You are on page 1of 27

Supervision Today 8th Edition Robbins

Solutions Manual
Visit to download the full and correct content document: https://testbankdeal.com/dow
nload/supervision-today-8th-edition-robbins-solutions-manual/
PART THREE: MOTIVATING, LEADING, COMMUNICATING, AND
DEVELOPING

CHAPTER 8
MOTIVATING FOLLOWERS

CHAPTER OUTCOMES AND LEARNING OBJECTIVES


Objective 8-1. Define motivation.
Objective 8-2. Identify and define five personality characteristics relevant to understanding the
behavior of employees at work.
Objective 8-3. Explain the elements and the focus of the three early theories of motivation.
Objective 8-4. Identify the characteristics that stimulate the achievement drive in high achievers.
Objective 8-5. Identify the three relationships in expectancy theory that determine an
individual’s level of effort.
Objective 8-6. List actions a supervisor can take to maximize employee motivation.
Objective 8-7. Describe how supervisors can design individual jobs to maximize employee
performance.
Objective 8-8. Explain the effect of workforce diversity on motivating employees.

WHAT IS MOTIVATION?

UNDERSTANDING INDIVIDUAL DIFFERENCES


Can Personality Measures Predict Practical Work-Related Behaviors?
Do You Need to Develop Your Emotional Intelligence to Improve Your Supervision
Skills?

THE EARLY THEORIES OF MOTIVATION


How Do You Focus on Needs?
Do Supervisors Focus on the Nature of People?
What Effect Does the Organization Have on Motivation?

CONTEMPORARY THEORIES OF MOTIVATION


What Is a Focus on Achievement?
How Important Is Equity?

DO EMPLOYEES REALLY GET WHAT THEY EXPECT?


How Do You Create an Atmosphere in Which Employees Really Want to Work?

DESIGNING MOTIVATING JOBS

MOTIVATION CHALLENGES FOR TODAY’S SUPERVISORS


What Is the Key to Motivating a Diverse Workforce?
Should Employees Be Paid for Performance or Time on the Job?
How Can Supervisors Motivate Minimum-Wage Employees?
How Are Contingent Workers Motivated?
What’s Different in Motivating Professional and Technical Employees?

Copyright (c) 2016 Pearson Education, Inc. 8-1


What Can a Supervisor Do to Improve Employees’ Work-Life Balance?
How Can Managers Use Employee Recognition Programs?
How Can Employee Stock Ownership Plans Affect Motivation?

COMPREHENSION: REVIEW AND DISCUSSION QUESTION SOLUTIONS

DEVELOPING YOUR SUPERVISORY SKILLS

GETTING TO KNOW YOURSELF SELF-ASSESSMENT EXERCISES

BUILDING A TEAM

COMMUNICATING EFFECTIVELY

THINKING CRITICALLY CASE STUDY SUGGESTED ANSWERS

ADDITIONAL ACTIVITIES

CHAPTER 8
MOTIVATING FOLLOWERS

Responding to a Supervisory Dilemma: Supervisors need to be aware that the value in their
companies comes from the employees who are motivated to be there. It is important to
understand how important employee motivation is and be able to motivate employees. That
requires understanding what motivation is.

• Motivation
—Some employees are very highly motivated
—Others simply can’t seem to put forth much sustained effort
—Most people are in between those two extremes
—This chapter provides insights that can help increase employee motivation

WHAT IS MOTIVATION?
Objective 8-1. Define motivation.

• Motivation defined
See: Exhibit 8-1: Needs and motivation.

—Willingness to do something
—Satisfy a need that is causing increased tension
—Drive
—A satisfied need results in reduced tension

Notes: _______________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
Copyright (c) 2016 Pearson Education, Inc. 8-2
UNDERSTANDING INDIVIDUAL DIFFERENCES
Objective 8-2. Identify and define five personality characteristics relevant to understanding
the behavior of employees at work.

• Recognize individual differences


—Don’t assume that just because you are highly motivated and ambitious, your
workers are just as motivated and just as ambitious
—What is important to you may or may not be important to your workers

Can Personality Measures Predict Practical Work-Related Behaviors?

• Internal locus of control


—Belief that you control your own destiny
—Exhibit few of the characteristics of the person with an external locus on control, as
noted below

• External locus of control


—Belief that you are a pawn of fate and that what happens to you is due to luck or
chance
—Usually results in lower levels of job satisfaction
—More alienation, less involvement in jobs
—Apt to blame poor appraisals on supervisor’s prejudice, their coworkers, or other
events outside their control

• Machiavellianism (Mach)
—Tendency to be manipulative and believe that ends justify means
—Tend to be motivated on jobs that require bargaining skills or where there are
substantial rewards for winning
—Are frustrated when forced to follow rules

Notes: _______________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________

• Self-esteem
—The degree to which people like or dislike themselves
—People with high self-esteem believe they possess more of the ability they need to
succeed
—People with low self-esteem are dependent on positive evaluations and are more
likely to seek approval from others

• Self-monitoring

Copyright (c) 2016 Pearson Education, Inc. 8-3


—Those high in self-monitoring are very adaptable and can easily adjust their
behavior to external, situational factors
—If high, are highly sensitive to external cues and capable of presenting striking
contradictions between their public personas and their private selves
—If low, can’t disguise themselves and tend to display their true feelings and beliefs
in every situation

• Risk propensity
—The willingness of a person to take chances
—If high, can make decisions faster with less information
—If high, tend to prefer riskier jobs, such as stockbroker or firefighter

Notes: _______________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________

Do You Need to Develop Your Emotional Intelligence to Improve Your Supervision Skills?

