Motivation

Q1. Define the problems in this case, using as many theories of motivation
from this chapter as you think might apply.

1) Herzberg Two Factor Theory:

This theory is made up of two parts: the hygiene factor and the motivation factor. Lower-level
demands, which he refers to as hygiene or external elements, do not result in motivation;
rather, they simply prevent discontent. While Bob and Susan complete their assigned tasks
correctly, they show no initiative or go above and beyond what is expected of them. Jess
must assess whether their motivational needs are being met.

2) Goal setting theory:

It is concerned with how people set and achieve goals, as well as how this process affects
motivation in general. The case clearly shows that no specific, measurable objectives are
established, and Bob and Susan are not actively involved in the process.

3) McClelland’s Motivational theory:

People with high aspirations seek out goals that will hold them accountable. They want to be
recognised for their accomplishments as soon as possible. Those with the second type of
motivation are motivated by a desire for affiliation, social connections, and constructive
interactions. They make good use of interpersonal skills and thrive in social situations. Those
in need of power, the third group, seek positions that will allow them to exercise authority
over others. Jess hasn't figured out what drives each of her employees.

Theories X and Y – They use a variety of motivational strategies. Theory Y takes a more
decentralised approach to motivating people than Theory X, which takes an authoritarian
approach. Susan has to identify which theory works for her employees and alter her
managerial style accordingly.

Q2. Discuss the practical implications of each of the models you use. In other
words, what do these models suggest the supervisor should do or say as a
consequence of defining the problem from that perspective.

1) Autocratic model – The Autocratic model is one in which management gives orders and
requires lower management to carry out those orders without objection. In this model, all
authority rests with management. Decisions, plans and political decision-making power
remain with management. This model is useful as it is:

 Quick Decision making

 Easier Implementation
 Work requirements fulfilled completely
2) Custodian Model - The custodial model believes that worthwhile the personnel and
presenting them with blessings for his or her performances could growth morale and assist
them paintings better. It assumes that activity security, truthful pay, paid vacations, bonuses
etc. are powerful manner of maintaining personnel in an employer as everyone's number
one purpose of running is to earn and steady activity security. This model can be beneficial
for the following case as it:

 Higher Employee Satisfaction

 Greater Talent Retention
 Improves Employee Motivation
 Incentivises Employee Performance
 Greater Contribution of Employees

3) Supportive Model - The supportive model focuses on employee psychology, motivation,

and enthusiasm. It is based on the fact that management supports employees based on their
leadership orientation. As a result, in this model, the manager is not a dictator or a lender,
but rather a backbone for the employees, encouraging them to do better. Between the
employees and the manager, a bond is formed. This promotes a positive work environment,
harmony, and improved communication within the organisation, allowing everyone to
perform better. The following model could be useful in the following case as:

 Employee suggestions are valued.

 Motivating Employee, Boosting his morale higher satisfaction
 Improved relations between employees and managers
 Harmony and Productivity are valued

4) Collegial Model - This organisational behaviour model promotes teamwork within the
organisation. It emphasises shared responsibilities among groups of co-workers. Everyone
in the organisation works as a team, and no one is superior to or subordinate to anyone else.
To achieve a common goal, team members must work together. The manager here acts as
a team member and a coach, constantly supporting and encouraging teamwork to improve
employees' potential to achieve respective goals. The organization's members respect and
value each other's ideas and collaborate to improve the quality of work and performance of
each member. It can act as a competitive advantage to the organization as people of
different talents and capabilities are put together to work together as a team to achieve
shared goals. The model could be useful in the following case as:

 Enhanced working conditions

 Teamwork
 Better relationships
 Effective in gaining a competitive advantage

5) System Model - This model considers organisation to be a system. It discusses the

organization's structure, culture, environment, and policies. Every member must contribute
to the system. Every member has different goals, talents, and abilities, and this model
focuses on achieving a balance between individual and company objectives. This model is
beneficial because it:

 Enhanced Communication
  Greater value to employee and communities
 Supports a conducive work environment

Q3. What are some of the perspectives on organizational behaviour that could
explain the apparently high levels of motivation among the four employees?
What models might explain Jess’s motivation?

