Management Chapter 9 They Would Feel Sense Cohesiveness With Their Comrades And Renewed Sense Purpose

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B O X E D T E X T D I S C U S S I O N Q U E S T I O N S

ENTER THE WORLD OF BUSINESS—Mars, Incorporated: Where Employees Love to Work

Mars is the third largest private company in the United States that is 100 percent family owned. The

company specializes in six brand areas: chocolate, pet care, Wrigley, food, drinks, and symbioscience. Mars

1. Why do you think that Mars Inc. refuses to become a public company?

2. How does Mars Inc. motivate its employees?

3. How does employee motivation at Mars Inc. contribute to the firm’s success?

GOING GREEN—Wegmans Motivates Employees and Excels in Sustainability

Wegmans, a small grocery chain along the Atlantic region, is keen on motivating its more than 42,000

employees. Offers benefits such as flexible scheduling, employee scholarship programs, and a 66 percent

rate of internal promotions to empower and motivate its workforce to optimal levels. Wellness programs for

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1. How does Wegmans empower employees?

2. Describe the employee benefits Wegmans offers and how this motivates them to offer better

customer service.

3. How might Wegmans’ sustainability endeavors influence employees to be more sustainable in their

own lives?

RESPONDING TO BUSINESS CHALLENGES—The Pros and Cons of Working from Home

Allowing employees to work from home, known as telecommuting, has become a controversial topic for

managers and human resources departments. With the advancement of technology, telecommuting has

1. What are the advantages of using work-from-home policies to motivate employees?

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2. What are the disadvantages of using work-from-home policies to motivate employees?

3. What impact do you feel reversing a firm’s work-from-home policies will have on employee

motivation?

S U P P L E M E N T A L L E C T U R E

The Importance of Morale and Esprit de Corps in Management

There is a tendency in management literature to compare a company with a military unit. The analogy works

well when we are talking of mission, organization, discipline, and control. The military example is especially

appropriate when we come to the human relations involved in persuading subordinates to accomplish a goal.

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Lieutenant Colonel Roger Brakeson commanded the 700-man 12th Tank Battalion on duty in West Germany.

The colonel had noticed around the battalion area some signs of a lapse in morale and esprit de corps. It had

come to his attention that some of the enlisted men were contemplating requesting a transfer to another

The military review preceded by a half-mile parade was a resounding success. The troops looked like brightly

painted tin soldiers, their rhythm and swagger as they marched were remarkable, and the 70-piece band

inspired the utmost faith in the patriotic military way of life.

As ordered by Colonel Brakeson, each company commander announced that he would be happy to have any

complaints brought to his office immediately and that requests for transfer would be honored on the spot.

Not one member of the battalion stepped forward with a complaint or a request for transfer. When Colonel

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1. Can you explain why a successful military review and parade would be so effective in raising morale

and a sense of esprit de corps?

A successful military review and parade could be very successful in raising morale and esprit de corps for

several reasons. First, it would cause the military soldiers to feel appreciated. They would feel a sense of

2. Will having a military review and parade maintain morale if there are problems within the

organization?

C O N T R O V E R S I A L I S S U E

A Second Look at Sinclair’s The Jungle

Early in the 20th century, Upton Sinclair spent several weeks in “Packingtown,” the part of Chicago in which

meat-processing plants were located. His assignment was to write a novel about the plight of processing-

plant workers. His writing first appeared as a serial in a periodical called Appeal to Reason, and was later

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sausage was being prepared and scooped up rat dung and poisoned bread and knowingly threw both into

the vats.

1. Who should be responsible for products that do not meet minimum health standards? The

owners/operators? Or the workers?

2. Was there something in the employer’s actions and attitude that drove the workers to such behavior?

3. What had happened to morale and a sense of group spirit?

Morale and esprit de corps were nonexistent. The horrible work conditions and the indifference and

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S O Y O U T H I N K Y O U M I G H T B E G O O D A T M O T I V A T I N G A W O R K F O R C E

Why are human relations programs important in the workforce?

They are necessary to teach employees about sensitivity to other cultures, religions, and beliefs, as well as for

C H E C K Y O U R P R O G R E S S

1. Why do managers need to understand the needs of their employees?

2. Describe the motivation process.

3. What was the goal of the Hawthorne studies? What was the outcome of those studies?

4. Explain Maslow’s hierarchy of needs. What does it tell us about employee motivation?

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5. What are Herzberg’s hygiene and motivational factors? How can managers use them to motivate

workers?