• Self-awareness
—Awareness of what/how you are feeling
• Self-management
—Ability to manage your emotions and impulses
• Self-motivation
—Ability to persist in the face of setbacks and failures
• Empathy
—Ability to sense how others are feeling
• Social skills
—Ability to handle emotions of others

Notes: _______________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________

THE EARLY THEORIES OF MOTIVATION


Objective 8-3. Explain the elements and the focus of the three early theories of motivation.

How Do You Focus on Needs?

• Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs


• Lower level needs
—Physiological (hunger, thirst, shelter)
—Safety (security, protection)
—Social (affection, interpersonal relationships)

Copyright (c) 2016 Pearson Education, Inc. 8-4


• Upper level needs
—Esteem (self-respect, achievement, status)
—Self-actualization (achieving full potential)
—As each need becomes satisfied, or nearly so, the next need becomes dominant
—Although no need is ever fully gratified, a substantially satisfied need no longer
motivates

Notes: _______________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________

Do Supervisors Focus on the Nature of People?

• McGregor’s Theory X

—Employees dislike work and will attempt to avoid it


—Employees must be coerced, controlled, or threatened with punishment
—Employees will shirk responsibilities and seek formal direction whenever possible
—Employees believe security is paramount and will display little ambition

• McGregor’s Theory Y
—Employees view work as being as natural as rest or play
—A person will exercise self-direction and self-control if he or she is committed to
the objectives
—The average person can learn to accept, even seek, responsibility
—The ability to make good decisions is widely dispersed throughout the population
and not necessarily the sole province of supervisors
—Theory Y assumptions appear more valid than Theory X, but no evidence
—Given the situation, either theory can be appropriate

Notes: _______________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________

What Effect Does the Organization Have on Motivation?

• Herzberg’s motivation-hygiene (two-factor) theory


See: Exhibit 8-2: Comparison of satisfiers and dissatisfiers.

—Emphasizes achievement, recognition, the work itself, responsibility, advancement


and growth

• Herzberg’s factors—satisfiers and dissatisfiers


See: Exhibit 8-3: Contrasting views of satisfaction/dissatisfaction

Copyright (c) 2016 Pearson Education, Inc. 8-5


—Eliminating factors that create job dissatisfaction may bring about peace, but not
necessarily motivation

• Classical view
—The opposite of satisfaction is dissatisfaction

• Herzberg’s view
—Removing dissatisfiers from a job does not necessarily make the job satisfying

• Hygiene factors
— Company policy and administration, supervision, interpersonal relations, working
conditions, and salary

• Motivators
— Achievement, recognition, the work itself, responsibility, and growth

Notes: _______________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________

{REFER STUDENTS TO COMPREHENSION CHECK 8-1.}

CONTEMPORARY THEORIES OF MOTIVATION


Objective 8-4. Identify the characteristics that stimulate the achievement drive in high
achievers.

What Is a Focus on Achievement?

• McClelland’s need for achievement (nAch)


—The drive to do something better than it has ever been done before
—Intrinsic motivation
—People high in nAch are self-motivated and require little direct supervision
—Tend to avoid very easy or very difficult tasks
—Prefer jobs with personal responsibility, feedback, and intermediate degree of risk
—Don’t always make good supervisors; prefer doing things themselves rather than
leading others

How Important is Equity?

• Equity theory
See: Exhibit 8-4: Equity theory.

Copyright (c) 2016 Pearson Education, Inc. 8-6


—Employees perceive what they can get from a job situation in relation to what they
put into it, and then compare their input-outcome ratio with the input-outcome
ratio of others in similar situations
—Perception can result in negative or positive equity, both of which the employee
will attempt to correct
—In the case of negative equity, this correction could take the form of reduced work
effort, absenteeism, lowering performance, and even sabotage

Notes: _______________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________

DO EMPLOYEES REALLY GET WHAT THEY EXPECT?


Objective 8-5. Identify the three relationships in expectancy theory that determine an
individual’s level of effort.

• Expectancy theory
See: Exhibit 8-5: Expectancy theory.

—A powerful explanation of employee motivation


—Helps explain why a lot of workers aren’t motivated in their jobs and merely do the
minimum necessary

• Effort-performance link
—“If I give a maximum effort, will it be recognized in my performance evaluation?”
—If the skill level of the employee is deficient, or if the appraisal system is poorly
designed, or if the employee believes his/her boss doesn’t like him/her, the answer
might be “No”
—Accordingly, one possible source of low employee motivation is the belief by the
employee that no matter how hard he/she works, the likelihood of getting a good
performance appraisal is low

• Performance-rewards link
—“If I get a good appraisal, will it lead to organizational rewards?”
—Many employees see this relationship weak because organizations reward a lot of
things other than appraisals

• Rewards-personal goals link


—“If I’m rewarded, do I find the rewards personally attractive?”
—If the perceived value of the reward is not worth it to the employee, motivation will
not be fully maximized
—Because many supervisors are limited in the rewards they can distribute, tailoring
rewards to individual employees is difficult

See: Something To Think About (and promote class discussion) Motivated to do What?

