Case study: Kevin Plank,
Founder, CEO, and Board Chair of Under Armour
Weston Kish 5/11/16
Case study: Kevin Plank,
Founder, CEO, and Board Chair of Under Armour
Weston Kish 5/11/16

1. Plank’s motivation was to create a new category of performance apparel driven by extrinsic (hygiene) factors or intrinsic (motivator) factors, according to Herzberg’s two-factor theory. Intrinsic factors, or motivators, are higher-level needs such as esteem, self-actualization, and growth. These motivators come from the job itself. Extrinsic factors, or hygeines, are lower-level needs such as physiological, safety, Plank saw a need so he tried to fill it to keep dry during a football game. I do not think this was his only reason for making the under armour brand. He seemed to be a person made to do business. I think he, driven extrinsic factor. When he was younger, he took the bracelets he got from Guatemala. He sold them for $580. He knew he was very good at selling, He knew he would be good at business. Not everyone was with him on his venture about trying to start his business. His motivation when it came to getting his business going he was very passionate. 2. I believe Plank places the most weight out of these three on achievement. If ordered by significance to Plank, I believe first would be his need for achievement, second would be power, third would be affiliation. Even as the CEO, he still models his work ethic by his employees. He knows how to keep the motivation going. He builds what he calls the “four pillars of greatness” this was his performance formula. He needs to build a great product, tell a great story, service the business, and build a great team. 3. Keven tries to model his company with his four pillares. At Under Armour, employees are known as teammates. They have a “get-it-done” attitude, no matter what obstacles stand in their way. Solutions to any problems are expected to be resolved with full support from the team. Under Armour has made the teammates have certain responsibilities and expectations of the work to be performed. They form natural working groups and they give the teammates more autonomy with the responsibilities that are set forth. Job enrichment is the process of building motivators into the job itself by making it more interesting and challenging. Managers can enrich jobs by delegating more variety and responsibility, forming natural work groups, making employees responsible for their own identifiable work, and giving employees more autonomy. To support these ways of enriching jobs, the case states that employees are called “teammates.” 4. Kevin Plank displays more of the transformational leadership theory. In each presentation that Plank presents he refers to passion, vision, and people. He had the passion to start up with a new product and to go up against a giant like Nike. He has the passion to build a great product and continue to make it better. The people, his team, are the backbone of his company. There is a trust between himself and his team members that carries over into the work that is expected to be performed.