Applied Research Paper
Courtney Collier (collier.courtney@yahoo.com) 678-469-5053 1740 Taynton Circle NW Kennesaw, GA 30152
Keller Graduate School of Management
Organizational Behavior
GM 591
Andrea Trinklein
February 19, 2010

Applied Research Paper

Introduction

The motivation of the employees and the supervisors is essential to the success of an organization. If the employees that work for an organization are unmotivated this could cause hostility within the work environment. This paper will give a brief description and history of the Publix. It will also show the motivational tactics the Publix uses to motivate associates. While showing these tactics I plan to show how these tactics create a problem in the work environment. Next, this paper will discuss analysis the problems and how the employees react to these tactics. This paper will also show examples of how increasing motivation affects several other things within an organization. Following the analysis this paper will give show solutions to the motivational tactics within Publix. Finally, paper will include a reflection about how this assignment influenced my personal, academic, and professional leadership and management development.

Publix is one of the 10 largest grocery store chains in the United States and the largest in the south. Publix was founded by the late George Jenkins in the 1930’s in Winter Haven, Florida. Publix currently has 1,010 retail stores and operate in five states which include: Georgia, Florida, Tennessee, South Carolina and Alabama. Publix is constantly advancing and growing and this is because of their philosophy which is: “Publix is known for its philosophy of pleasing the customer; the Publix guarantee to never knowingly disappoint our customers is legendary in the industry (About Publix, 1981)”. I have work for Publix in a number of positions and areas and have seen several tactics that are not just management styles but taught ways throughout Publix. I have been with Publix since 2005 in locations which include Florida and Georgia.

Problem Statement

What is motivation? Why are the tactics within Publix as an organization in question? Motivation is defined as “forces within an individual that account for the level, direction, and persistence of effort expended at work (Schermerhorn, Hunt, & Osborn, 2008, p. 111)”. In the years that I have been working for Publix I have worked in three different warehouses and have come to notice the same things from all management levels. The tactics they use to motivate employees create a hostile work environment. For example, say you need to go home early one day to take care of your child or something they will in turn use that against you later to get you to stay later, it may not even be in the same month. The managers are always asking for favors of some sort and then when you need them they tell you not this time. To me it seems like the managers have a qui pro quo methodology in which they will always be the only ones benefiting.

As we have learned throughout the course when trying to motivate employee, the tactics that the supervisors use are essential to the success of the organization. If employees feel that the only way a supervisor will adhere to their needs is by bribing or using qui pro quo then the employees are likely to not ask the supervisor for anything and just take what they need or feel they need. The tactics of Publix supervisor do not provide the employees with a sense of value. In my opinion if the supervisor were to motivate employees by looking at each situation or individual this would create a less hostile environment. When an organization does not value its employee and put a price on the motivation of employees this can cause the organization to suffer in the long run.

If the supervisor of Publix spent as much time providing the employees with morale booster and motivational speeches as they did negative feedback; the organization as a whole would be a in a better place. I know you have heard the say “you’re only as strong as your weakest link” in my opinion some people wear their feeling on their sleeves and the supervisor may not be speaking to everyone when they give negative feedback but at the beginning of the day this is a de-motivator in itself. One of the biggest problem in my opinion is that Publix has a company that states “where working is a pleasure” If it such a pleasure to work for this company then why must it be stated every chance they get. In my opinion it should be showed and not stated so often. Publix is a great place to work for as a whole to include benefit. As a company or organization you are only a good as your employees make you. An organization such as Publix would not be able to run without employees.

Literature Review

Publix is a large organization and the tactics used by the supervisor to motivate employees seem to be taught. Motivation of employees not only the responsibility of the direct supervisor, the organization as a whole plays an important role in motivating and keeping the morale of employees up. The supervisor can provide an environment which promotes morale and motivation but motivation comes from within (Falcone, 2002). This simply means that employee motivation internal this depend on the individual. The supervisors’ responsibility is to provide open communication which allows the employees to feel a sense value.

