Management Week 7.1
What does the ERG theory add to Maslow's assumptions?
It defines the "frustration-regression" principle.
As a manager you may need to discipline poor-performing employees and clearly communicate both good news and critical feedback. If you are preoccupied by how others perceive you, you have a need for ________, according to McClellend's acquired-needs theory, and you might find managing others difficult.
affiliation
Gallup estimates that employees who are unmotivated cost US businesses ________. Clearly, this suggests a problem. The good news is that a considerable amount of research now provides us with solid insights into how to improve motivation.
around $500 billion per year
Karen is a programmer with Yahoo and a mother. Her work has been outstanding but she is distracted recently. Her children are both in school and after-school-care, and she is worried about them. Since her work output is easily measured, her manager could
offer flexible hours.
In the United States, the wealth inequality is extraordinary. The wealthiest 10% control three-quarters of all family wealth in the country, and the rich are still getting richer. But most Americans are not disturbed by this outcome. They have faith in the free markets for labor and capital. This approach to wealth distribution falls under
procedural justice.
Volvo tried ________ in the 1960s, and quality skyrocketed, according to then-president Pehr Gyllenhammar (who retired in the 1990s). This approach dramatically boosted quality (and often raised productivity as well) by pushing power down, replacing inspection with responsibility, and having people work in teams. Volvo found that production under teams stayed constant, largely due to systems constraints, but that the time and capital invested to make the switch was more than paid off in cost savings from reduced turnover and absenteeism.
job enrichment
The main point(s) to learn from ERG include:
We need to recognize the multiple needs that may be driving an individual at a given time.
As a manager applying reinforcement theory, what methods would you use to reduce the frequency of an undesired behavior?
You might completely ignore the unwanted conduct and reduce the behavior because it receives no reinforcement.
MinTsung prefers to work independently as a risk analyst. In fact, he gets upset and competitive if someone else crosses into his responsibilities. But left on his own, he produces exceptional, well-organized work. His manager should
add staff reporting to MinTsung so that he can train someone to support his work.
Intrinsic rewards are not tangible, meaning that they can't be easily measured or quantified. Some examples are
skill development and skill mastery, social status, or power.
Reinforcement theory was developed in training animals. B.F. Skinner called it operant conditioning and worked with pigeons, rats, and dogs. Rewards are generally effective, but some people, especially professionals,
will take offense if they are treated like animals.
Jefferson has worked as an inventory specialist at the DeFeet sock company for seven years and receives $15 an hour. He is very diligent on the job and has never been late. As his skills have grown, he has become more like the manager of the inventory department. He makes sure everyone has the tools, access, and information needed to do their jobs effectively. Jefferson is management material. Today, Jefferson shows up at work to discover a new manager has been hired to oversee inventory. He discovers that the new manager is paid $25 an hour. In this scenario, what are the inputs according to equity theory?
$25 per hour
Pew Research reported in 2016 that 8 percent of American adults report that they have earned money from some type of digital work platform in the last year, often by doing online tasks. Because this work is generally unstable and the income unreliable, these workers may not satisfy Herzberg's hygiene needs. Companies cannot begin to truly engage and motivate these workers until they satisfy the workers'
basic needs.
All the following are areas in Maslow's hierarchy of needs, EXCEPT:
collaboration, coordination
Extrinsic rewards come from outside the individual. These stimuli take the form of
commissions, bonuses, raises, promotions, or additional time off from work.
Individuals are motivated by a sense of fairness in their interactions. According to ________, our sense of fairness is a result of the social comparisons we make.
equity theory
The expectancy theory says that employees make a rational calculation with three components before committing to a task. The three components are called
expectancy, instrumentality, and valence.
A manager's display of social sensitivity, such as the level of respect and dignity shown to employees, will have a positive effect on employees' level of engagement. This describes
interactional justice.
In addition to giving employees direction, goals motivate because they
force employees to think outside the box and reconsider how they are working.
Frederick Herzberg surveyed workers to ask what was important to their motivation. He found these could be grouped into two sets of factors, which he called
hygiene factors and motivators.
Goal-setting theory is one of the most influential management practices. There is strong evidence that setting goals
improves performance toward the goal.
To engage and motivate employees, many firms offer both salary and
incentive pay.