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Lindsay Albers
Professor Brian Messer
MBA 524
26 July 2020
Case Study Analysis: Puzzle of Motivation
“What would you do for a Klondike bar?” It seems like a simple question about a person’s
motivation. But motivation is never simple. In fact, it may just be one of the most complicated
issues in management. The topic has been researched extensively. “Organizational scholars
have imagined a new type of organization: one in which human needs for achievement and
organizational needs for performance coincide.” (Mobbs and McFarland, 2010).
A commonly cited definition can be found in the research. “Motivation in the workplace is
defined as the willingness to exert high levels of effort toward organizational goals conditioned
by the effort’s ability to satisfy some individual needs” (Robbins, 2000).
Motivation is such a critical component of leadership because it is directly linked to the
effectiveness of a business. “High levels of employee motivation are seen as being ‘good’ both
for organizations – because of the link to performance, and for people – because of the link to
meaning in work” (Mobbs and McFarland, 2010). “We have shown that happier subjects are
more productive, the same pattern appears in four different experiments. This research will
provide some guidance for management in all kinds of organizations, they should strive to make
their workplaces emotionally healthy for their workforce.” (Oswald, Proto and Sgroi)
An individual’s motivation comes from so many different places. There are internal motivations
that make people want to do better and be better just because it is the right thing to do.
There are also external motivations that come from an outside source that keep people moving
forward with the promise of more money, more recognition, more time off, etc. External
motivation “is designed to drive behavior and motivate employees to produce quality work.
Employers use several types of incentives to increase production numbers. Employee incentives
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come in a variety of forms including paid time off, bonuses, cash and travel perks. Incentives
drive employee motivation because they offer workers more to strive for than a regular
paycheck.” (Scott 2019).
Most managers choose to use the external motivators to increase employee satisfaction and
productivity. They believe that their employees will not perform to their own capacity without
the “carrot and the stick” version of motivation. “Leaders often have a hard time letting go of
the idea that if they are overly giving, then they will foster a culture of entitlement. This fear can
stop employers from being generous with the people that matter most—their own employees.”
Author Daniel Pink believes that external motivators are useful, but only in certain situations. He
says they work for short term, simple tasks. According to Pink’s research, the main factors of
employee motivation are autonomy, mastery, and purpose.
Merriam-Webster succinctly defines autonomy as “self directing freedom” It is this control over
their work environment that makes employees feel empowered. Allowing them to shape their
own work keeps their job interesting. Mastery occurs when a business encourages it’s
