Case Study on Motivation

Theyve made some changes at Badger Mining Corp. over the past yearexpanded a production site, revamped the interior at company headquarters in Berlin, Wisconsin, and enhanced the wellness program.

But the collaborative culture and the core values such as trust and mutual respect remain unchanged. And so does Badger Minings No. 1 ranking on the list of the Best Small Companies to Work for in America.

The family-owned, privately held company, which produces more than 1.5 million tons of industrial-use sand yearly, stands out for, among other things, the richness of its rewards for its 180 employeescalled associatesand the inclusiveness it fosters throughout the enterprise.

I knew this place was different, benefits specialist Barbara Swanson, SPHR, says in recalling an interview as a job applicant a few years ago. I immediately felt that this was a place that cared about who they wanted to hire.

Signs of Badger Minings abiding focus on employees are pervasive: flexible scheduling, freedom to take time-off for family matters, a company match of 401(k) plan contributions up to 3 percent of salary, and generous profit-sharing payouts that Swanson says have been rising every quarter. The company also pays employees full premium for standard health coverage, and the wellness program now includes personalized health coaching.

As with other company initiatives, safety training is a collaborative exercise. Linda Arzt, a resource data associate, encourages mining workers suggestions when she develops such programs. After all, she says, theyre the experts. Whats more, she adds, it sends the right messagethat the associates are valued for their input.

When the mining facility at Taylor, Wisconsin, underwent a major expansion, boosting production by 25 percent, Dan Valiquette, vice president for operations at Taylor, made sure he kept everyonethe guys who have to run the equipment and maintain itinvolved in designing the processes, coordinating the contractors, and selecting vendors and equipment.

It promoted workers buy-in for the project, he says. This wasnt just a Taylor project. We had the support of the whole company.

Its just that sort of approach that underlies the companys achievements, says President Timothy J. Wuest. Each and every one of our associates, working as a team, he says, has made the company the leader in the industrial minerals industry

Questions

1. How strong do you think the overall employee motivation program at Badger Mining is? Explain.

2. What evidence of participative management can you detect in this case?

3. How well do you think open book management would work at Badger Mining? Why?

4. Which of the keys to successful employee participation programs are evident in this case? Does Badger Mining have the right climate for participative management? Explain.

5. Would you like to work at a small company like Badger Mining? Why or why not?