How Motivation Affects Performance

This competency assessment assesses the following Outcome:

• Analyze theories of motivation to improve employee performance.
• Demonstrate college-level communication through the composition of original materials in Standard English.
• Incorporate outside research into an original work appropriately.

Introduction: Being able to understand the different types of motivational theories helps leaders to build stronger organizations. It is important to focus on employees’ motivation to provide a supportive workplace that helps propel employees towards achieving organizational goals.

You read about motivation and were provided an opportunity to practice with motivation concepts. Now you will apply motivation concepts to a work situation. Read the fictional scenario on tab 2, and then address the checklist items provided below in an expository essay. 

Motivation for Performance

Scenario (fictional):

The Maple Building Company currently builds large portable offices (i.e., pods) and large retail spaces based on customized plans. The company has been in business 20 years and has prided itself on providing a very competitive salary and excellent benefits and retaining most of their original employees. While they started the company doing creative designs for one-of-a-kind office and retail spaces and even vendor truck interiors, much of the factory’s routine work is now done robotically. Although the employees might modify the designs slightly now, they are already in the company computer and ready to produce small modifications when needed. They still need a supervisor and technicians to keep the operations running, and the construction crew who deliver and construct the products on site. There are two leading engineers. One engineer works on high-end corporate headquarters, and the other on large retail chain projects from Maple’s main offices.

The CEO and president (the co-founders), who were best friends in college, are the ones who meet with prospective corporate clients and negotiate the prices and building parameters. While the company used to construct small business and retail offices and even vendor truck build-outs for lower- to middle-income clients, the clients are now almost exclusively wealthy private clients or corporate titans. The CEO and the company president are beginning to think about retirement. They want to keep the company running, but they cannot understand why the two engineers seem unmotivated when they are receiving such competitive salaries and excellent benefits with 3 weeks’ vacation a year. Also, the production line has had more problems lately, and the supervisor seems to be coming in late several times a week, as have the technicians. They are worried about the future of the company they built.

Checklist:

Using critical thinking and analysis, you will address the checklist items.

• Summarize the problems at the company that are possibly affecting employee motivation and performance.
• Analyze motivation theories as provided in your text and learning activities (providing proper attribution) to explain the engineers’ lack of motivation.
  • Name the theory or theories.
  • Define the theory or theories.
  • Explain how the theory or theories applies/apply to the scenario.
• Analyze motivation theories as provided in your text and learning activities (providing proper attribution) to explain the supervisor’s, technicians’, and construction crew’s lack of motivation.
  • Name the theory or theories.
  • Define the theory or theories.
  • Explain how the theory or theories applies/apply to the scenario.
• Explain how the CEO and president might better motivate employees to improve performance.
• Do some research in the Global Library and provide a short quote with the appropriate citations from each of at least two (2) scholarly* articles that integrate research into your analysis to provide support for your claims. (See Reading and Resources)
• Your essay should demonstrate a clear and sustained point of view.

Minimum Submission Requirements

• Your submission should:
  • 2-3 page expository essay, minimum 250 words per page (500-750 word)
  • APA Format
  • Title Page
  • Reference Page
  • Double spaced
  • Times New Roman
  • 12 Point Font

Reading and Resources

• Read Chapter 6: “Perception and Individual Decision Making,” which also addresses ethics in decision-making as well as creative decision-making and the influence on company innovation. 
• Read Chapter 7: “Motivation Concepts,” in which you explore the different motivation theories and whether these theories are evidenced in the real world. So far, various motivation theories prove at least partially helpful in application to the workplace but not conclusive, thus leaving room for further research. 
• Read Chapter 8: “Motivation: From Concepts to Applications,” which addresses motivation theories and how designing jobs using motivation concepts as well as using benefits and rewards can impact employee involvement and performance.

Competency Assessment Criteria
“CATEGORY 1”
Competency
1. Summarizes the problems at the company that are possibly affecting employee motivation and performance.
“CATEGORY 2”
Competency
2. Analyzes motivation theories as provided in the text and learning activities (providing proper attribution) to explain the engineers’ lack of motivation. Provides: the name of the theory or theories, a definition of the theory or theories, and explains how the theory or theories applies/apply to the scenario.
3. Analyzes motivation theories as provided in the text and learning activities (providing proper attribution) to explain the supervisor’s, technicians’, and construction crew’s lack of motivation. Provides: the name of the theory or theories, a definition of the theory or theories, and explains how the theory or theories applies/apply to the scenario.
4. Explains how the CEO and president might better motivate employees to improve performance.
Mastery
Provides a compelling analysis of the scenario’s work environment and jobs, supported by multiple theories of motivation, to provide a synopsis of how needed changes at the company might be implemented addressing each scenario employee’s need for motivation to improve their performance.