Copyright (c) 2016 Pearson Education, Inc. 8-7


Notes: _______________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________

How Do You Create an Atmosphere in Which Employees Really Want to Work?


Objective 8-6. List actions a supervisor can take to maximize employee motivation.

• Applying motivation concepts


—Recognize individual differences
—Match people to jobs
—Set challenging goals
—Encourage participation
—Individualize rewards
—Link rewards to performance
—Check for equity
—Don’t ignore money

Notes: _______________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________

DESIGNING MOTIVATING JOBS


Objective 8-7. Describe how supervisors can design individual jobs to maximize employee
performance.

See: Exhibit 8-6: Examples of high and low levels of job characteristics.

• Job design
—The way tasks are combined to form complete jobs
—Can range from routine to non-routine

• Five key job characteristics


—Skill variety—degree to which the job requires different skills and talents
—Task identity—degree to which the job requires completion of a whole task
—Task significance—degree to which the job impacts other people
—Autonomy—degree to which the job provides freedom, independence, and
discretion
—Feedback—degree to which employee receives information about his or her
performance

• Job enrichment
—Increases the degree to which a worker controls the planning, execution, and
evaluation of his or her work
—Allows the worker to do a complete activity

Copyright (c) 2016 Pearson Education, Inc. 8-8


• Flow in the workplace
—Skills are appropriately matched by challenges
—Concentration is intense
—Concept of self disappears
—Activities are rewarding and undertaken for their own sake

Notes: _______________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________

MOTIVATION CHALLENGES FOR TODAY’S SUPERVISORS


Objective 8-8. Explain the effect of workforce diversity on motivating employees.

What Is the Key to Motivating a Diverse Work Force?

• Recognize need for flexibility


—Employees have different needs and goals
—Men value autonomy more than women
—Women value opportunity to learn, convenient work hours, and good interpersonal
relationships more than men
—What motivates a single mother may be very different from what motivates an
older employee

• Recognize cultural differences


—Capitalism/individualism v. collectivism
—Self-interest v. loyalty to organization or society
—Willingness to accept risk v. concern with performance

Notes: _______________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________

Should Employees Be Paid for Performance or Time on the Job?

• Pay-for-performance programs
—Compensation plans that pay employees on the basis of some performance measure
—Probably most compatible with expectancy theory

• Competency-based compensation
—Pays and rewards employees on the basis of skills, knowledge, or behaviors
—Pay levels are established on the basis of the degree to which these competencies
exist

Notes: _______________________________________________________________________
Copyright (c) 2016 Pearson Education, Inc. 8-9
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________

How Can Supervisors Motivate Minimum-Wage Employees?

• Your options
—Employee recognition programs
—Recognize the power of praise
—Empower workers with more authority to address customers’ problems

Notes: _______________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________

How are Contingent Workers Motivated?

• Involuntarily temporary employees are motivated by:


— Opportunity to become a permanent employee
— Opportunity for training
— Minimal interdependence between temps and permanent employees

Notes: _______________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________

What’s Different in Motivating Professional and Technical Employees?

• Money and promotions not a priority


—Already well paid
—Enjoy what they do

• Job challenge ranked high


—Want new and challenging assignments
—Need autonomy

• Special incentives are important


—Educational opportunities
—Reward with recognition and show interest in their work

Notes: _______________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________

What Can a Supervisor Do to Improve Employees’ Work-Life Balance?


See: News Flash! Maintaining Motivation on the Shoe Leather Express

Copyright (c) 2016 Pearson Education, Inc. 8-10


• Family-friendly benefits
—Allow for improved work-life balance

• Flextime
—Employees are allowed flexibility in planning work schedules
—Can improve employee motivation and morale, reduce absenteeism, and increase
wages due to productivity gains
—Not applicable to every job

• Job Sharing
—Two or more employees split a traditional work schedule
—Firm can acquire skilled workers, yet firms may be unable to find compatible pairs
of workers who can coordinate the job intricacies

How Can Managers Use Employee Recognition Programs?

• Recognize worker achievements


— Personally congratulate an employee in private
— Acknowledge something positive that the employee has done
— Publicly recognize accomplishments
— Celebrate team successes

Notes: _______________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________

How Can Employee Stock Ownership Plans Affect Motivation?

• ESOP
—Employees become part owners of the organization by receiving stock as a
performance incentive
—Allows employees to purchase additional stocks at attractive prices
—Increases employee satisfaction and frequently results in higher performance

Notes: _______________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________

{REFER STUDENTS TO COMPREHENSION CHECK 8-2.}

ENHANCING UNDERSTANDING

SUMMARY

Copyright (c) 2016 Pearson Education, Inc. 8-11


COMPREHENSION: REVIEW AND DISCUSSION QUESTIONS

SOLUTIONS TO REVIEW AND DISCUSSION QUESTIONS

8-1. How does an unsatisfied need create motivation?


Learning Objective: 8-1
AACSB tag: 8
Unsatisfied needs create tension and people will behave in such a way that the need is satisfied,
thereby relieving the tension.

8-2. Contrast behavioral predictions about people with an internal versus an external locus
of control.
Learning Objective: 8-2
AACSB tag: 8
People with an internal locus of control believe they are in control of their own destiny. If they
succeed, they attribute the success to their own hard work and perseverance. If they fail, they
blame themselves. External locus of control individuals, if they do succeed, attribute their
success to luck. If they fail, it’s “destiny,” or “the system,” or the fault of anything or anyone
other than themselves.

