Activity 1: Situational Analysis

Directions: Write the possible actions to be taken based on each scenario. (10 points each)
1. Scenario: You’re the new manager of a small team with a history of underachievement.
You’re looking to get to the root cause of this underperformance and start the team off in the
right direction under your management.
Actions:
_If I were the new manager, the action I would take is by talking to each employee individually and as a
team about the reasons for our underperformance and the management loss direction. Then, after talking
to them individually and as a whole, I assume that the problem with our team is that the employees are
having very low morale. Primarily this is because they believe that their targets are unrealistic, but it is
also because they thought that if they work really hard to achieve something, it is the company that
benefits, not them. And I think the team has low trust in management. So the action I will take as a new
manager is to decide that immediate rewards can be the first way to turn things around and build the team
trust in me (the new manager) and the management. So, as a new manager, I must set weekly goals for
my employees to achieve in order to alleviate the low morale they are experiencing. If they reach the
weekly goals, then the team will receive an immediate reward. For example, an employee that
accomplishes the weekly goals will be given extra money to spend on their weekend. If the target doesn't
meet, they don't get a reward. By the use of short-term rewards and related to the team performance such
as;
Keeping the team focused on their performance, and building the team trust toward me (the new
manager) and to the management. Moreover, this is similar to using one of the variables of expectancy
theory.

2. Scenario: You’ve been in your position as a manager of a small team does good work and
performs well, but you want to boost their performance further.
Actions:
_In this scenario, as a manager, I will approach each employee to improve the rewards offered by
tailoring them based on their individual needs. For example, a long-distance traveler may appreciate the
opportunity to work from home for a day if they meet their goals. Someone with a lot of enthusiasm
could enjoy the opportunity to lead a small project next quarter when they reach their goals this quarter.
The action that I will be taken as a manager to resolve this situation is to form a team that is highly
motivated and efficient by rewarding each team member base on their individual needs. As a result, each
employee will see high productivity as a means to achieve his or her goals and will be able to invest
energy and determination in their work. So by doing it, as a manager, you will be taken the variable
valence of the expectancy theory that will strengthen the motivation of an employee for a particular
outcome based on their needs. By using the valence of expectancy theory, is a great way to handle this
situation.