Motivation and Culture db2

As you continue to work with the chief executive officer (CEO) to identify underlying problems and look for solutions, one area of concern rises to the top; that is, employee motivation. Surveys and interviews indicate that motivational levels are low in all departments. You note that teams in each of the departments tend to be homogenous and lack diversity. As the company continues to expand globally, you are concerned that the company may not be preparing expatriates properly for overseas assignments, which could be one of the reasons why many of the expatriates are returning home early.

During your meeting with the vice presidents, everyone acknowledges the problems they are experiencing with employees who are not motivated at work. Halfway through the meeting, Jim Stevens, vice president (VP) of marketing, turns to you and voices something that is especially pertinent to the situation.

“This discussion is good,” he says. “We need to talk about common issues more often. I don’t know about everyone else, but I am running out of ideas for motivating my staff.”

“I agree,” says Elaine Johns, VP of finance. Everyone nods their head in agreement.

“Excellent,” you say. “Would it be useful to talk about some theories of motivation? Sometimes it helps to step back and look at situations from a scholarly perspective. Once we have the knowledge, we can apply it to our current circumstance.”

“Yes,” says Kevin Adams, VP of research and development. “But it’s been a while since I thought about theories on motivation.”

“Right,” says Melissa Simons, VP of production. “Would you give us a short description of at least three theories of motivation to help us understand the problems at CMA?”

“I’d be glad to,” you say. “I can get something to you this week. I’ll keep it short.”

“Great,” says Jim. “Once I get that, I’ll be able to deal with this with a fresh point of view.”

“I’ve been reading a good book about motivation in the workplace,” says Jared. “I’ll send the link so you can get a copy to put on your digital book reader.”

Everyone smiles and nods enthusiastically, and the meeting is adjourned. Back in your office, you do some research to make sure your knowledge about theories of motivation is current. Then you begin the process of distilling the information to provide your busy audience with clear, concise reading. You also decide to apply the theories to the company to help the managers determine which theories apply.