8-3. Compare the assumptions of Theory X with those of Theory Y. Do you believe that
there are types of jobs that require one focus or another? Explain.
Learning Objective: 8-3
AACSB tag: 8
McGregor’s Theory X/Y describes management assumptions about workers. Theory X
assumptions are that workers dislike work and will attempt to avoid it, must be coerced or
threatened to do any work, will shirk responsibility and seek formal direction, and are not at all
ambitious, placing security above all else. Theory Y assumptions are that workers view work to
be as natural as rest or play, are self-directed if they are committed to the stated goals, seek out
responsibility, and, along with their managers, are able to make good decisions.

8-4. What is the importance of the dual continuum in the motivation-hygiene theory?
Learning Objective: 8-3
AACSB tag: 8
Herzberg suggests that employee motivation is a two-factor proposition; on one hand, hygiene
factors are those that are related to external factors such as company policy and administration,
supervision, interpersonal relationships, and working conditions. These are not the things that
motivate people, according to Herzberg. If the employee is satisfied with these factors, he is just
that, not dissatisfied. The other continuum is the motivators; the internal factors such as
achievement, recognition, and the work itself. These are the real motivators, and they motivate
by establishing a work environment that enhances the worker’s intrinsic needs.

8-5. What does a supervisor need to do to motivate a high achiever?


Learning Objective: 8-4
AACSB tag: 8

Copyright (c) 2016 Pearson Education, Inc. 8-12


The high achiever is intrinsically motivated. If the task to which they are assigned stimulates
their desire for achievement, they will be self-motivated and require little direct supervision.
They like moderately challenging goals, and like to get constant feedback on how they are doing,
good or bad. They don’t like working in a group, preferring instead to take full responsibility for
the success or failure of the project. The high achiever is a good candidate for entrepreneurial
activities.

8-6. What role would money play in (a) the hierarchy-of-needs theory, (b) motivation-
hygiene theory, (c) equity theory, (d) expectancy theory, and (e) the case of employees with
a high nAch?
Learning Objective: 8-3, 8-4, 8-5
AACSB tag: 8
Maslow would consider money to be instrumental in meeting physiological needs. As such, it
would be a lower-order need, not a primary motivator once those needs had been met. Herzberg
would consider money to be a dissatisfier. Having it would not necessarily motivate a worker,
but not having it would cause dissatisfaction. Equity theory advocates would say, “It depends. If
my inputs are the same as yours, and if my outcomes are the same as yours, and if we do
basically the same job, there’s no problem; equity exists.” For those who are paid high salaries,
money is not a motivator at all, but it can certainly affect an employee’s behavior if there is a
perceived inequity. Expectancy theory suggests that money, as a motivator, would depend on its
perceived value to the employee. This would contain elements of Maslow, Herzberg, and Stacy’s
equity theory. The nAch would use money to keep score. It would probably be a waste of energy
to try to motivate a nAch by offering him or her more money. That’s not what motivates them.
It’s the challenge and sense of achievement.

8-7. Describe expectancy theory. What are the critical linkages?


Learning Objective: 8-5
AACSB tag: 8
Expectancy theory states that motivation is dependent upon whether or not there is a link
between effort and performance, performance and reward, and reward and goals. In short, the
employee asks, “Can I do it and, if I can, what’s in it for me and, is it worth it?” If all three of
these relationships reflect a high probability, motivation will be high.

8-8. What motivational challenges does a diversified workforce create for supervisors?
Learning Objective: 8-6, 8-8
AACSB tag: 8
Be flexible and do not ignore their culture. Diversity in American organizations is here to stay;
women, ethnic minorities, immigrants, physically disabled, seniors, life-style differences, etc.,
and each of them is going to have different needs and different wants. You will have to
understand them as individuals and you will have to understand and respond to their diversity.
Our traditional motivation theories are based on the capitalist-based notion of individual self-
interest. Theirs might not be. As a supervisor, you cannot assume that motivation techniques are
universally acceptable. This will require you to learn about your employees as individuals. Only
then will you be able to understand their culture. And, in the end, that is where you will either
succeed or fail in your understanding.

Copyright (c) 2016 Pearson Education, Inc. 8-13


8-9. Identify and explain the five core dimensions in a job.
Learning Objective: 8-7
AACSB tag: 8
Skill variety - degree to which the job requires a variety of different activities
Task identity - degree to which the job requires completion of a whole and identifiable piece of
work
Task significance - degree to which the job has a substantial impact on the lives or work of other
people
Autonomy - degree to which the job provides substantial freedom, independence, and discretion
to the individual in scheduling the work and in determining the procedures to be used in carrying
it out
Feedback - degree to which carrying out the work activities required by the job results in the
individual obtaining direct and clear information about the effectiveness of his or her
performance

8-10. How can a supervisor enrich a job?


Learning Objective: 8-7
AACSB tag: 8
Job enrichment is a contemporary motivational technique that, if properly designed, will result in
a more highly motivated employee. In essence, it increases the degree to which the worker
controls the planning, execution, and evaluation of his or her work. By increasing responsibility
and independence, and by providing feedback, motivation is enhanced.