At Publix our work is broken down by minutes and is to be divided evenly according to the days work and the number of associates. The minute are assigned to orders and are dependent on how fast you complete the assignment. For some of us the minute assigned to the orders are more then enough time to complete the order. For example, the minute for the day are 430. An associate is given a 60 minute assignment to complete and complete it in 45 minute. If the associate keeps up at this rate the associate would be able to go home in approximately 4 ½ hours as opposed to completing the order in the time allotted which would keep the associate there for about 6 hours. At Publix many of must are motivated by the fact that we may get to go home early if we complete our share of the workload. Even still with this system in place not many of the supervisor follow it what they will in turn do is find another department to put you in. Not all employees are motivated by money, and merit increase; many employees want to feel as if they provide the organization with contributions and that will benefit the organization and themselves. Holding team meeting and asking employees opinions are one way to motivate and boost the morale of the employees.

According to Falcone there are four ways to create an environment where employees motivate themselves. The first way is open communication, this alleviate the less employees know the better. Have you ever heard the saying “Knowledge is power” while in this instance having an open communication line can motivate the employee because they feel like the organization trust them. The next way is staff meeting leadership; this is a trust building tactic it allows the employee to make decisions. The third way external training workshops; during this step you provide the employees with training that will advance their careers. The final way is self evaluation tools, “people want to learn, contribute and make a difference at work (Falcone, 2002)”. Take the time to get to know your employee ask them of the past, present and future goals. This will show the employees that the organization not only care about what they do within the organization but also externally.

If Publix was to lighten the work load this would increase the motivation of its employees. Instead of hiring new associate they would rather have an associate that has completed their share of the workload early move to another department. Please keep in mind that the associate who has completed their shared has be running none stop, lifting, and carrying boxes weighting a minimum of 40 lbs for the past 4 ½ hours and now has to go do someone else job; all because they were misinformed at the beginning of the day. The employees expectations were to go home after they completed their fair shared then the supervisor says “no, I have something else for you to do”. “Innumerable tests have shown that stressful work areas and environments have been detrimental to the positive working of an individual or even a team. Ensure that your team does not have to handle unnecessary stress, like handling impossible deadlines or delivering products that are simply not possible (Hunter, 2010)”. Employees trust and believe what a supervisor tells them. One way to lower the morale of employees is to tell them one thing and do the complete opposite. If employees can’t trust what supervisor tell them this will create a hostile work environment with employees that are hard to motivate.

Many employees are motivated intrinsically. This basically means that they are motivated to do a particular task basic on the satisfaction or pleasure they receive from completing the task (Ghebre, 2009). In my opinion at Publix have many people that complete the task basic on the satisfaction or pleasure they receive, but even with these employees the tactic of the supervisor can get old. No individual wants to be told one thing and something told opposite occurs. Tactfulness and professionalism is key to being or becoming a successful supervisor or manager.

Why are the tactics in which Publix use to motivate associates in question?

Analysis

The cause of this problem is related to the lack of employees willing to take a stand. Many employees complain, but normally it the same ones. The Publix employees need to come together for the organization to make change. If the same three employees are the only ones making the complaints the organization is likely to just find a way to get them out the door. They will see that as a way a boost morale and the motivation of the other employees. Another cause of this problem the economy, employees are scared to speak up in fear that they may lose their jobs and become a part of the statistics. The current unemployment rate is 9.7 percent; this is approximately 9.3 million people (“Employment Situations“, 2010). Every morning in our start up meetings the supervisors give us a pep talk (if that what you want to call it). One supervisor will start out by telling us what a good job we are doing and another will end with “for those of you who just want to complain all the time don’t come to work, there are plenty of people who want your job. In that instance it seem as they are playing good cop/ bad cop. Regardless of how the supervisors play this out the employees are going to see them as one. Supervisor should not play devils advocate. The supervisor represents a team in themselves. If associates notice that only one supervisor on the team is the good cop, they are more likely to only turn to that supervisor in a time of need. This will cause resentment amongst the supervisors, causing an overall breakdown and downward spiral of the organization. The team of supervisor should sing in one accord, not every time are the supervisor going to agree with each other but when disagreement occur; as supervisors they should never occur in front of the people they supervise.

