

Through development of strong strategic capabilities, Chilean companies have increased their foreign presence over the last three decades. Two critical factors influenced this drive to internationalization: (1) limited potential to grow domestically due to the relatively small size of the Chilean economy, and (2) the early start of Chile’s liberalization process compared to other Latin American countries. In this chapter, we examine the strategic capabilities and internationalization initiatives of seven Chilean firms: eClass (e-learning), ALTO (loss prevention), Kunstmann (premium beer production), Forus (premium brands retail), Derco (vehicle distribution), Casas del Toqui (wine), and BeitGroup (children’s clothing). During the internationalization process of these companies, all the firms found it crucial first to transfer strategic capabilities developed at home to another country, and then to successfully adapt these capabilities to the foreign country context. These companies did not seek to acquire or upgrade their strategic capabilities through internationalization.

Many books that aspire to go beyond descriptions of motivational processes to address the question of how to motivate self and others adopt a tactical approach that is overly mechanical and often limited to a narrow range of change pathways and targets of intervention. To avoid these pitfalls, this chapter focuses on broad principles for enhancing optimal human functioning rather than offering simplistic “prescriptions” for motivating self and others. In doing so, we also explain why the uniqueness of individual motivational patterns – psychologically, developmentally, and contextually – makes it impossible to offer formulaic advice for motivating self and others. To engage the reader’s interest, we use a novel Q&A format after the initial presentation of overarching principles to illustrate how a “principled” approach to motivating self and others can be used to diagnosis motivational problems, identify multiple targets of intervention, and envision a variety of pathways to more optimal functioning.

In the early twentieth century, Argentinean firms were among the first emerging market multinationals. More recently, international expansion has been conditioned by domestic economic and political turmoil. In this chapter, we analyze the internationalization strategies of seven Argentinean firms: Globant and Grupo ASSA (information technology), Grupo ARCOR (food processing), Bodega Lagarde (winemaking), Grupo Mirgor (consumer electronics), Grupo Bagó (pharmaceutic), and San Miguel (agriculture). We included firms that are in different stages of the international process: from exporters to multilatinas to operating beyond Latin America. We find that firm internationalization requires the development of strategic capabilities that complement those required to be successful in the domestic market. Whereas firms initially emphasize production capabilities and leverage cost advantages, over time they develop marketing capabilities related to understanding customer needs in different markets and managerial capabilities that allow for integrating the multinational organization. Our interviews with directors and senior managers highlight how perceptions of the business context condition the development of strategic capabilities and their deployment in international markets.

In this chapter, we integrated data obtained from the interviews conducted with business leaders from seventy-two companies across twelve emerging markets in five continents to better understand which capabilities leaders of emerging market multinationals identify as being strategic. In doing so, we examined which capabilities appear to be commonly assessed as being strategic across our study contexts, and which ones varied by industry, company multinationality, and country of origin. In particular, we examined emerging market companies headquartered in Eastern Europe (Russia and Poland), Asia (China, India, and Kazakhstan), Latin America (Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Mexico, and Peru) and Africa (South Africa). Looking across the various capabilities identified by the senior managers in our study, our results suggest that the strategic capabilities needed by emerging market firms to be successful outside their home markets occur at multiple levels, including management level, firm level, industry level, and national level. These capabilities influence both a firm’s ability to internationalize and its ability to be successful, abilities that often have reinforcing influences on each other.

This chapter helps fill a significant gap in the human sciences and professional practice, as theories of life meaning are both few in number and somewhat narrow in scope despite the scientifically and personally compelling nature of the topic. For those focused explicitly on motivating self and others, it opens new horizons for understanding how to elevate human experience under both favorable and adverse circumstances, consistent with the goal of creating a comprehensive theory of motivation and optimal functioning. It does so by explaining not only the nature and antecedents of feelings of life meaning but also that such feelings are facilitated and enhanced by TSP motivational patterns. Life meaning can thus provide humans with the motivational strength needed to overcome major life challenges and obstacles by telling us that “life is worth living” and “these goals are worth pursuing.”