Achievement Motivation

PSY/320

4/29/2012

The achievement motivation theory can be applied to many situations in the workplace. One situation, to which the theory can be applied, comes to mind from a prior work experience. The situation involved an information services employee who was recently promoted from the technology support center (the call line) to a division wide team composed of employees from different areas. He looked forward to challenges of all kinds technically and professionally and had a commendable career history. The team in which he was a part was working to improve, the automation of how different Blue Cross insurance plans were notified of incoming claims while insuring HIPAA (Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act) is maintained. His assignment was to learn the coding for the system being used for the project. He was eager to be on the team and begin the new endeavor learning the new system, and hoping it would lead to new job opportunists down the line. The amount of coding in his background was small but his though process analytical and logical, which is necessary for coding. Approximately a month into his training and just as right when he was about to be released on his own to begin coding he met with the lead of the team and asked to be returned to his original department. The lead was quite stunned at his request and when asked why he gave a nonsense answer. The lead did not push him at the time and allowed him to return to his old job duties. As word began to spread among the other team members that he had left the team many wondered what the real reasons were. In about two weeks the head programmer on the team approached him and asked why he left the team. He revealed that he did not feel he was learning the coding as fast as he should or that his knowledge was up to par with everyone else. The lead programmer asked him who told him he was expected to be up to par with everyone else who had years of coding experience when his training had just began a month ago. The help desk technician was silent and realized that he allowed his own anxiety of failing and possibility he may not live up to others expectations lead him to give up. He had reacted to a fear that he would not succeed as an indication that the achievement motivation theory could be applied). The lead programmer spoke to the team lead and they allowed him back on the team and used the motivational theory goal-setting with the knowledge that he would be provided with weekly goals to measure his progress. Once he had goals to measure his own personal expectancies he once again began to flourish and in no time he was soaring past the weekly goals. That is an instance where two theories were applied one to explain the employee behavior and the other to direct his behavior and accomplish the organizational goals.

An instance in which the achievement motivation theory would not be applicable is late when the lead programmer was given a quick promotion and had to leave the team. He was open to the promotion but this was not something he applied for or was looking for therefore it was not the achievement theory. This situation would have been the attributional and effectance theories. The promotion was necessary because two directors (technology director and programming director) had resigned and the position needed to be filled quickly, with no better candidates to fill the position upper management realized the lead programmer was a perfect fit for the programming director’s position and upper management knew this, and that is the attributional motivation. The effectance theory was applied by the new acting technology director as he was also surprised by his unexpected promotion and was facing new tasks. He embraced the new position with a self-motivation toward competently approaching the daily challenges, along with his determination to master each and every aspect of his career. With such intrinsic motivation, the acting technical director implemented many inventive solutions that updated and automated procedures within the division and led to a more effective work force and more efficient work days while increasing cost reductions throughout the entire division. His changes were mirrored in other divisions throughout the company. As a result he was given an award for cost saving in which he personally received a monetary figure as a thank you from the company and he was also made the permanent technical director, instead of the acting director.

Taking into consideration the above situations, there is a definite need for the entire management structure of organizations to learn and implement motivational concepts. Although witnessing the above situations the author can see the implementation of several of the other available motivation concepts in each situation to achieve the same or very similar outcomes. Businesses are changing very quickly and to keep their employees motivated and moving forward with the company on every level. It benefits the consumer, employer and employee if the employees are happy, stay with the company and are able to be promoted from within. This being said the need for new or modified motivational techniques are necessary. The grand motivation theories have roots in the human psyche and in human nature therefore they will naturally be a part of the basis for application. As the workplace continues to evolve and more is expected from fewer employees the more mini theories come into focus and begin to be what we rely on to motivate us in our personal and work careers. As someone who was raised by a mother who believed in motivation and taught us how to motivate ourselves to succeed in life and not to rely on others I do understand the value it brings to a person on a daily basis and I have witnessed those who fall without that motivation instilled within themselves. As Zig Ziglar stated “People often say that motivation doesn’t last. Well, neither does bathing – that’s why we recommend it daily.”

References
Reeve, J. (2009). Understanding motivation and emotion. (5th ed.). New York: Wiley.
Think Exist. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://thinkexist.com/quotes/zig_ziglar/
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