Please read each passage below and respond to each part and answer the following questions. (should be a minimum of 150 to 250 words each) DUE TOMORROW before 12midnight CST
- What did you learn from the posting?
- What additional questions do you have after reading the posting?
- What clarification do you need regarding the posting?
- What differences or similarities do you see between your initial discussion thread and your classmates’ postings?
- How do your classmates’ chosen theories apply to other situations?
I DO NOT need a reference or title page, however please provide the reference(s) underneath the passage. Please label as I have done below, example Part 1 and place your response along with the reference. Please keep each one on the same document! Please cite properly and use correct grammar.
Part 1
A successful reduction in force can only be implemented if everyone is as transparent as possible about what is happening. Employees who are being laid off, and those who remain, need to know why the action is being taken. There may already be negative feelings inside the ‘survivors’, but this disruption could intensify them. The more transparent you are with them, the less anxious and insecure they will feel. It is imperative that leaders facilitate greater interaction between their subordinates and their managers, encourage active listening, ensure employee participation in decision-making, and offer open-door policies. Be more visible and honest. Be clear about your expectations. It is essential that managers inform affected employees about layoffs as soon as possible. They should be told that no further downsizing plans are in sight. Explicitly ask remaining employees their concerns or questions and encourage them to articulate their sentiments (Peppercorn, 2021).
After seeing their colleagues lose their jobs, it may further exacerbate the negative feelings of being laid off that the ‘survivors’ already have after seeing their colleagues lose their jobs. It is even possible that best performers will search for new positions out of feelings of insecurity. This can be addressed by increasing transparency. Keeping the remaining employees informed and assured is key to their trust. The fear that follows trauma only grows. Encourage them to speak their mind freely and empathize with them to hasten recovery (Peppercorn, 2021).
The most ideal motivation theory for this scenario is expectancy theory.
The Expectancy theory provides a sort of a mechanism for finding out motivation through a certain type of calculation.
Employees have personal goals which they like to achieve and for this reason they work in organizations. These personal goals can be fulfilled by organizational rewards or work outcomes. Therefore, the relationship between organizational rewards or work outcomes and personal goals is important i.e. to what extent organizational rewards fulfil an employee’s personal goals and how attractive are those rewards to the employee. This relationship can also be expressed as the value the employee gives to the work outcomes. Secondly, organizational rewards or work outcomes are dependent on the individual performance of the employee. The level of belief that the individual employee has that his/her performance will result in achievement of organizational rewards/work outcomes is also important. And thirdly, the perception of the chances by the individual employee that personal effort on his/her will lead to high performance is again important (Parijat & Bagga, 2014).
Parijat, P., & Bagga, S. (2014). Victor Vroom’s expectancy theory of motivation–An evaluation. International Research Journal of Business and Management, 7(9), 1-8.
Peppercorn, S. (2021, February 1). How to support your remaining employees after a layoff. Harvard Business Review. Retrieved June 19, 2022, from https://hbr.org/2020/05/how-to-support-your-remaining-employees-after-a-layoff?registration=success
Part 2
Employee motivation can be deduced from many sources and with many reasons to include internal and external factors contributing. One of the best ways to understand a person’s workplace motivation is to understand their needs or their perceived needs. People will work to satisfy their needs and they will prioritize needs by what’s most important to them.
In the traditional sense of the needs theory better known as the ERG Theory developed by Clayton Alderfer, it focuses on the three principles of existence, relatedness, and growth. Existence classifies a person’s efforts in satisfying their basic needs such as food, shelter, safety, health, etc. Relatedness focuses on the relationship component of a workplace and belonging to a group while growth pertains to the idea of a person being fulfilled in their role and striving to reach their potential. Ideally, all areas should be satisfied for an employee to be committed and motivated to their role in the workplace (Caulton, 2012).
In the case of scenario C, it’s stated that the employee has met many of their basic needs in areas of existence and relatedness but is lacking the growth component in their role. This role provides as income, has shown to be stable and safe, are part of a tribe, accepted by the group and has supportive leaders at the helm.
Though the leaders may be supportive, they may be missing a key ingredient to the development of this employee. One of a manager’s responsibilities is to develop their employees through training and skill development so that they may contribute more to the overall organization and empower them. “The presence empowerment in workplace allows employees to be initiatives and provide the necessary solutions to situations that may be beyond the limits of their responsibilities” (Papathanasiou et al., 2014). In the case of this employee, a job is only a “dead-end” if the leadership does not push more responsibilities and the employee accepts stagnation.
References:
Caulton, J. (2012). The Development and Use of the Theory of ERG: A Literature Review. Emerging Leadership Journeys, 5(1). https://www.regent.edu/journal/emerging-leadership-journeys/alderfers-erg-theory-of-motivation/
Papathanasiou, I., Fradelos, E., Kleisiaris, C., Tsaras, K., Kalota, M., & Kourkouta, L. (2014). Motivation, Leadership, Empowerment and Confidence: Their Relation with Nurses’ Burnout. Materia Socio Medica, 26(6), 405. https://doi.org/10.5455/msm.2014.26.405-410
