Introduction
The management of the described processes also required integrating theory and practice, thus drawing parallels between theoretical tenets and the management of practical tasks. Thus, the transfer from the abstract conceptualization of quality management to the actual enhancement of product quality had to be seamless and effortless. Although the specified process still incorporated certain challenges, such as integrating theory into a diverse workplace setting, the described stage was still accomplished rather successfully. The focus on clarity, transparency and communication allowed avoiding issues such as resistance to change, subsequently helping employees to accept corporate values. By engaging actively with the community and considering the culture-specific needs of staff members, I managed to motivate employees to succeed in their daily routines. The observed process can be examined from the tenets of several theoretical frameworks discussed below.
Theories
Theory 1
To study the factors that influenced the motivation of employees in the Mixing Department at the Bridgestone Aiken plant, I used the ERG (Existence, Relatedness, and Growth) motivation theory created by Clayton Alderfer (Jones, George, & Barrett, 2016). The ERG approach was developed as a supplementary theory that was expected to help expand Maslow’s Theory by analyzing the components of the pyramid. Specifically, the theory delves into the relationships between the items, pointing to the fact that, by reducing the focus on some of the needs, one can attain greater success in others (Jones et al., 2016). Therefore, the basis of the approach implies that the key components of Maslow’s pyramid should be regrouped and that the relationships between them should be reconsidered. Thus, one will be able to meet the set objectives without being distracted by the aspects of the motivational process that are not required for a particular objective. The ERG approach served as the method of studying the factors that motivate people to perform and helped to distill the influences that encouraged employees to develop, simultaneously creating the environment in which their existence and readiness needs could be met.
Theory 2
As soon as the employees’ needs were identified, I had to locate the framework that could help satisfy these needs properly. As a manager, I decided to use Adam’s Equity Theory (AET) as the platform for exploring strategies for managing the team’s needs. The AET perspective allowed me to view the source of employees’ motivation not solely as the correlation between the input and the output but also using fairness as the primary criteria for evaluating the corporate reward system (King & Lawley, 2016). Therefore, the identified framework can be regarded as the addition to the theories listed above since it helps to view the process of encouraging higher performance rates from a different perspective.
Theory 3
Finally, to analyze the factors that shaped the staff’s enthusiasm levels and might have reduced their willingness to excel in their work, I had to apply Vroom’s Expectancy Theory (VET). VET implies that the efforts made by staff members are in inverse proportion to the perceived negative outcomes that these efforts may entail (King & Lawley, 2016). VET is composed of three foundational principles: expectancy, instrumentality, and valence (King & Lawley, 2016). The expectancy principle states that an increase in the extent of the effort applied by a staff member leads to a rise in the efficacy of their performance. Instrumentality, in turn, suggests that the rise in performance leads to an increase in the validation received by an employee. Finally, the notion of valence renders the significance that an employee assigns to the reward received as a result of their work (King & Lawley, 2016). Thus, VET helped me understand the source of employees’ reluctance toward integrating new devices, standards, and practices in the workplace.
Conclusion
By applying both process and content theories of motivation to examine the nature of the specified phenomenon, I managed to address low enthusiasm rates in the Mixing Department at the Bridgestone Aiken plant. Specifically, I examined what motivated employees to perform better, thus providing them with the support and feedback they needed. At the same time, I explored the methods for increasing their motivation by applying process theories, exploring how their levels of engagement can be increased. As a result, the levels of motivation started rising exponentially in the setting of the Mixing Department at the Bridgestone Aiken plant as employees recognized and accepted the corporate philosophy, policies, and practices s the system that ensured their safety, security, and compliance with their rights.
References
Jones, J. R., George, G. M., & Barrett, M. (2016). Contemporary management. Melbourne, Australia: McGraw-Hill Education Australia.
King, D., & Lawley, S. (2016). Organizational behavior (2nd ed.). Oxford, UK: Oxford University Press.