Motivation is a two-fold method in that overall performance is depending on the

encouragement and help supplied via way of means of the employers. Different humans are
prompted in one of the ways. Some views on organizational conduct that would give us an
explanation for the excessive degrees of motivation amongst the four employees are:

1.McClelland's Needs Theory:

According to McClelland's Needs Theory, people are motivated by the needs for
achievement, affiliation, or power. As a result, in the context of the case, the four
employees could be motivated by one of the aforementioned needs. These needs
are intrinsic, which may be one of the reasons for the four employees' high levels of
motivation.

2. Vroom's Theory: 

According to Vroom, an employee's beliefs about Expectancy, Instrumentality, and

Valence interact psychologically to create a motivating force that causes the
employee to act in ways that provide pleasure while avoiding pain. Because the
motivation in this case is intrinsic, the four employees are motivated.

3. McGregor's Theories X and Y:

McGregor has a different point of view, explaining that employees occasionally

require a watchful eye to encourage them. The other component of this theory holds
that employees do not require supervision from senior management in order to
perform well. As a result, the employees could be classified as Theory Y employees,
which could explain their high level of motivation.

Jess' Motivation:

According to the case, the employer Jess Johnson appoints six employees for the
project, but she is also inexperienced as this is her first project. She lacked the ability
to motivate employees when they were doing their jobs well. Only after their
performance deteriorated did Jess take this matter seriously and counsel them to
improve. However, due to a lack of communication among the employees, the team's
overall performance suffered. Jess did not encourage creativity and skills, which
negatively impacted the performance of the other four employees, which were
heavily conducted with the four employees. Respect and creativity, according to
 Maslow's hierarchy of needs, are important components of employee motivation.
Hertzberg believes that a supervisor's actions and job satisfaction are important
motivators.

Jess' motivation can also be explained by McClelland's Needs theory. As we can

observe from the facts of the case, Jess requires affiliation from her superiors. As a
result, McClelland's Needs Theory can explain motivation as well.

Q4. Which of the theories or models do you think fit best with which
employees and why?

Jess Johnson, the case's employer, selects six workers for the project, but she lacks
expertise because this is her first job. She lacked the ability to inspire the workers when they
were doing their jobs well. Jess began to take this matter seriously and persuaded them to
improve only when their performance began to deteriorate. However, the team's overall
performance suffered as a result of poor communication among the members.

Respect and inventiveness are important components of employee motivation, according to

Maslow's hierarchy of needs. According to Hertzberg, job satisfaction and a supervisor's
actions are important motivators.

Jess lacked the ability to inspire the team from the beginning, which contributed to the
schism between Susan and Bob. While the performance of the other employees was
reviewed on a regular basis and they were encouraged, Susan and Bob received no
communication. Jess would have encouraged teamwork, innovation, and enjoyable activities
for the workers by employing a variety of motivational techniques. Employees would have
had the opportunity to socialize and share ideas on how to work more efficiently. As a result
of Jess's lack of leadership and communication, the team members' performance suffered.

Few models that Jess should’ve used with her employees:

1) Feedback

Everyone believes that feedback's purpose is to show someone where they are making a
mistake. There aren't many places where the employees' excellent work is acknowledged.
An employee who has received feedback, in my opinion, should leave with a positive
attitude, motivation, and eagerness to work. This can be accomplished by assisting them in
building on their strengths, allowing them to overcome their deficiencies. A thorough
evaluation would have greatly aided both teams in staying focused on the task at hand.

