CASE STUDY: MOTIVATION AND JOB SATISFACTION

Radu Ionescu recently graduated an Economic Faculty and he is employed at the office
supply of a private clinic. Radu is very conscientious and ambitious, qualities which brought him
in a short period of time not only praise from his boss but also a pay above average. All these
motivated him and his enthusiasm and optimism were obvious for everybody. Radu liked what
he was doing and he intended to keep working in that clinic and later on even to coordinate the
entire administrative management activity.
At some point the clinic was bought by a foreign organization which intended to extend
on the Romanian market. The orders and decisions which started to come from the centre were
otherwise completely different from the way in which things had been until that moment. From
Radu’s point of view some decisions were reasonable, but most of them were inappropriate,
moreover applying those measures would have reduced the efficiency of the activity.
Since the takeover, the foreign organization sent only once one representative who had
hinted that in the future every decision would be taken by the main headquarters from abroad.
Moreover, it was a rumor that a new clinic from the neighborhood would be bought soon and
that the administrative management activity of the two clinics would be completely restructured.
Radu’s boss became quiet and preoccupied. He stopped asking for Radu’s opinions, he
din not praise him no matter how well he would do his job. Radu started changing his working
style/behavior due to the fear of losing his job. Radu stopped making proposals regarding the
increase of efficiency; he became very cautious thinking twice before proposing something. The
fear of doing something wrong became an obsession. He stopped offering himself as a volunteer
in working with the colleagues from other departments in solving some tasks if there was the
slightest shade of failure regarding that project/task.
Radu was sure that at the first mistake he would be fired. Therefore he did everything he
could in order not to give the opportunity to be criticized. His belief that no matter how good his
ideas would be regarding the increase of efficiency of the activities and that still the decisions
would always come from the main headquarters, made him withdraw himself and he started to
pass unnoticed.

QUESTIONS FOR DISCUSSIONS:

1. How would you explain in Radu’s case the relation motivation – performance –
satisfaction?
2. How could the HR department of the foreign company help in order to increase
employees’ performances?
3. What is to be done now?