This assignment is an opportunity for you to assess the accuracy and real-world applicability of the different motivation theories we will learn about this term. You will do this by conducting a “field report” (i.e., a 3-4 page essay), the basis of which will be three interviews about motivation at work that you will conduct with people of your choosing. Interviewing people about their motivational experiences in the workplace and reporting on your findings will allow you to reflect on the degree to which the motivation theories from class reflect reality, and will give you an opportunity to practice developing a plan to motivate a group of actual employees (which you will inevitably have to do at some point in your managerial career). In order to do well on this project, you will need to think about and articulate how the motivation theories explain (or fail to explain) the motivation of your interviewees, as well as how you could hypothetically leverage these theories to increase employee motivation.

The Interviews:

You are to conduct three interviews about motivation with three individuals who currently work at three different organizations. You can interview whomever you’d like–they could be people you already know and/or people you don’t know but would like to. Either way, I’d suggest choosing people who are working (or who once worked) in jobs/industries that interest you and/or that you’d like to learn more about. Your interviews can be done remotely via Skype, FaceTime, Zoom, or some other online method, or they can be done in-person if you so choose.

When contacting your interviewees, let them know that the interview will last approximately 30 – 45 minutes. During that initial conversation, you should also describe the assignment in general and give them a sense of the issues you wish to cover in the interview (see below for a list of interview questions that you may use if you’d like to). You should also let your interviewees know that you will be taking notes during the interview, and that the notes will be used only for completing your project and that the information they provide will not be used outside of the educational purposes of this class. If you’d like to audio record the interview, you must first ask your interviewee for their permission to do so and then only if they enthusiastically agree.

You should be thoughtful about arranging an interview time that is convenient for your interviewees, and during the interview do not go longer than 30-45 min unless your interviewees express interest in having the interview continue. Do not expect your interviewees to accommodate you. You need to plan well enough in advance in order to accommodate their schedule. Also, very important: do not wait to make your contacts and conduct the interviews—start now!

Essay

After you have conducted the three interviews you will then write a three-section essay with the following structure: (Section 1) describe what motivates each employee at work; (Section 2) give your thoughts on why each employee differs (if at all) from the other two in terms of what motivates them at work; and (Section 3) explain what you would do, if hypothetically you were the manager of a team composed of these three employees, to increase the team’s motivation on the job (this should be largest section in your essay).

In section 1, you should describe how the factors that motivate these employees align with or contradict the motivation theories from class. In section 2, you should likewise use the motivation theories to inform your analysis. Similarly, in section 3, make sure your recommendations for what you would do to motivate the group are grounded in the motivation theories we have discussed. Importantly, you must mention each of the four motivation theories from class at least once, somewhere in the essay. To conclude your essay, you should write a single summary paragraph that integrates what you learned about motivating employees from these interviews.

The essay should be 3 to 4 pages long, single spaced, Times New Roman 12-point font with one-inch margins for the top, bottom, and sides and no spaces between paragraphs. The essay will be graded on format, composition, spelling and punctuation, as well as the content (see below for grading criteria). The assignment is due by midnight PST on August 11th. Submit the paper via Canvas (on the assignment page in the Week 8 module, which is linked here). There will be a letter grade penalty for late papers. Papers turned in the next day (i.e., on August 13th) will receive only half credit. Papers turned in 48 hours after the deadline (i.e., on August 14th and thereafter) will not receive any credit.

Remember that presentation counts! Sloppy and disorganized writing implies sloppy and disorganized thinking. Take time to plan your essay, organize the ideas you are presenting, and write concisely and carefully. One of the ways you can demonstrate what you’ve learned about motivation is to use the terminology correctly.

Suggested Interview Questions (not required but feel free to use these if you’d like)
Describe your responsibilities at work. How many people do you regularly work with?
What are some of the things that you enjoy most about your job?
What motivates you to stay at this job?
What motivates you to perform well and give extra effort in your work?
Is there anything that you wish you could change about your job? What is it?
Is there anything that frustrates you (i.e., is de-motivating) about your coworkers or the organization you work for?
Do you know what is expected of you at work? How does that affect your motivation?
Do you have the materials and equipment you need to do your work right? How does that affect your motivation at work?
At work, do you have the opportunity to do what you do best every day? Why or why not?
In the last seven days, have you received recognition or praise for doing good work? How does that affect your motivation?
Does your supervisor, or someone at work, seems to care about you as a person? How does that affect your motivation on the job?
Is there someone at work who encourages your development? How does that make you feel?
At work, do your opinions seem to count? Why or why not?
Does the mission/purpose of your company make you feel your job is important? How does that relate to your motivation at work?
Are your coworkers committed to doing quality work? Does this affect your motivation?
This last year, have you had opportunities at work to learn and grow? How has that affected your subsequent motivation?
Has your motivation at work (either in terms of direction, intensity, or duration) changed at all since you first started the job? If so, why might that be?
Grading Criteria
Terms of the following:

-Structure/format (e.g., do you have the required three sections + concluding paragraph?)
-Content (e.g., do you discuss each of the four motivation theories somewhere in the essay?)
-Writing clarity (e.g., can I understand what you’re trying to say?)