6. Contrast the assumptions of theory X and theory Y. Why has theory Y replaced theory X in

management today?

Theory X assumes that (1) workers do not like work and will avoid it when possible; (2) workers must be

coerced, controlled, directed, or threatened with punishment to get them to work toward achievement

7. What is theory Z? How can businesses apply theory Z to the workplace?

Theory Z stresses employee participation in all aspects of organizational decision making. This theory

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8. Identify and describe the job-design strategies.

There are several strategies managers may use to structure jobs to promote employee motivation.

a. Job rotation allows employees to move from one job to another in an effort to relieve boredom

9. Name and describe some flexible scheduling strategies. How can flexible schedules help motivate

workers?

Flexible scheduling strategies include:

10. Why are motivational strategies important to both employees and employers?

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G E T I N V O L V E D

1. Consider a person who is homeless: How would he or she be motivated and what actions would that

person take? Use the motivation process to explain. Which of the needs in Maslow’s hierarchy are

likely to be most important? Least important?

2. View the video Cheaper by the Dozen (1950) and report on how the Gilbreths tried to incorporate their

passion for efficiency into their family life.

Student answers will vary.

3. What events and trends in society, technology, and economics do you think will shape management

theory in the future?

Student answers will vary.

B U I L D Y O U R S K I L L S

Suggestions for Use

Before assigning the exercise, you might ask some or all of the following questions to lay the groundwork for

the exercise.

• What is your favorite recreational activity you enjoy during your leisure time? Maybe you have a passion

for playing tennis, rollerblading, hiking in the mountains, water skiing, snowboarding, golfing, or

bicycling.

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• What characteristics does “play” possess that “work” often does not that can make play more appealing

than work?

[See column two of the exercise chart of the textbook for some ideas here.]

Here are some suggested answers for the “Discussion Questions” at the end of the exercise:

1. What prevents managers from making work more like play?

2. Are these forces real, or imagined?

3. What would be the likely (positive and negative) results of making work more like play?

4. Could others in the organization accept such creative behaviors?

B U I L D Y O U R B U S I N E S S P L A N

Consider having an open discussion with the students about what their previous employers have used to

motivate them. Did it cost the employer much to implement this program? Perhaps it wasn’t money, but

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S E E F O R Y O U R S E L F V I D E O C A S E:

T H E C O N T A I N E R S T O R E’ S S E C R E T T O S U C C E S S:

E M P L O Y E E S A T I S F A C T I O N

Case Overview

With more than 10,000 products available, The Container Store sells items such as hanging bins, drawers,

trash cans, and other items to help make a hectic life more organized. Yet in addition to its unusual product

mix, The Container Store is also unique for its dedication to employees. For instance, while turnover in retail

1. Name some of the hygiene factors at The Container Store.

Hygiene factors at The Container Store include a friendly work environment, pay that is 50 percent better

2. Name some of the ways that The Container Store motivates its employees.

The Container Store motivates its employees by perks such as health care, an open communication

3. Do you believe Tindell’s statement that highly satisfied employees will lead to highly satisfied

customers and shareholders?

Student answers may vary, but it is likely that many students will agree that happy employees that are

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T E A M E X E R C I S E

Students will form groups and outline a compensation package that they would consider ideal in motivating

an employee, recognizing performance, and assisting the company in attaining its cost-to-performance

T E R M P A P E R O R P R O J E C T T O P I C S

These topics may be assigned as individual or collaborative projects:

1. Advantages and Disadvantages of Flexible Scheduling

3. Frederick Taylor: Father of Scientific Management

5. Motivational Factors of Frederick Herzberg

G U E S T S P E A K E R S U G G E S T I O N S

1. A human relations professor to speak about the study of human relations, motivation, or job design.

2. A representative of a business firm to talk about management styles, team concepts, job design, or

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T E A C H I N G S U G G E S T I O N S

1. Begin the class session with a brief writing assignment. Have students write for a few minutes on the

following: Why is the study of human relations important? Call on different students to give their written

2. Use the “Lecture Outline and Notes” and slides to emphasize the main points of the chapter.