Psychology Emotion & Motivation Case Analysis Assignment

Emotion & Motivation Case Analysis Assignment

Due: Week Seven

Points: 100

Case Analysis

Joe, Stacie, and Shannon are all employees within the same organization.  Consider each employee’s characteristics below. Then address the questions following the employee descriptions.

Employee 1: Joe enjoys coming to work each day. He finds pleasure in the outcome of his work.  He believes his work helps others.  He seeks out new ways to make his work more effective, and often initiates new work projects.  He likes to stay busy throughout the day. He sometimes has a hard time if there is not enough work to do.  He has no desire to leave the organization and would like to continue to be promoted within the company as he gains experience.

Employee 2: Stacie finds, that although she used to like her current position within the company, she now finds it less rewarding. She has been in the same position for a few years, and in the past, enjoyed working on the team she was assigned. Recently, she had the opportunity to work on a special project, but this work was temporary. She found the brainstorming, planning, and development related to the project invigorating and engaging. Once the project was completed, she returned to her prior position. She no longer finds her current position as satisfying as she used to prior to working on the special project. She is considering changing positions within the company, if possible, or seeking out a job in another organization.

Employee 3: Shannon comes to work every day on time. She does her job as assigned, works very hard, takes on challenging tasks to improve performance, and ensures that this is noticed by others. She is very clear about the expectations for her position as well as the criteria for evaluation.  During annual evaluations, she hopes her evaluation scores are high enough for her to be eligible for a merit raise. One of her primary goals for this year is to be nominated for the employee of the year award at the company’s annual dinner, which comes with both a preferred parking space and a cash bonus.  

a)  Select two of the employees above.  For each employee, select one of the theories/models below, and explain why that model/theory applies to the selected employee.  (Use a different model for each employee)

    – Achievement Motive (3 aspects of achievement-oriented behavior)

    – Arousal Theory 

    – Drive Reduction Theory    

    – Intrinsic and Extrinsic Motivation

    – Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs

b) Consider how emotions might influence the motivation of the employees you selected.  Which emotions might decrease motivation in one of the above employee scenarios?  Which emotions might increase motivation in one of the above employee scenarios? Explain.

c) How could an individual or organization use knowledge about the motivation theories and models above to increase motivation within the workplace?

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