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Building a better workplace through motivation

Brief Case

Introduction

Taylor

The Kellogg Company is the worlds leading

producer of breakfast cereals. Within Kelloggs,
there are many functions and work roles. These
range from production engineers to finance and
sales. Kelloggs motivates its employees. It
encourages them to live by its K-Values. These
values influence workers, making Kelloggs a
positive place to work. Kelloggs wants to build a
Great place to work. Its actions are supported
by some motivational writers.

Frederick Taylor developed the theory of scientific

management. Taylor believed that money was an
important motivator. He thought people could be
encouraged mainly through pay for what they
produced. This is known as piece work. However,
this is not a process that allows people to improve.
It limits their ability to take ownership of what they
do. Kelloggs staff are encouraged to be creative.
Taylors view of money as a key motivator is
therefore not particularly relevant for Kelloggs.

Maslow
Maslows theory sees personal motivation as a
hierarchy of needs. These range from survival
needs to achievement needs. Within Kelloggs
every person is motivated to work through each
of these levels of need. For instance:
Survival. Kelloggs has good rates of pay so
people can buy the basic needs for living.
Safety. Kelloggs provides a safe and healthy
workplace. It also promotes a healthy work-life
balance through schemes like career breaks or
homeworking.
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Social. Kelloggs has weekly group huddles.

These let workers exchange information and
keep informed on any part of the business.
Esteem. Workers are able to contribute ideas
to the business and are recognised through
reward schemes.
Self-actualisation. This represents personal
achievement. Kelloggs encourages all staff to
take on challenge and responsibility.

not good, this will make employees unhappy

and may reduce productivity. These factors are
also known as dissatisfiers.
Motivating factors (satisfiers) include, for
example, the level of responsibility, promotion
opportunities or recognition for effort.

For example, Laura Bryant joined a Kelloggs Field

Sales team straight after leaving university in
2002. After two years she was promoted to
Customer Marketing Manager at Head Office. In
2009 she was promoted again to manage the
marketing plan for Special K. She is now Brand
Manager for Kelloggs Cornflakes.

Kelloggs promotes a number of motivating

factors. For instance, it has a Fit for Life
programme giving staff access to fitness centres,
free health checks and yearly fitness
assessments. It also offers:
flexitime, home-working, part-time working and
job sharing
career breaks and time off to care for children
or other relatives
on-site gyms or cheap access to local gyms.

Mayo

Conclusion

Elton Mayos work showed that caring for staff

can have a positive effect. They were more
motivated if the business took an interest in them.
The WK Kellogg Values Awards programme
rewards staff for how they perform. It provides
praise and recognition. Kelloggs also provides
personal development planning for staff. This
includes secondments and study leave.

Kelloggs shows that having highly motivated staff

can improve efficiency, output and quality.
Motivating staff helps to make them more
committed to the workplace. Kelloggs is able to
make working a more exciting and interesting
experience for employees through the various
programmes it offers. At the same time they
become more productive, profitable and help the
business to be more competitive.

Herzberg
Herzberg wrote the two-factor theory.
Hygiene factors are those elements that staff
expect of a workplace. If they are missing or
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