DEVELOPING YOUR SUPERVISORY SKILLS: GETTING TO KNOW YOURSELF


SELF-ASSESSMENT LIBRARY 3.4 EXERCISES

What Do I Value? (I. B. 1.)

Overview
It is interesting that the baby boomers have been working to live and have often
defined themselves, their lives, their value, and the world through work. The current
generation seems to want to balance out life seeing the problems that living through ones
work can bring. In many ways, it is beyond the Type A and Type B to a fundamental
outlook of living, life roles, and a sense of being rather than just doing. If boomers are
driven by work and Gen X are not, what does it mean for a happy coexistence in
organizations? Is there some compromise or should there be? What is the reason for
living? What is your reason for living?

Teaching Notes
Answering this questionnaire may be a challenge for many of us who have been
driven to succeed in the traditional Type A manner. Other issues concern our ethical
standards and how they match our actions. What do we teach our kids? How do we act
with friends and family around ethical issues? Do we know how ethics shape our society?
What happens when major figures such as presidents lie to the nation or kids randomly
shoot others or when people say one thing and do the other? What is the state of values in
our society? Do we value ourselves? Do we value others who are different from us? Has

Copyright (c) 2016 Pearson Education, Inc. 8-14


it changed over time or are we just more aware of transgressions in a highly mediated
era? These are issues you might wish to discuss in class.

Exercises
1. Divide the class into two groups. Have one group prepare to debate the lack of values
in our nation as reflected by companies’ actions and the other debate that companies
value the items listed in the questionnaire.

▪ Learning objectives:
Bring the concepts of instrumental and terminal values to the context of
organizational settings.

▪ Preparation/time allotments:
Give the groups about 20 minutes to debate the issues amongst themselves, and
then bring the class together as a whole to talk about what each group concluded.

▪ Advantages/disadvantages/problems that might arise:


Remind them that although they were looking for examples of a lack of values,
many companies and organizations do exhibit positive values. Also, you might
break the groups up by age, noting the differences between the Generation X and
Generation Y students.

▪ Suggestions/handouts for the instructor:


Prepare some examples for the class of organizations that have positive terminal
and instrumental values. It is easy to see negative examples in the news, but also
important to bring out the other side too.

2. Have a class discussion on whether terminal values or instrumental values are more
important.

▪ Learning objectives:
Illustrate that both terminal and instrumental values are important.

▪ Preparation/time allotments:
This can be done in small groups, or with the entire class. It should take about 20
minutes.

▪ Advantages/disadvantages/problems that might arise:


It is sometimes difficult to operationally see the difference between instrumental
and terminal values. Many individuals may live their lives by being honest and
open minded, without thinking of the corollary terminal value that this leads to.
This is a good opportunity to clarify the difference.

3. Break the class up according to their scores and do a case. Then compare the results
of the analysis.

Copyright (c) 2016 Pearson Education, Inc. 8-15


▪ Learning objectives:
Compare the cognitive thought processes between individuals with different
values.

▪ Preparation/time allotments:
If you are using a lengthy case, you may want to give it to them ahead of time to
read. The class discussion should take about 30 minutes.

▪ Advantages/disadvantages/problems that might arise:


If you don’t have many large differences in scores, they could come to the same
conclusions about the case. Be prepared for an alternative response in order to
generate a healthy classroom debate.

Internet Links
1. http://www.brint.com/opinion/
Here is more out-of-box thinking. Please scroll down to #37, Living with Oxymorons
in the Age of Paradox. What we value is obviously impacted by the context in which
we can or do value it. We live in a time of great transition where paradoxes are
everywhere. Read the information presented. Then write a two- to three-page analysis
of values and the Age of Paradoxes.

What Rewards Do I Value Most? (I. C. 3.)

Overview
The instrument addresses individual motivational needs. Rather than looking at all
people in a certain group as motivated by task or people, intrinsically motivated, or
motivated by incentives or satisfaction, the idea of employees as complex beings is
addressed. In our day and age of knowledge-based organizations, individuals with well-
trained brains who possess the specific set of skills, knowledge, and abilities that a
company needs are essential for success. If that person can walk out the door and, thus,
take their expertise with them, it is important to hang on to them. Motivation is a key in
that retention process. This instrument is of a more recent vintage, 1997, and attempts to
address motivation in a way that managers can use on an individual, and not necessarily
on groups.

Teaching Notes
An interesting approach to this instrument would be to give students assigned
roles from an organization you might give a lecture on, such as one in transition, H-P,
Xerox, DaimlerChrysler, IBM, Coke, or assign some articles from sources such as
Business Week, Fortune, Fast Company, and/or Forbes. Then you could give them the
roles you have noted. They should take good notes so they will know about the
company’s culture, strategic plans, and structure and management approaches. They
could then take the instrument from what they think the perspective of that role in the
organization would be. After filling out the instrument, they could write a one-page
analysis of why they responded in the way that they did. You could then give an
overview lecture on motivation in the 21st century and the changes that all companies

Copyright (c) 2016 Pearson Education, Inc. 8-16


seem to be experiencing. Then have the class discuss their findings and impressions.
After that, have them discuss how such findings might help the managers in the
organization to be more effective in managing people’s motivation.

Exercises
1. Break the class up into groups of three to four students and have them compare their
results on the instrument. Then have them discuss how to implement the findings if
they were managers.

▪ Learning objectives:
Show that different people are motivated by different things.

