Question

Bob Hanson emphasizes that sending MBSC employees to seminars on a regular basis is highly motivating. It’s possible that for some employees, having to attend seminars is a burden. However, for an employee like Marco, who was excited when he found out he could major in strength and conditioning in college, having the opportunity to further their professional development is a major source of satisfaction and it motivates him to work hard for MBSC. Professional development is described in different ways by different theories of motivation.
If Bob and Mike were analyzing how they motivate their employees in terms of Maslow’s hierarchy of needs, which of the following would be true?

1. Attending seminars could meet an employee’s need for self-actualization, but this would be motivating only if pay, job security, inclusion, and recognition needs were also met.

2. Learning at seminars could meet an employee’s need for growth, and if the employee were not allowed to attend seminars, then he or she might desire greater participation at work or more pay.

3. The recognition and autonomy offered by attending seminars would result in satisfaction, but employees might also be dissatisfied if pay were poor or their ideas were not valued.

4. Employees with a high need for achievement would find the opportunity to learn advanced skills at seminars very motivating, while those with a high need for affiliation or power would be less motivated by seminars.

Marco says he was an economics major in college until he discovered he could major in strength and conditioning. Then he switched majors. Clearly, learning about this field is important to him. Mike and Bob are addressing (effort to performance expectancy, effort, performance to outcome expectancy, or valance)? when they send Marco to seminars instead of, for example, increasing his salary in exchange for his continued high performance at MBSC.

They could maintain Marco’s high level of motivation by?

1. Sending him on an all-expense-paid Caribbean cruise for two weeks

2. Reassuring him that he has a job with MBSC as long as he performs well

3. Reimbursing his tuition as he seeks a master’s degree in fitness management

4. Setting up an employee discount program at a nearby coffee shop, laundromat, and tanning salon

Mike Boyle says he has read that meeting with employees regularly is important to motivation. Despite the fact that he and Bob hold weekly staff meetings with their employees, Mike believes they should meet more often. He knows that employee meetings should have a purpose, and he asks you for advice.

Which of the following purposes for meeting with a staff member could be motivational? Check all that apply.

1. To correct misperceptions around equity

2. To fulfill the need for belongingness

3. To set specific, challenging goals

4. To use extinction on an undesirable behavio

Answer 1

Answer to Question 1:

Option 3 would be TRUE in this case.

Explanation:

According to Abraham Maslow's hierarchy of needs, Self Esteem Needs are directly below the cadre of Self-Actualization Needs. According to this Abraham Maslows theory, one can only think and appreciate offers relating to Self-Actualization such as training if their self- esteem needs are met.

This makes good sense. If Mike and Bob are narcissistic bosses always treating their workers like garbage then sending them off to training as a way to reward their "hard work", that would be very counterproductive.

Please see the attached diagram for a synopsis of Abraham Maslows Hierarchy of Needs.

Answer to Question 2:

The correct option here is 3)

Explanation.

This next question is based on the Expectancy Theory which states that people will always act in a certain way because of the outcome they expect from that behavior.

One way to keep Marco motivated would be to reimburse his tuition as he seeks a Masters Degree in Fitness Management only on the condition that his increased skill and learning in that field are equally beneficial to the company. If it is beneficial to the company, then it means that increasing his ability to solve such problems will also translate to an increase in MBSC's bottom line. If he is helping the company attain its strategic goals then he ought to be rewarded as well. As this kind of cycle continues, the company grows, employees like Mike will grow and everyone is happy, all other things being equal.

Answer to Question 3

The correct choices are:

1, 3 and 4.

Explanation:

1. Meetings, if constructively planned can be used to resolve misperceptions relating to equity. This can be very demotivating where an employee feels undervalued in relation to others;
2. Meetings can be used to re-evaluate performance and how one has performed in relation to those goals. Challenges to performance and solutions to the same can be discussed. In many cases, the goals only need to be made more specific to ignite performance.
3. Meetings are also good avenues to constructively address undesirable behaviors.

Cheers!