Workplace and Employee Motivation

In recent years, the topic of workplace and employee motivation has emerged as a significant concern for both employers and management personnel. An analysis of such strategies at a Target Retail Store provides an example of how such motivational strategies affect the company"s sales, profits, workplace morale, and future. One of the most important issues at a Target Retail Store is the timely method and manner of placing and displaying the merchandise on the sales floor before the store actually opens to the public at 8:00 a. m. This must be effectively done with limited resources and staff.

As a result, management must be able to appropriately and effectively motivate all staff employees and improve performance and employees" resistance to increasing productivity. This paper will examine the organizational efforts of Target Retail Stores in this area, and identify and analyze two motivational theories not currently in practice by Target. It will also apply the chosen motivational theories to management and discuss their impact and offer possible solutions that could have been implemented before employee motivation became an issue.

In order to eliminate the time it normally took to neatly present merchandise on the sales floor, Target implemented a program that would effectively eliminate unnecessary packaging (EDA"s Waste Reduction Update, 2005). The results of this was the elimination of approximately 1. 5 million pounds of waste, an estimated saved $4. 5 million through packaging reduction, and the implementation of a more efficient method of merchandise distribution (EDA"s Waste Reduction Update, 2005).

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This led to an easier and more efficient merchandise placement in preparation for store opening every morning. Before the program"s implementation, Target"s management team observed both the amount of waste from packaging and the time workers spent opening and unwrapping shipments (EDA"s Waste Reduction Update, 2005). The team found that a great deal of labor was expended tearing apart packaging from merchandise. For example, one typical clothing shipment contained 20 individually wrapped sweaters. The sweaters had to be unwrapped before they could be displayed in the store.

The team ultimately determined that an entire shipment of 20 sweaters could be safely shipped in just one outside wrapper (EDA"s Waste Reduction Update, 2005). The total reduction in packaging for the Target merchandise resulted in an estimated $3 million savings to the vendor for the reduced packaging material used in shipments (EDA"s Waste Reduction Update, 2005). To see whether the merchandise would arrive at the store in good condition, the Target Team asked its vendors to test its packaging reduction idea.

After several shipments of clothing arrived unwrinkled and presentable, the team decided to change Target's packaging specifications to the vendor (EDA"s Waste Reduction Update, 2005). Target's current goal is to ship floor-ready apparel and minimize excess packaging; floor-ready means that the merchandise requires minimal preparation before being displayed on the sales floor (EDA"s Waste Reduction Update, 2005). As a result of an easier and more effective process, employee motivation in this area has been boosted.

Although this method has increased efficiency, there are other methods that can still be implemented to increase employee motivation and productivity. One such theory of employee motivation is called motivation theory, which seeks to explain all kinds of motivated behavior in different situations, including behavior in organizations. Compensation administration is an application of motivation theory (Mitchell, 1992). Since the majority of behavior is sense motivated, individuals are greatly influenced by their environment.

Thus, organizations can influence people"s behavior by changing environments and rewards. The best known theory of motivation in this area is Maslow"s theory of human motivation, which centers on the theory of "physiological needs (Maslow, 1943). As related to the theory of human motivation all people have a need or desire for a stable, formally based, high evaluation of themselves, for self respect, self esteem, and respect from others (Maslow, 1943). By firmly based self-esteem, Maslow"s theory was that which is based upon real capacity, achievement and respect from others.

However, motivation is not the sole determinant of behavior. Ability and knowledge of what one is supposed to do combine with motivation in determining behavior in organizations. Also, an organization"s tasks vary in their requirements. Thus motivation can make little or much difference in performance, depending on the task. Another related motivational theory that could be applied to the Target Retail Store scenario is what is termed "content theory. " Content or arousal theories center on needs or drives. Several physiological and social needs have been identified and studied.

A need for competence in mastering the environment is supposedly aroused when individuals are faced with new, challenging situations; it dissipates after mastery (McLelland, 1976). Closely related are curiosity or activity needs: people need and enjoy a stimulating environment, but they differ on this need and become adapted to certain levels of stimulation. A need for power has been suggested as a requirement for success in organizations. Effective managers may have a high need for power (McLelland, 1976).

One problem with predicting behavior from individual needs is that people seem to have differing degrees of needs at different times of their lives (Maslow, 1943). An evaluation of the motivation theories based on needs probably focus on their limitations. Empirical studies have provided only modest support for them, and the proportion of the variance in performance explained has been low (McGregor, 1960). If Target was to follow Maslow"s theory of motivation, the organization could influence its employees" behavior by changing environments and rewards.

This means that a reward based type of program could be implemented that would encourage employees to participate as a result of the possibility to receiving a bonus or reward. Since motivation theory is based on the fact that all people have a need or desire for a stable, formally based, high evaluation of themselves, management could use evaluations and other encouraging measures to increase self esteem, and respect from others in the workplace, thus enhancing employee motivation.

Following a content needs based approach, Target management could implement an incentive program based on needs or drives. The management team could study different physiological and social needs as related to customer service and retail and implement a program based on the results of their study. A content-based approach consisting of a contest could assist the employees in mastering any new, challenging situations that may arise in their workday.

Since content theory is also based on the need for a stimulating environment, target could conduct stimulating team meetings and outings that would be interesting and motivate the employees that way. Finally, research indicates that employee motivation is directly related to the success of any organization. In order to be effective, the management at Target would greatly benefit from the implementation of any of the programs and theories discussed above. This implementation would further enhance their continued success in the retail industry.

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