Motivational Problem

Motivational Problem

Christina Cahall

April 18, 2011

Motivational Problem

The accounts payable department consists of the VP of A/P and A/R; two accounts payable managers, two lead supervisors and fifty accounts payable representatives. This is not high school and five leaders cannot keep track of every move or non-movement made by each individual. The posted work schedule is 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM with two 15 minute breaks and one hour for lunch break. There are a handful of individuals that work by a code of ethics (which I will refer to as “ethical”) and then we have a handful of social butterflies and a large group (which I will refer to as “majority”) of employees that do not produce even the minimum amount necessary to keep up with the processes. This department suffers from input inequities that need to be distributed evenly that are causing a lack of motivation by the “ethical” group.

The process begins at a location in one of the many regions in the United States. The location makes purchases, receives the invoices, approves the invoices and inputs them into a shared service invoice center. This is where the accounts payable representatives receive the files, audits the invoices for errors and approves the invoices for payment. If these processes are not kept current on a daily basis, then errors can fall through the cracks costing the company thousands of dollars.

I will start by describing the behaviors of the “majority” staff. They arrive either right at starting time or within thirty minutes after. Most proceed to make themselves breakfast and make their rounds with their perceived morning social time. It is usually 9:00 AM or later before work is begun. There is no urgency in their motivation to begin their processing of invoices and payments. In this select “majority” there are another handful of smokers, who technically get two fifteen minute breaks each day. However, this group usually takes a smoke break every hour. So out of...