▪ Preparation/time allotments:
If they have taken the instrument ahead of time, allow about 30-minutes for the
exercise.

▪ Advantages/disadvantages/problems that might arise:


The key is to emphasize how to implement the findings. It is easy to understand
individual differences, but much harder to apply it. For example, if someone is
motivated by friendly coworkers, what is a manager supposed to actually do with
this?

2. Discuss as a class the concept of motivation as it impacts the success or failure of a


country’s economy.

▪ Learning objectives:
Show the macro-level implications of motivation.

▪ Preparation/time allotments:
This should be a 15-20 minute class discussion.

▪ Advantages/disadvantages/problems that might arise:


The class discussion will be much richer if students have an understanding of how
motivation might vary across cultures. You might draw upon your international
students first. Be careful not to package problem economies as being caused by
lazy workers. If this comes up, it might be a good time to discuss stereotypes and
the role they play.

Internet Links
1. http://guides.wsj.com/management/innovation/how-to-change-your-organizations-
culture/
Read the article “How to Change Your Organizations Culture” and discuss what
would need to be done to effect a change in an organization you are familiar with.

What’s My View on the Nature of People? (I. C. 4.)

Copyright (c) 2016 Pearson Education, Inc. 8-17


Overview
Built on the cosmologies developed by McGregor in the 1950s, this instrument
evaluates how one sees others in relationship to work and motivation. It also calibrates
what type of manager the person taking the exam is likely to be. The two choices are
autocratic and democratic. The autocratic manager fits well in the bureaucratic
organizational structure of the 20th century, but would find it harder in the fast moving,
horizontal, flat, virtual, and boundaryless companies of today.
Giving orders is not what it used to be either; in terms of neither organization nor
organizational members. Even at the factory floor level, teams are being used that are
self-managed. The coach or facilitator of Theory Y is much more the reality. An
interesting discussion is: how do Theory X motivated managers deal with the new
employees and the new workplace? And if you are by inclination a Theory X manager,
how do you change, do you want to, and can you, and if you want to what is available to
help you and if not, what do you do? Obviously, there are still workplaces where Theory
X perspectives are most acceptable, but that is changing.

Teaching Notes
This instrument might be interesting for you to take and see what your current
view of students is. In many ways, our classrooms are organizations with goals, planning,
organizing, leading, and controlling. So the question to be posed: are you a Theory X- or
Theory Y-oriented manager, and how does that affect your approach to teaching?

Exercises
1. Break your class up into groups based on their scores of Theory X or Theory Y. Then
provide each group with a case and compare the results of each group.

▪ Learning objectives:
Apply Theory X and Theory Y to actual organizations.

▪ Preparation/time allotments:
You might want to give them the case ahead of time, depending on the depth of
the case. It works best if you can give a leadership-oriented case, as this theory
often applies itself well to leadership styles.

▪ Advantages/disadvantages/problems that might arise:


If students have little management experience, you might have to shift the
discussion away from leadership, and more towards how they view human nature.
Either direction works well, just make sure the case you are using fits the
objective.

2. Discuss what types of managers your students have encountered and how they reacted
to performing their tasks.

▪ Learning objectives:
Relate Theory X & Y to actual managers.

Copyright (c) 2016 Pearson Education, Inc. 8-18


▪ Preparation/time allotments:
This should be about a 20-minute discussion, depending on how much work
experience the class has.

▪ Advantages/disadvantages/problems that might arise:


The students may be reluctant to talk about bad managers, especially if it is one
they currently have. Be prepared to give examples about your previous managers
in order to get the discussion started.

Internet Links
1. http://www.queendom.com/
Whether one takes a Theory X or a Theory Y approach to managing others is based
on one’s relationship with work and workers. Although not always noted, emotions
are a part of how you see and judge others. Find the search bar and use it to look for
the Emotional Intelligence Test. Please take the test and then write a one- to two-page
analysis of the relationship of emotions to managerial approaches to work.

2. http://www.depaul.edu/ethics/
This is an excellent source for information on ethics. Please click on this site and then
browse around. Then write a four- to five-page paper analyzing ethics and how
different managers with different assessment of the individuals they manage might
relate to ethics. Clearly, how you look at others in terms of their value in the
workplace and how you would manage them relates to how one looks at ethical
behavior.

What Motivates Me? (I. C. 1.)

Overview
Motivation is probably the most studied of all the management concepts. And yet,
we still ponder what motivates not only others but ourselves. The instrument presented
here is based on the work of Maslow’s hierarchy of needs theory generated in the 1950s
and replicated millions of times since. The ERG allows the respondent to assess where
they are on motivation at a certain point in their lives. It is a useful instrument in this
country, but not as useful in most other countries where there are different cultural,
individual, and societal values concerning the concept of work. It can be used, but the
researcher must be aware of the cultural dynamics of that culture or it will not work as
effectively. Context is key with any motivational instrument. They can be of assistance to
managers, but they can also make oversimplified assumptions if they only use the results.

