One of the challenges of motivation is measurement. How can motivation be measured? How can the level of employee morale be determined? Depending on the nature of the business, productivity can be fairly easy to measure (e.g., how many widgets were produced this week?). However, missed productivity-what could have been produced/sold/developed-is often hidden. This short paper presents a scenario where something is different, but it is hard to tell what the difference is. What methods could an I-O consultant use to determine the underlying motivational problem in a workplace?
Prompt: Consider the following scenario: Life at Amalgamated Biscuit (AB) seems pretty good. The workforce appears generally happy, motivated, and productive. Over at Federated Biscuit (FB), the opposite is true. People at FB seem discouraged and demotivated. The respective chief executive officers are interested in quantifying the relative level of motivation in the workplace. Present two methods that can be used to ascertain (measure, quantify, qualify, etc.) motivation and morale in workplaces such as AB and FB. Analyze the strengths and weaknesses of your selected methods.
Guidelines for Submission: Your paper must be submitted as a three-page Microsoft Word document with double-spacing, 12-point Times New Roman font, oneinch margins, and at least three sources cited in APA format.