BUS272 TB

178 Part 2 Striving for Performance
Provide Choice “We are most likely to become enthusiastic about what we are doing—
and do it well—when we are free to make decisions about the way we carry out a
task.” 74 Extrinsic rewards (and punishments) remove choice, because they focus us on
rewards, rather than on tasks or goals. Research suggests that burnout, dissatisfaction,
absenteeism, stress, and coronary heart disease are related to situations where individuals
did not have enough control over their work situations. 75 By choice we do not
mean lack of management, but rather, involving people in the decisions that are to be
made. A number of studies indicate that participative management, when it includes
full participation by everyone, is successful. 76
It would be difficult for many organizations to implement these ideas immediately and
expect that they would work. Managers would need to relinquish control and take on the
job of coach. Employees would need to believe that their participation and input mattered.
Nevertheless, these actions, when implemented, can lead to quite a different workplace than
what we often see. Moreover, Kohn suggests that sometimes it’s not the type or amount of
rewards that makes a difference as much as whether the work itself is intrinsically interesting.
Below we examine how to create more motivating jobs and workplaces in order
to make work itself more intrinsically rewarding for employees. You might consider
whether Starbucks is moving in the right direction to create an intrinsically motivating
workplace after you read OB in the Workplace .
OB IN THE WORKPLACE
Starbucks Aims for Better Coffee
Can management make operations too efficient? Starbucks recently revised coffeemaking
procedures after complaints from customers suggested that the chain’s coffee
was too mechanized. 77 In a bid to bring back the perception of better coffee at its stores,
Starbucks told its baristas to focus on making no more than two drinks at a time, rather
than multiple drinks at once.
Starbucks studied how baristas make coffee, trying to get the routine down to the
least amount of time possible in order to “eliminate wasteful activity and speed up
service.” For instance, beans are no longer stored below the counter because it wastes
time to bend over to scoop beans.
Baristas were also told to steam just enough milk for one drink at a time, not a whole
pitcher to be used for several drinks. The corporation envisions a more efficient operation,
but employees fear longer lines. They also do not think the new rules make sense:
“While I’m blending a frappuccino, it doesn’t make sense to stand there and wait for
the blender to finish running, because I could be making an iced tea at the same time,”
barista Tyler Swain says.
Starbucks says that the baristas just need to get comfortable with the new method,
and all will be well. If a customer does need to wait longer, baristas should simply let
the customer know. While the operation may be more efficient, employees complain
about the lack of autonomy they have in preparing orders.
4
Describe the job characteristics
model and
the way it motivates
by changing the work
environment.
job design The way the elements in
a job are organized.
M o t i v a t i n g b y J o b R e d e s i g n
Increasingly, research on motivation focuses on approaches that link motivational
concepts to changes in the way work is structured. Research in job design suggests
that the way the elements in a job are organized can increase or decrease effort and
also suggests what those elements are. We will first review the job characteristics model
and then discuss some ways jobs can be redesigned. Finally, we will explore alternative
work arrangements.