The tactics used by the supervisors at Publix are causing a hostile environment. Employees don’t want to talk to the supervisors. The motivation of the employees comes from each individual, what is within them and if the supervisor starts the day off by telling them one thing this could hinder the productivity for the rest of the day. At Publix the start up meeting occurs at 500 a.m. and this is the time where we go over what the workload is for the day. During this time people don’t want to hear negative thing, people have not been awake that long. To start an employee’s day out negative will decrease the morale and motivation of the employees regardless if they wake up on the wrong or right side of the bed. In my opinion the best thing to do early in the morning is to try and make work fun. Employees and Supervisor are already showing up before the crack of dawn. Most of them probably don’t want to be their to include the supervisor so starting off negative would be the wrong way to go about getting employees motivated and starting their days.

The expectation of the employees is not being met. If employees have a clear understanding of what the supervisor expect and vice versa, the day is more likely to run smoothly. “Setting goals, making sure your expectations are clear, and providing frequent feedback help people perform most effectively (Heathfield, 2000). Goal standards and expectations should be clearly identified in the beginning in some form of communication. If a communication breakdown occurs and information is not disseminated properly this can create to breakdown in the motivation of subordinates. Just imagine if you as a supervisor didn’t get the proper information and standards from your boss, your motivation/ morale is likely to be low; in turn you’re likely you show that to your employees which will have a negative effect on the entire organization.

Research shows that team work can play a major role in motivating employees. If an employee can feel trust and confidence from another employee and know that if something were to occur and they would not be hung out to dry; this could build the cohesiveness and unity with an organization. For instance incorporate company functions into the teambuilding to promote unity. Some types of function can include seminars, Friday night bowling, or maybe dress down days. Start promoting group function outside of work that could allow others to get a better understanding of one another.

Organizations should try incorporating teambuilding without making it mandatory. If employees feel that the company is forcing teambuilding on them “most employees will respond by asking when the team building practices will be over, so they can get back to work. By announcing your team-building efforts, you will not create additional motivation in your employees to suddenly get them to develop team cohesion (Vikesland, 2007)”. Teambuilding exercise can increase employee satisfaction as well as increase productivity if introduced in the correct way. For example, say you’re the supervisor of X Company and you decide for one day a month your company can afford to close its door for the day. During this day you take the company out on the companies’ dime and you pay them for the day. This will increase a number of things throughout the organization. For example the productivity, morale, motivation, cohesiveness, and job satisfaction would all increase, which would put the organization ahead of its competitors.

Solution

The first solution to the ongoing problem at Publix is to retrain the current management team. Provide the supervisor with the proper tools and resources that will benefit all members of team Publix. In doing this the supervisor would be sent to workshops and seminars that would critic them on the motivational tactics and provide them with real world scenarios. Upon completion of the training, supervisor should be put backing the environment a see what they have learned and what they are willing to teach. A thorough evaluation should be completed and the employee should get the chance to critic the supervisors.

The next solution would be to decrease the workload. Hire better qualified people in the departments that are lacking employees and stop making it mandatory for an employee to fill in for another department upon completion of the daily workload. Many employees plan their day according to the workload and if they get in and does their share of the work in less then the allotted it should not be mandatory for them to fill in for another department. When motivating these employees their personal life is important. The day for them starts at 500 a.m. and is over when they have done their fair share of the work. These employees may have made plans to spend time with their families and for the supervisor to tell them they have to fill in for another department this will certainly lower their morale and motivation.

