Case Analysis - Organizational behavior Case: What do employees really want?

Marlene Stewart is vice president of manufacturing and operations of a medium-size pharmaceutical firm in the Jamaica. Marlene has a PhD in chemistry from Colledge, Jamaica but has not been directly involved in research and new product development for 20 years. Marlene is known for her no-nonsense approach when it comes to managing her operations and therefore is on top of all things happening. Even with this tight-management style, the company does not have a turnover problem, but it is obvious to Marlene and other key management personnel that the hourly paid employees are putting in only their eight hours a day. They are not working anywhere near their full potential. Marlene is very upset with the situation because, with rising costs and the current COVID19 Pandemic, the only way that the company can continue to prosper is to increase the productivity of its hourly paid employees.

Marlene could not take the situation anymore since it is weighing on her mind; she called the human resources manager, Michael Campbell, and laid it on the line: What is it with our people, anyway? Your wage surveys showed that we pay near the top in Jamaica and the Caribbean region, our conditions are tremendous, and our fringe benefits could beat Jamaicas crime rate. Yet these employees still are not motivated. What in the world do they want? Michael replied: I have told you and the president time and time that money, conditions, and benefits are not enough. Employees also need other things to motivate them. Also, I have been conducting some random confidential interviews with some of our hourly people, listen to them as they drop their words every day, and they tell me what they are very discouraged because, no matter how hard they work, they get the same pay and opportunities for advancement as their coworkers who are just scraping by. Marlene replied: Okay, you are the motivation expert; what do we do about it? All I know we have to increase their performance, or we will all be in trouble sooner or later.

Case Questions on Motivation

1. Analyze the level of motivation of employees in this company using one relevant process theory of motivation so Marlene Stewart can better understand the employees going forward.

2. How would you apply Herzbergs theory of motivation in this organization to help Marlene Stewart achieve her objective? Organization and Management