Motivation Problems in the Work Place

The Motivational Problem

During an all hands meeting of the Company, the Vice President announced that there would not be any layoffs, and he would strive to find work if anyone’s jobs were in jeopardy. Not long after that announcement, there was a wave of employees to be laid off. A plan was put in place for at lest three employees to keep their jobs. A manager that was motivated to achieve power declined those positions. Not long after the layoffs, the VP moved his staff to the main location and created a fortress for himself. He erected a $100K wall to divide him and his staff from the ‘other’ employees. The morale and motivation of the employees went south.

Secondly, at the end of the year, it was announced that the company made over two billion dollars which is well over what was expected. Division 1 exceeded beyond their capacity. This was one of the main divisions that helped the company reach the two billion dollars mark. Everyone was excited. “Bonuses and high performance reviews will lead to high pay raises,” everyone thought. Everyone had a feeling of complete accomplishment. It was so good to know that all those long, unpaid hours worked to get the job done would finally pay off.

Then came the news crashing down like the anvil falling on Wile E. Coyote as he chases the roadrunner. Emails started coming through, then came the rumors. Then reality hit, and it hit hard. Division 2 crashed and burned. Division 1 took the blunt of this crash. Those in that division paid the price for poor management in Division 2. The employees from Division 2 are now without work or will soon be. The Company, with Division 2, is now scrambling to keep them on board. They are shuffling departments around, moving people and creating new departments to keep all employed within Division 1.

Where is the money coming from that will support the added expense of the new employees, and the relocation of those from the other offices? This is the...