REVIEW AND APPLICATIONS
CHAPTER SUMMARY
11-1 Define and explain motivation. Motivation is the process by which a person’s efforts are
energized, directed, and sustained toward attaining a goal. The energy element is a measure of
11-2 Compare and contrast early theories of motivation. Individuals move up the hierarchy of five
needs (physiological, safety, social, esteem, and self-actualization) as needs are substantially
satisfied. A need that’s substantially satisfied no longer motivates. A Theory X manager believes
11-3 Compare and contrast contemporary theories of motivation. Goal-setting theory says that
specific goals increase performance and difficult goals, when accepted; result in higher
performance than do easy goals. Important points in goal-setting theory include intention to work
The job characteristics model says there are five core job dimensions (skill variety, task
identity, task significance, autonomy, and feedback) that are used to design motivating
jobs. Equity theory focuses on how employees compare their inputs-outcomes ratios to
11-4 Discuss current issues in motivating employees. During rough economic conditions, managers
must look for creative ways to keep employees’ efforts energized, directed, and sustained toward
achieving goals. Most motivational theories were developed in the United States and have a
Open-book management is when financial statements (the books) are shared with employees
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
11-1 Most of us have to work for a living, and a job is a central part of our lives. So why do
managers have to worry so much about employee motivation issues?
11-2 What is motivation? Explain the three key elements of motivation.
Answer: Motivation is the process by which a person’s efforts are energized, directed, and
11-3 Contrast lower-order and higher-order needs in Maslow’s needs hierarchy.
Answer: Within every human being, there exists a hierarchy of five needs. Lower-order
11-4 What role would money play in (a) the hierarchy of needs theory, (b) two-factor theory,
(c) equity theory, (d) expectancy theory, and (e) motivating employees with a high
nAch?
Answer: A need, in our terminology, means some internal state that makes certain
outcomes appear attractive. (a) Money would satisfy the lower needs in Maslow’s theory
11-5 What are some of the possible consequences of employees perceiving an inequity
between their inputs and outcomes and those of others?
Answer: There is considerable evidence that employees make comparisons of their job
If the ratios are unequal, inequity exists; that is, they view themselves as under-rewarded or
11-6 What are some advantages of using pay-for-performance to motivate employee
performance? Are there drawbacks? Explain.
Answer: People do what they do to satisfy some need. They look for a payoff or reward.
Pay is an important variable in motivation; managers need to look at how pay is used to
motivate high levels of employee performance. Pay-for-performance programs are
11-7 Many job design experts who have studied the changing nature of work say that people
do their best work when they’re motivated by a sense of purpose rather than by the
pursuit of money. Do you agree? Explain your position. What are the implications for
managers?
Answer: Student answers may vary. People are motivated by intrinsic and extrinsic
rewards. When individuals feel that they are making a difference, the money ceases to be
11-8 As a manager, what will you need to know about goal-setting theory as a motivation
tool?
Answer: As a manager you should know that working toward a goal is a major source of
job motivation, and that having specific and challenging goals are preferable to a general
11-9 Can an individual be too motivated? Discuss.
Answer: Probably not as long as the motivation can be channeled into productive behavior.
Employees, particularly professionals, should be given autonomy to follow their interests
11-10 What challenges do managers face in motivating today’s workforce?
MyManagementLab
Students can find the following assisted-graded writing questions at
11-11What economic and cross-cultural challenges do managers face when motivating
employees?
11-12 What are the three variables in expectancy theory and how do they explain motivation?
Management Skill Builder: Being a Good Motivator
Great managers are great motivators. They’re able to find the magic “potion” that stimulates
employees to reach their full potential. The fact that there are hundreds of business books on
motivation and dozens of experts who make a living by putting on motivation seminars only
confirms the importance of this topic to managerial effectiveness.
Personal Inventory Assessment: Work Motivation Indicator
How motivated are you? Use this PIA to assess your own level of work motivation. You could
also use it to assess others’ levels of work motivation.
