Question

Once upon a time a new hotel manager, whose staff was responsible for selling banquets and hotel packages, was highly motivated to take advantage of a year-end bonus program for managers. In order to win the bonus, he needed to bring in new business so he decided to initiate a contest for his sales agents. He announced that he would pay $100 to the agent who had brought in the most new clients by the end of the month. He then sat back in his chair to await the results and decide how he would spend his bonus money. While visions of bonuses danced through his head, his sales agents were busily belly-aching for the following reasons:

(1) They were used to working as a team and resented being encouraged to compete against each other.
(2) In the manager's last contest, a new sales agent had reportedly cheated and "stole" new clients from the old-timers.
(3) The winner of the last contest was paid the prize money several months late, only after she had "shaken" it out of the sales manager.
(4) One sales agent's position had been cut, so the agents felt they were already operating beyond full capacity and working extra hours.
(5) The sales manager had not endeared himself to the agents, and they felt he was just using them to get his bonus.
(6) The sales agents felt as if they were being manipulated and perceivd the $100 bonus as an insult.

Not surprisingly, then, the sales agents decided to ignore the contest. The sales manger was angry when he saw the low level of new business at the end of the month and concluded that the agents were lazy. He told them they were unprofessional and complained about them at staff meetings so that soon everyone in the organization had heard about their "laziness." Old-timers who knew better scratched their heads because they remembered how hard the sales agents used to work before the new manager was hired. Within a few months, some of the agents quit and went to work for a competitor.

Questions:

(1) Should this manager go back to school and learn about the theories of motivation? What mistakes did he make?

(2) Which motivation theories apply to this case? Explain your answer. Does Expectancy Theory apply, and if so, how (explain)? What about Reinforcement Theory or Self-Determination Theory? Be sure to explain your answers.

(3) What do you think the sales manager should have done to try to motivate his sales agents? Relate your motivational strategies to the theories that we have discussed in class.

Answer 1

1.yes,the manager should go back to school and learn about the theories of motivation,because he made mistakes in the quest of earning bonus.

It is very important for the manager to be kind towards its staff members.if manager wants to motivate workers,then incentives should be promised and staff members should be motivated.now here the manager had promised $100 bonus to the agent who would bring new clients but himself did nothing and sat back on chair.this is not the right attitude to be expected from a manager.a manager should set examples of high standards to motivate staff members.sales manager was using them to get bonus.some of them allready knew about it as they did not want to compete,stealing of clients had happened in the last contest,last contest winner was not paid at the right time.

2.adam's equity theory could be applied here.according to this theory,equity should be their towards staff members.according to the hard work of staff member, wages should be offered and also equal opportunities in terms of moving up the ladder.wages,incentives should depend on the amount of hard work,enthusiasim and effort applied by a staff members,accordingly they should be rewarded.sales manager need to understand this theory.also reinforcement should be positive from managers side and expectancy theory could also be applied as there would be expectations from agents which needs to be understood by the manager.

3.manager should have motivated the staff members positively so that he would have been rewarded with bonus but instead he sat back on chair and waited for the results to happen on its own.proper positive motivation should have been reinforced and also agents should have been monitored by the manager.some of the agents quit he job because of the behavior of manager.manager should have performed better behavioral motivation.manager should first be enthusiastic about bringing new clients and then should expect the same from staff members.manager should have motivated the staff members while collaboratively working with them.