This question contains multiple parts; be sure to answer each. First, what is motivation, and why is it important for managers to understand how motivation works? Second, suppose that you are the manager of a Goodwill store. People make donations to the store as charitable contributions, and then the store sells the items to raise money for its charitable projects (mostly providing job training and employment placement services for people who have difficulty finding work). Name at least one extrinsic reward and one intrinsic reward you might use to motivate employees at the store.

Question

What will be an ideal response?

Answer 1

Motivation is the set of psychological processes that arouse and direct goal-directed behavior. Managers can use this information to help them guide employees to accomplish the organization's objectives. Managers need to motivate people to join the organization, stay at the organization, show up for work, be engaged at work, and do extra for the organization.

At the Goodwill store, you might offer an extrinsic, tangible reward to employees who work overtime, go above and beyond the call of duty, and give excellent customer service. You might give them the opportunity to go through the charitable donations before they are placed on the store's shelves, and give them a heavy discount on those items. You can also improve workers' intrinsic rewards by reinforcing the "Goodwill story"—the story of how the donations help provide job-training and other programs for people who have difficulty finding a job. By working at a Goodwill store, employees may feel an internal sense of satisfaction at working for an organization whose mission is to help people in need, rather than to make a profit.