Skill Basics
The following suggestions summarize the essence of what experts know is likely to be
effective in motivating others:
1. Recognize individual differences.
2. Use goals and feedback.
3. Allow people to participate in decisions that affect them.
4. Link rewards to unsatisfied needs.
5. Link rewards to performance.
6. Maintain equity.
Practicing the Skill
Students should break into teams of three or four and address how Sean can improve
motivation and reduce turnover of the cafeteria employees. Because of the nature of the
work, many of Sean’s employees are at the lower end of the pay scale. Motivating
low-skilled, minimum wage workers is one of the most difficult motivation challenges a
manager can face. Have students examine the problem from the perspective of job
design. Ask students to give examples of job rotation and job enrichment in this situation.
Suggestions include:
1. Holding meetings with employees to keep the lines of communication open and
to get their input on issues.
2. Establishing a common goal, such as maintaining excellent customer service, to
keep everyone focused.
3. Creating a community feel so employees could see that managers care about
them and their work.
4. Giving employees opportunities to continue to learn and grow.
5. And, of course, an encouraging word always goes a long way.
Experiential Exercise
La Mexican Kitchen
To: Linda Bustamante, Operations Manager
From: Matt Perkins, Shift Supervisor
Re: Staff Turnover
La Mexican Kitchen has been having a difficult time keeping food servers for any length of time.
According to Matt, the shift supervisor, it seems as soon as they are trained, they leave. Although
these positions pay minimum wage, a motivated server can make additional money from tips.
But is this money enough to make them stay?
There is a request that you find some ideas about how to better motivate our food servers and
forward them to the shift supervisors.
Teaching Tip: There are thousands of articles and hundreds of books written on how to
motivate employees. Some are written from an academic point of view and others are
meant for every day managers. Some are even entertaining, i.e. Fish by Stephen Lundin.
Encourage students to pull from a variety of sources including academic journals, and
periodicals such as Forbes, Fortune, INC, and the Wall Street Journal.
Case Application 1: One for the Money
Discussion Questions
11-14 Look back at the chapter-opening Management Myth and how it was “debunked.”
Evaluate this wage decision in light of that.
11-15 Explain each of the employee productivity/motivation concerns. Which of these do you
think is most critical? Why?
11-16 Choose one of the contemporary motivation theories discussed in this chapter and write
a description of it for Mr. Price, explaining how and why it would be a good alternative
for employee motivation.
11-17 What problem(s) might managers face under this new pay approach and how could they
use their knowledge about employee motivation to help them deal with those problems?
Case Application 2: Searching For?
Discussion Questions
11-18 What’s it like to work at Google? (Hint: Go to Google’s Web site and find the section on
Google Careers and go from there.) What’s your assessment of the company’s work
environment?
There is also information provided by other companies, such as Fortune Magazine, on
Google’s high level of employee satisfaction. In 2015, Google was again ranked by
11-19 Google is doing a lot for its employees, but obviously not enough to retain some talented
employees. Using what you’ve learned from studying the various motivation theories,
what does this situation tell you about employee motivation?
11-20 What do you think is Google’s biggest challenge in keeping employees motivated?
11-21 If you were managing a team of Google employees, how would you keep them motivated?
11-22 Reread the chapter section on motivating professionals. Using this information, what
would you tell managers at Google?
The answer to this question does not lie in more money or benefits, but creating
Case Application 3: Passionate Pursuits
Discussion Questions
11-23 What would it be like to work at Patagonia? (Hint: Go to Patagonia’s Web site in
Company Information and find the section on jobs.) What’s your assessment of the
company’s work environment?
Students’ answers will vary depending on work preferences. The company environment
11-24 Using what you’ve learned from studying the various motivation theories, what does
Patagonia’s situation tell you about employee motivation?
11-25 What do you think might be Patagonia’s biggest challenge in keeping employees
motivated?
11-26 If you were managing a team of Patagonia employees in the retail stores, how would you
keep them motivated?