Ms. Betty has been employed in an administrative role in a university for the last 15 years. She is generally regarded as a reliable, consistent worker and meets all deadlines that are set for her. She has good interpersonal skills and is well-liked by her colleagues. She has applied for promotion for the past three years and on each occasion she has been unsuccessful. On these occasions, promotions have been awarded to individuals with better formal qualifications, but less experience than Ms. Betty. Yet, due to budgetary pressures, Ms. Betty has had her repeated requests to enrol in a postgraduate diploma course denied over this period. As a result, she is becoming more disillusioned with the university and is thinking about leaving.
You are currently studying a module which deals with content and process theories of motivation. Select one content theory and two process theories to explain how Ms. Betty’s inability to get promoted is affecting her motivation levels. What positive measures could Ms. Betty’s manager take to remotivate her?
General
It can be good practice in your preparations to undertake a number of activities. These include:
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Establishing key issues/areas raised by the question
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Defining fundamental terms
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Describing contextual information e.g. background to topic and its significance and/or interesting statistical data
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Identifying, explaining in detail and cross-comparing relevant concepts, models and theoretical approaches
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Applying concepts to contemporary issues within business settings
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Applying models/theories to workplace/organisation/industry examples and/or evaluating the practical application of models/theories
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Drawing parallels between theory and practice
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Evaluating relative merits and drawbacks of opposing academic viewpoints with a view to building independent opinions
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Formulating balanced, persuasive independent arguments based on academic evidence and judgement
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Stating a clear, overall answer to the question
Particular consideration may be given to:
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Identifying distinguishing features of process theories of motivation from content theories of motivation
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Identifying key features of one content and two process theories of motivation
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Relating one content and two process theories of motivation to the context of employee dissatisfaction/disillusionment
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Developing recommendations for how to remotivate the employee