Teaching Notes
Motivation is of interest to all teachers who care about their teaching. It is also
increasingly a mystery to older faculty who began their teaching career in a time where
the classroom was their domain and motivation seemed to be a given. In our very diverse
culture, achieving a college degree is almost essential for entry into an organization in a
position of management. Under those conditions, motivation is perhaps defined
differently than it was in the 1950s when Maslow did his initial work, Alderfer’s work in

Copyright (c) 2016 Pearson Education, Inc. 8-19


the 1970s, and what a new instrument would measure and find about the workers and
students of today. The diversity of today is much, much greater than it was in either the
1950s or the 1970s. It can probably be assumed that the research was based on the
responses of white males almost exclusively. This raises a host of interesting questions
about the instrument itself and how it is used in today’s workplace.
The world of work that we labor in and our students will enter or already have
part-time. The global economy, the fast-moving rise and demise of companies, the
quickly altering impact of technology, and a host of other pressures have impacted
organizations in ways we are only speculating on now and researching as they occur.
Given this context, it might be interesting for you to (1) develop your own motivational
instrument capturing the dimensions you think are most important and/or (2) have your
students do so as a class assignment. You can then use both as (1) a point of comparison
and (2) a group discussion project and then a class project to develop a new motivational
instrument.

Exercises
1. Break the class into gender-based groups and have them discuss the concept of
motivation. Bring the class back into a large group and compare and contrast the
responses.

▪ Learning objectives:
Show how motivation can vary by gender.

▪ Preparation/time allotments:
Give students about 20 minutes to discuss this in small groups, and then spend
about 30 minutes discussing the topic with the entire class.

▪ Advantages/disadvantages/problems that might arise:


Gender may not be the best variable to discuss motivational differences. You
might find that the same things motivate both genders. If so, discuss what other
factors might affect motivation.

2. If you have students from other nations, have a general discussion of culture and
motivation. If you have good geographical distribution in the United States, have
students from each area discuss motivation in their part of the country.

▪ Learning objectives:
Apply the concept of motivation cross-culturally.

▪ Preparation/time allotments:
This depends on the make-up of the class, but generally it should be about a 20-
minute discussion.

Copyright (c) 2016 Pearson Education, Inc. 8-20


▪ Advantages/disadvantages/problems that might arise:
Although there are motivational differences among cultures, you may not get a
wide variety of responses, depending upon many factors. If so, you might shift the
discussion to what previous generations would be motivated by, and why.

Internet Links
1. http://www.humanmetrics.com/cgi-win/jtypes2.asp
Welcome to HumanMetrics. Click on the Jung Typology Test link and select a free
test. Personality and motivation are linked in terms of what the individual brings and
what the employer’s culture will offer in terms of motivation. Please take a test, score
it, and then write a two- to three page analysis of how your personality links to
motivation.

2. http://www.queendom.com/
Motivated to get your MBA or law degree? Just want to measure your IQ at this point
in your education? For most of the 20th century, IQ was deemed to be very important
whereas emotional IQ or sports IQ were dismissed as not relevant. Now we are
looking at different types of IQ, but the basic one is still emphasized. Find the search
bar and use it to look for the classical IQ test. Please take the test and click on the
Score button once you have completed the exam. Then analyze the results. In a two-
page analysis, discuss the results and analyze the exam itself in terms of what it does
or does not measure in terms of your IQ.

What’s My Attitude Toward Achievement? (I. C. 7.)

Overview
What does success mean in our society? That seems to be what this instrument is
measuring. We are a capitalist society, established by Puritans, who took the Protestant
work ethic to heart in every way from work to sex to raising families to citizenship. Their
perspectives on life have colored and permeated our total culture until rather recently.
With the influx of many other cultures, perhaps our sense of achievement may
change. Achievement may need to be redefined as Howard Gardner has done in his books
on the variety of intelligences beyond IQ as well as other authors on emotional IQ and
other achievement issues.

Teaching Notes
You might want to begin a discussion by having everyone in class write out what
they think achievement is for themselves, their parents, their bosses, and their friends and
siblings. Then you can talk with them about achievement and the use of context for
definition. Not every generation or person defines the term in the same manner, and that
deeply impacts what a person thinks of his or her own achievements. You might also
discuss how important the views of others are on whether we achieve something or not.

Exercises
1. Divide the class into teams based on gender for a discussion on achievement. Then
compare the findings.

Copyright (c) 2016 Pearson Education, Inc. 8-21


▪ Learning objectives:
Apply the concept of achievement to gender.

▪ Preparation/time allotments:
This should be about a 20-minute discussion. Summarize the findings with the
class after the small group discussions.

▪ Advantages/disadvantages/problems that might arise:


Similar to motivation, you may or may not find different perceptions between
genders. If so, have them discuss why.

2. Divide the class based on culture and discuss achievement. Have them discuss what
achievement might mean in other nations and how that definition would impact their
organizations and work achievement. Then compare the results.

▪ Learning objectives:
Apply the concept of achievement cross-culturally.

▪ Preparation/time allotments:
This should be about a 20-minute discussion, depending upon the make-up of the
class.

▪ Advantages/disadvantages/problems that might arise:


If you have a good diverse class, this is a great way to bring out differences in
how one defines achievement. Make sure the students don’t criticize the
motivations of others. Just because one doesn’t want to achieve a goal, that
doesn’t make them lazy or unproductive.

Internet Links
1. http://www.queendom.com/
Find the search bar and use it to look for the Sales Personality Test. Although many
of you may not be in sales as a career, many companies start their new hires out in
sales. After you have taken the test, please write a one-page of analysis of you and
your sales personality.

2. http://www.queendom.com/
Find the search bar and use it to look for the Happiness Test. Take the test and relate
the results on optimism/pessimism to your desire for achievement test.

