Free Motivation Case Essay Example

The 4 factor model of motivation is applicable to Joe’s situation. He was hired by the company at a time when the company was desperate for help (Whetten, and Cameron, 2011). His recommendations from his previous work are described as being mediocre and as such, he only got the job because the company was desperate for help. At the time he was employed, the firm’s workload was extremely high and, therefore, many practices that would have supported an ideal and effective working environment was overlooked in a bid to try and beat the tight timelines. The 4 factor model of motivation advocates for setting of clear goals and outlining of expectations in a comprehensible manner. As it is, Joe seems not to have had any clear goals set for him. As the model suggests though, he was highly motivated as he started out and that lead to a high performance that surprised his manager given the mediocre recommendation he came with.
Despite Joe’s exceptional performance, there is no mention of any rewards offered to appreciate his high performance despite the fact that it was noticeable to his manager. This could have led to the subsequent drop in performance. In the end, it is apparent that Joe does not feel satisfied with his work especially with architects putting his ideas and suggestions down. His remuneration is also very low, and he complains to an officemate that he is probably the least paid employee in the company. Under the circumstances, it is not pragmatic to expect a high performance from unmotivated Joe.
Based on the performance diagnosis model, Both Joe and his boss are in concurrence that his performance needs to improve. Joe talks to his officemate about going back to the class that implies that he believes that getting a degree will improve his performance. Given that Joe had previously been performing surprisingly well, his current dip in performance is attributable to inadequate subordinate motivation (Whetten, and Cameron, 2011). As mentioned in the case, at the time he joined the firm, the firm had a lot of tasks and as such, support practices that are meant to ensure good performance had been forgotten. The lack of motivation is because, despite his good performance, there was no reward accompanying the good performance. As Joe tells his officemate, he is probably the least paid employee in the firm despite that fact that he volunteers to take special projects as well. Given Joe’s work experience, he is quite effective and knows what needs to be done in his work and how it should be done. Therefore, despite his lack of a degree, the only problem to his current performance is incentives.

Reprimand

It is apparent that Joe’s performance is not good and does not meet the expectations of the employer. It is, therefore, appropriate that he is reprimanded. The employer should point out specific aspects of his performance that are not satisfactory (Whetten, and Cameron, 2011). Joe should be given an opportunity to explain the reasons for his unsatisfactory performance and whether he has any ideas on how he can improve. He should be let understand that he will be fully supported to improve.

Redirect

Given that at the time he joined the company there was a lot of work, it is probable that he was not made aware of the expectations on him. The boss should, thus, explain to Joe the desired behavior and performance at the firm. The expectations should be reasonable and acceptable to Joe in order for him to be motivated enough to achieve them. His participation should be sought in setting the goals. The boss should show the intention to be supportive of Joe and actually be supportive. The firm is responsible in ensuring that all the employees are provided with a suitable environment in which they can thrive in doing their work effectively and efficiently.

Reinforce

The boss heard Joe’s conversation with the officemate. From that conversation, it is possible to identify what kind of rewards will be most appropriate and motivating to Joe. Appropriate rewards for Joe’s performance would include salary increment and an educational sponsorship that would enable him get his degree. Recognition for his good performance, for instance, through a promotion will also help greatly in motivating Joe further. These rewards are a combination of both intrinsic and extrinsic. Joe’s work can be redesigned provided that he has a 12 year experience in architecture (Whetten, and Cameron, 2011). The experience means that he has architectural knowledge that normally someone with his academic level is not expected to have. That experience should, therefore, be taken into account and have his job redesigned to fully exploit his experience.
Other organizational factors that need to be addressed in the case pertain to working hours. The company seems to put a lot of pressure on employees with long working hours leaving them with little time for their families. The pressures can be relieved by increasing the number of employees, hence, ensuring that employees are not overworked more frequently. Attractive overtime compensation should be applied whenever employees are forced to work overtime.

References

Whetten, D. and Cameron, K. (2011). Developing management skills. 8th ed. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson/Prentice Hall, pp.332 - 364