Question

Read the following short case. What should management do? Use 1 or 2 (at least 1, 2 is better) theories of motivation to analyze what is going on in the case and to develop a management strategy to deal with the situation.

Incident:

As office manager of the Worthless Paper Products Corporation (WPP), Minnie Reems was responsible for the work of approximately forty employees. Her division was the focus of a study to improve the efficiency and output of her staff.

The consultants began by studying job descriptions, making observations, and recording each minute detail of the work of the data processors and file clerks. After two weeks, they began the 2nd phase of the project which involved detailed studies, observations, and interviews.

The next morning, five employees participating in the study were absent. On the following day, ten employees were absent. Concerned, Reems telephoned several absentees. Each employee related approximately the same story. Each was nervous, tense, and tired after being viewed as a "guinea pig" for several days. One data processor told Reems that her physician suggested she could ask for a leave of absence based on her complaints of carpel tunnel syndrome if she needed to. Another told Reems, "We ain't no ‘Hawthorne' happy hoppers here in this shop! And, we ain't fixin' to please management just because this Taylor guy thinks we can do more with less."

Shortly after the telephone calls, the efficiency study consultant explained to Reems that if there were as many absences on the next day, his team would have to drop the study and proceed to another department. He said that a valid analysis would be impossible to conduct with ten employees absent. Realizing that she would held responsible for the failure of the systems-analysis, Reems began to create and evaluate alternative strategies to rectify the problem so the study could continue. She could fire all those who were absent without legitimate causes and send a clear signal that non-cooperation would not be tolerated. Or she could simply get some temps in to replace them.

But even if the studies were completed successfully, she was concerned about implementing the procedural changes that she knew would be mandated after the study was completed. Thinking back on her prior experience as a drill sergeant in the Marines, Reems was astute enough to realize that policies declared and orders issued are not always followed by instant compliance, even in the military, and that this wasn't a military operation. She was also concerned that without an increase in productivity, the operation could not remain cost effective. As a result, the operation would probably be outsourced and everyone would be fired.

Analyze the incident from a motivational theory standpoint. As a personnel specialist, develop a strategy BASED ON SOUND PSYCHOLOGICAL THEORY to get the workers motivated to come to work and buy into the systems-analysis study so that the consultants can finish their job.

Answer 1

The given case is a typical example of the implementation of modern management theory which focuses on the fear of the manpower to be evaluated while performing their job. The core problem in the given case with the manpower is that the management did not take any action to communicate and take the employees in confidence regarding the proposed evaluation and analysis of the job. This created an apprehension among the employees to be monitored during the work performance and they thought that this could be used negatively by the management to harass them in the future or the employees simply do not wish to go through the process of being monitored.

The modern management theory indicates that the employees do not feel free to be evaluated without their consent and it induces added anxiety and pressure on the employees to perform better than the normal operations of the job. This results in greater anxiety and the workers start opposing or show reluctance with this sort of exercise.

In order to deal with the given situation, I would suggest the management to first interact with the employee and explain them the reason behind the proposed analysis of their job and the positives that can be received from such analysis. The management must not make it compulsory for the employees in fact, it can look for the voluntary participation form the employees, and those who participate must be given some sort of rewards as this will help the others to come forward and participate in the exercise.