Improving Organizational Performance at AirDevils Linking job satisfaction and organization productivity directly to an employee’s psychological state within the workplace is possible using theory of motivation. Rectifying psychological causes such as dissatisfaction motivate employees to perform tasks well, thus leading to productive behavior. Rectifying psychological factors can remove workplace stressors and relieve issues employees face in the workplace. AirDevils is a company full of dissatisfied and stressed employees. Although they may seem linked, the cause for dissatisfaction is not the cause for stress or vice versa as two specific groups make up the company. The performers make up one group and the supporting crewmembers make up the other. Dissatisfied performers create a downward spiral in productivity, and stressed crewmembers are unavailable or missing from work. The job characteristics theory of motivation is applicable to both groups to create improved job satisfaction and organizational productive by lowering stress. Improving the performers behavior by incorporating new stunts in routines can create a better aerial performance. In turn, AirDevils may begin to win awards in competition with the new routine, leading to improved job satisfaction. Some crewmembers are also aspiring performers, but too many are not able to keep pace because of injury and job stress. To reduce dissatisfaction and stressors, AirDevils must alleviate problems between performers and crewmembers through feedback.

Analysis of AirDevils Simulation The AirDevils simulation provides dynamically structured scenes to build ones theory of employee motivation and the reduction of workplace stressors. The simulation depicts an aerial stunts company known as AirDevils, of which the stunt performers feel the company has become inflexible and rigid. Because AirDevils began with one employee and grew quickly, implementation of formal organizational programs never occurred to control employee job satisfaction (University of Phoenix, 2005). The simulation requires one to intervene and bolster job satisfaction to increase productivity, and restore AirDevils to its previous glory of top-notch aerial stunts by determining the psychological cause for low job satisfaction. The simulation confirms dissatisfied stunt performers remain unexcited with the level of stunt performance, and believe no one listens to ideas for change. Many of the stunt performers believe the aerial stunts have become routine and are no longer challenging (University of Phoenix, 2005). The lack of performer excitement coupled with not receiving any rewards for their merit over the past two years is leading to employee dissatisfaction. Not receiving any awards is a factor of demotivation and ultimately places additional dissatisfaction on the performers. To improve job satisfaction and productivity, the simulation offers different methods for improving motivation and job satisfaction. Different from psychological causes, psychological factors contribute to employee demotivation and dysfunctional behavior like the symptoms of a virus (Jex & Britt, 2008). To improve AirDevil’s performer job satisfaction and productivity Celsey, the entrepreneur of AirDevils, wishes to change this stigma with interventions designed to improve job satisfaction levels by addressing the underlying psychological cause. These interventions include training in other stunts, allowing participation in open competitions, rotation in industry meets, and improve job design (University of Phoenix, 2005). By allowing training in other stunts, the performers can exercise their own routines and try out for new stunts. AirDevils support crewmembers make up 20% of the organizations employee base. Support crewmembers are missing work and suffering from stress. The crew manager confirms Celsey must alleviate stress to improve absenteeism because of illness and employee turnover, AirDevils must institute measures to correct the underlying factors of stress to crewmembers (University of Phoenix, 2005). These measure consist of relaxation training, stress-inoculation training, software training, modifying team structure, providing transportation services to crewmembers, and establishing a code of conduct between crewmembers and stunt performers (University of Phoenix, 2005). By addressing the psychological causes and factors of the AirDevil’s employees, the additional benefit of increased organizational productivity will restore the AirDevil’s good name to the public.
Job Characteristics Theory of Motivation Job characteristics theory relies on three specific stages of employee involvement. To begin, the organization offers core attributes such as skill variety, task identity, task significance, autonomy, and feedback. Followed by the psychological state of the employee such as experiencing job meaningfulness, acquiring responsibility, knowing the results of a performed task as well as growth and applied strength. The outcome of these psychological states produces internal motivation, job satisfaction, performance quality, low absenteeism, and low employee turnover rates (Jex & Britt, 2008). According to Foss, Minbaeva, Pedersen, and Reinholt (2009), “job characteristics impact employee motivation to share knowledge, albeit in different ways, and eventually affect knowledge sharing behavior. Managers who wish to design their organization to pool employee knowledge better should take these motivational effects into account” (para. 2). AirDevils suffers from poor organizational formation, more specifically wasted performer skills, not listening to employee feedback, and downplaying the nature of the assigned crewmember tasks (University of Phoenix, 2005). Allowing stunt performers to live up to their full potential in aerial stunts refers to autonomy. In job characteristic theory, autonomy represents the employee’s ability to control the how and when of task completion (Jex & Britt, 2008). When an employee feels as though he or she has responsibility in the stunt, internal motivation improves stunt performance. Thereby giving other team members an encouraging visual, and thus producing competitive behavior and positive reinforcement. Another important dimension for the employee is feedback. When a new routine receives praise by Celsey, the stunt performer knows he or she is performing well, which in turn leads to growth and improved job satisfaction. Crewmembers also share the benefits of job characteristics theory in the sense of task identity, autonomy, and feedback. Crewmembers prepare and deliver the performers each time they do an aerial show. Because crewmembers can become full-time performers, keeping a good relationship between both groups of employees is an important process. Job characteristics theory posits task identity helps employees identify with the organization. When an employee remains involved with a task from start to finish, this lessens the amount of tension caused by the unknown and builds experience and growth each time a task completes successfully (Jex & Britt, 2008). By training crewmembers in software used to perform stunts, ground and air crewmembers can function as one and alleviate conflict.
Conclusion
The AirDevils simulation provides specific information about each choice the user makes in reference to organizational productivity. AirDevils is not a bad company, but rather lacks proper organizational formation. Stunt performers and crewmembers are both important to the success of the organization. In determining the psychological cause and factors of poor employee productivity, motivation in each group improved. Job characteristics theory provides performer growth and crewmember meaningfulness. In satisfying the underlying cause of performer dissatisfaction, the performers gain responsibility and in turn become internally motivated to perform. In satisfying the underlying factors of stress, crewmembers gain responsibility and therefore excel in the tasks they complete.

References
Foss, N. J., Minbaeva, D. B., Pedersen, T., & Reinholt, M. (2009). Encouraging knowledge sharing among employees: How job design matters. Human Resource Management, 48(6), 871-893. Retrieved from EBSCOhost.
Jex, S. M., & Britt, T. W. (2008). Organizational psychology: A scientist-practitioner approach (2nd ed.). Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley and Sons.
University of Phoenix. (2005). Improving Organizational Performance [Computer Software]. Retrieved from University of Phoenix, Simulation, PSY428 website.