The last solution would be to get the supervisor to stick to their word. Sure last minute changes have to be made within an organization. For the employees of Publix last minute changes occur on a daily basis. It would be better if a supervisor told the employee they didn’t have an answer for them right now as opposed to telling them one thing and doing something completely opposite. The supervisor will need to regain the trust of the employees during this step. If the employees don’t trust the supervisor they are likely to cause an uncomfortable environment for new employees. A person word is the only thing they really have that doesn’t have a price on it. To be label as a liar or someone who never stick to their word can ultimately mean nothing they say can be taken at face value. The supervisor’s responsibility is to lead and mentor its employees. If the supervisor of any organization can’t be trusted then there is really no reason for the organization to keep them around. The end result would end in a downward spiral causing employees to resent the supervisors. Productivity would decrease and business ethics would be compromised. Something as simple as doing what you said or keeping the employees updated on information as its received can increase the motivation within an organization.

Reflection

This assignment influenced my personal development by providing me with a better understanding of motivation theories. I have always known that money was not my motivation. For instance I get more satisfaction from the success or recognition I get from completing a task. I never knew there were personality types such as intrinsic and extrinsic. No this gave me a better understanding of why I took five dollars pay cut a few years ago. This leads me to my academic and professional development. A few years ago I was working for X Company and the position I had been conflicting with my school schedule. X Company had another position open up which was paying nearly five dollars less then my current position. At that time education was very important to me and still is on all levels the most important. For me to look back at that decision I don’t regret it for one second. That position put me in a better spot nearly 4 years later. I am working on my Maters degree, attending Officer Candidate School for the US Army and in the process of getting a supervisor position at Publix.

I attended Officer Candidate School this week and I am a little glad I held my paper till today because it gave me more to add to my paper. I had a real life experience with motivation. Motivation is not only in an individual basis it can also be conducted in a team environment. For example, this weekend at my military drill we learned that false motivation is better than no motivation. We also learned that if we work as a team and stayed motivated as a team the likelihood of us being the push-up position (getting smoked) was slim to none. For instance, in this particular environment teamwork plays a majors part in the motivation of the crew or employees.

Conclusion

In conclusion this paper gives a brief history about Publix. It looks give a problem statement which looks at the motivational tactics of the supervisors of Publix. Next this paper discussed the how these tactics create problems in the workplace and how the employees react when these tactics are put to use. This paper gives solutions to the motivational tactics used by the supervisor that will benefit both the supervisors and the employees. Finally this paper gives a brief synopsis on how this paper influenced my personal, academic and professional development.

References
About Publix. (1981). Retrieved February 18, 2010, from http://www.publix.com/about/PublixHistory.do
Employment Situations. (2010). Retrieved February 19, 2010, from http://www.bls.gov/news.release/empsit.nr0.htm
Falcone, P. (2002). Motivating staff without money: here are four ways to motivate staff when there’s not much in the kitty . Retrieved February 18, 2010, from http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m3495/is_8_47/ai_90536354/
Ghebre, V. (2009, July 3). Intrinsic Or Extrinsic Motivation - The Most Effective Way To Motivate Employees. Articlesbase. Retrieved from http://www.articlesbase.com/human-resources-articles/intrinsic-or-extrinsic-motivation-the-most-effective-way-to-motivate-employees-806161.html
Heathfield, S. M. (2000). Performance Management: You Get What You Request and Reward. Business and Finance. Retrieved from http://humanresources.about.com/od/performancemanagement/a/request_reward.htm
Hunter, K. (2010, February 16). Employee Motivation - Fast Way to Increase Employee Productivity . . Retrieved from http://ezinearticles.com/?Employee-Motivation---Fast-Way-to-Increase-Employee-Productivity&id=3770350
Schermerhorn, J. R., Hunt, J. G., & Osborn, R. N. (2008). Motivation Theories. In K. Mortimer (Ed.), Organizational Behavior (pp. 110-124). Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley & Son .
Vikesland, G. (2007). Team-Building in Secret . Essential Human Resources. Retrieved from http://www.employer-employee.com/may2001tips.html