2) Proper Monitoring:

Because the personnel in question are new hires, they should have been subjected to more
stringent oversight. In other words, they were simply abandoned, which is the impression I
got from the report, given that they were doing well at the start. Because this personnel was
trusted, they were not properly monitored. They might have taken it for granted. Because
management has not confronted them about how their work is progressing, we are
discussing this issue. They would have developed a sense of responsibility if they had been
observed and encouraged in their work rather than just accepting the job casually.
3) Motivation:

There was no motivational component represented throughout the article. Employees were
not encouraged to give their best efforts. If they had received rewards or awards for their
efforts, they would have taken their work more seriously and their morale would have
improved. Individuals are now more likely to feel a sense of duty and competition when they
are rewarded or honored. In the workplace, the reinforcement principle is used to rein in
those who are aimless and careless. Employees will behave differently if they receive praise
for their work, according to this theory. They will not continue to act in this manner if they do
not receive something in exchange for their efforts.

This concept allows for the motivation of employees in a way that benefits the company.
People who have won awards want to keep their success and improve their performance,
whereas those who haven't won want to win by outperforming everyone else. This was
missing.

McGregor's theories X and Y are the most applicable motivational models in the
aforementioned example. Employees frequently require direct supervision from the
manager, according to hypothesis X, for improved outcomes and project completion. Bob
and Susan are examples of Theory X. Managers, according to Theory Y, reward employees
who perform well despite not receiving constant direction from them. It develops leadership
skills in the workplace. Theory 'y' applies to the remaining four people.

Q5. What conclusions can you draw, or what observations can you make,
about motivation theory and research?

Motivation is the process of assessing an individual's intensity, direction, and persistence of

effort toward achieving a goal, specifically an organisational goal in the context of OB.
Intensity refers to how hard one tries. High intensity, however, is not a good indicator of
favourable job-performance outcomes and the level of motivation required to benefit the
organisation unless effort is channelled in a direction that benefits the organisation. As a
result, effort quality is just as important as all other factors. Finally, persistence (how long a
person can maintain effort) is important in this case.

Susan's self-esteem needs appear to be low in this case because she requires external
validation and appears to take on work that is not expected of her without consulting her
superiors. According to McClelland's Theory of Needs, she has a strong need for both
achievement and power, as evidenced by her overpromising and desire for a promotion.
Also, according to the expectancy theory, she appears to be intrinsically motivated but bored
with her mundane tasks. Employees will be motivated to put in extra effort if they believe it
will result in a good performance appraisal; a good appraisal will result in organisational
rewards.

She requires a clear set of guidelines outlining her work areas and the organisational
hierarchy. Her expectations regarding her organisational goals must also be managed.
According to Vroom's expectancy theory, the organisation must provide a clear set of
attainable goals that, when met, will satisfy her expectancy of rewards and success.

Bob, on the other hand, lacks intrinsic motivation; he has no need for success, but power
appears to drive him because he desires a promotion. He has consistently demonstrated
little to no enthusiasm for his profession over time. According to Herzberg's two-factor theory
of motivation, he has no need for responsibility, achievement, or even labour. His job
happiness may be lower as well because it is linked to his ability to improve personally,
which turns out to be lacking.

Bob requires external motivation, so improving hygienic aspects such as interpersonal

interactions and better supervision in which clear goals and guidelines are set for him to
meet will improve his level of performance and reduce any job discontent that Bob may
have. Additionally, in order to boost the employee's motivation, external motivators may also
be offered like acknowledgement and recognition when his goals are achieved.

Everyone has different reasons for doing things. What motivates one person may not
motivate another. The driving force itself may change over time. For example, Bob's initial
motivation was that he was new and wanted to make a difference, but after a while, he lost
interest in helping the business achieve its goals. The concept contends that in this case,
there is a distinction between what people seek and what they regard as important on a
personal and organizational level. In this situation, both Bob and Susan desired a promotion,
but they did not value work ethic as a factor in achieving that promotion.

These theories lead us to the conclusion that management must inspire both employees
differently and hold a discussion about how the promotion is directly related to the person's
performance, benefiting both the employee and the organization. Jess must establish clear
standards against which future performance evaluations of staff members will be judged.