BUILDING A TEAM

Learning Objective: 8-6


AACSB tag: 8
8-11. An Experiential Exercise: Motivating Others

Copyright (c) 2016 Pearson Education, Inc. 8-22


After each member has presented his or her lists, the group should respond to the following
questions:
A. Are each individuals’ lists (Task 2 and Task 4) similar or dissimilar? What do the
differences or similarities suggest to you?
B. What have you learned about how and why you motivate others, and how can you
apply these data?

Responses will differ between students, but be sure to have them make specific references to
Objective 8-6 as they explain motivational factors that would appeal to all eleven employees.
Additionally, have them reference Herzberg’s two-factor theory as they explain what the
employees may find motivating.

COMMUNICATING EFFECTIVELY

Learning Objective: 8-6, 8-7


AACSB tag: 7
8-12. Develop a two- to three-page paper that answers the following questions: What
motivates me? What rewards can an employer provide that will make me give the extra
effort at work?

Responses will differ between students, but be sure to have them make specific references to
Objectives 8-6 and 8-7 as they explain their reward preferences. Additionally, have them
reference Herzberg’s two-factor theory as they explain what motivates them.

Learning Objective: 8-8


AACSB tag: 7
8-13. Go to http://www.chartcourse.com/happy-employees-make-productive-employees/.
Review the article “Happy Employees Make Productive Employees.” Summarize the key
points of the article and relate the focus to motivating minimum-wage employees.

Responses will differ between students, but be sure to have them make specific references to
Objectives 8-8 as they explain the motivation challenges inherent in the minimum-wage
workforce. Additionally, have them reference Herzberg’s two-factor theory as they explain what
motivates minimum-wage employees.

SUGGESTED ANSWERS TO THINKING CRITICALLY CASE STUDIES

CASE 8.A: High Turnover at the Cafeteria

8-14. Using what you have learned from studying the various motivation theories, describe
the situation at the cafeteria.
Learning Objective: 8-6
AACSB tag: 8
Responses should focus on the issues inherent in motivating hourly workers who do not have the
motivating opportunities mentioned by Herzberg. Issues of equity and expectancy will be
essential to a response for this question as well as elements of personality.

Copyright (c) 2016 Pearson Education, Inc. 8-23


8-15. Describe what you think might be Sean’s biggest challenge in motivating the
employees at the cafeteria.
Learning Objective: 8-7
AACSB tag: 7
Responses will include observations regarding supervisory style used in the organization and
how the goals of management may be at odds with those of the workers.

8-16. Recommend a motivational approach for Sean to use and explain why it would be an
effective way to deal with the situation at the cafeteria.
Learning Objective: 8-7
AACSB tag: 8
Effective responses will weigh several motivational approaches, their application, and their
anticipated outcomes with the cafeteria workforce.

CASE 8.B: Doldrums in the Dental Office

8-17. What can Caroline do to become more motivated about her work and overcome the
reputation of being passionless about her job?
Learning Objective: 8-2
AACSB tag: 7
Caroline needs to look for ways in which she can provide her own motivation for the job. Instead
of being a member in name only of the various dental organizations she could seek out
opportunities to lead and make a difference. She could transfer those leadership experiences back
to her office and make a difference in the workplace, thereby achieving positive recognition from
the dentists in the practice. She is correct in her observation that there is little variety in her job,
so she will need to add the variety herself.

8-18. What motivational opportunities could Caroline expect from her bosses at the dentist
office?
Learning Objective: 8-6
AACSB tag: 8
Caroline should be able to ask for educational opportunities to improve her skill set and at the
same time increase her value to the practice. Increasing her skills will make her more
marketable, and even if she does not receive the advancement she desires at the current practice,
she may become more valuable on the open market should she decide to seek new employment.

8-19. Explain Caroline’s behavior using the equity theory.


Learning Objective: 8-4
AACSB tag: 3
People make comparisons of their job inputs and outcomes relative to others, and inequities have
a strong bearing on the degree of effort that employees exert. Equity theory states that employees
perceive what they can get from a job situation (outcomes) in relation to what they put into it
(inputs), and then compare their input–outcome ratio with the input–outcome ratio of others.
However, she is making her equity comparison with the dentists rather than the other hygienists,
so she will always appear to have an inequitable situation.

Copyright (c) 2016 Pearson Education, Inc. 8-24


8-20. How would Herzberg explain Caroline’s lack of passion for her job?
Learning Objective: 8-3
AACSB tag: 8
Herzberg would explain that Caroline was reacting to hygiene factors and even if those factors
were corrected she would still be unlikely to have a motivated attitude toward her job. In his
view, she needs the opportunity for achievement, recognition, responsibility and growth that are
embedded in the motivation factors described in his assessment of satisfaction/dissatisfaction.

ADDITIONAL ACTIVITIES

1. Is money a short-term or long-term motivator? Do females perceive money as a motivator


differently than males? Survey 25 males and 25 females. What conclusions can you draw?

2. According to Herzberg’s Theory, every employee has his or her own set of satisfiers and
dissatisfiers in the workplace. Split the class into groups of two. Ask each student to
interview his partner to learn what a few of his or her satisfiers and dissatisfiers are. Can he
or she explain what has created these satisfiers and dissatisfiers? Does his or her list change
often?

Copyright (c) 2016 Pearson Education, Inc. 8-25

You might also like