Improving Preventive Services in a Pediatrics Practice
Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs
This particular case study is an interesting way to apply content-based motivation theories because it can be analyzed in such a way that the top-tier workers (in this case the physicians) have already acquired what they sought to acquire while the nurses are still far from achieving self-actualization. In the beginning of the case study the authors said: “The practice serves a largely middle-class suburban population and prides itself on the provision of preventive services” (Burns, Bradley, Weiner, 2011, p.122). It can be argued that to a certain degree the physicians have already achieved self-actualization. They are happy and contented to be working in a health institution wherein they can serve people and given a great deal of autonomy to perform their jobs. The same cannot be said of the nurses; nevertheless, the nurses were able to go past the basic levels of needs. The nurses may have reached the point wherein they had experienced positive interaction with co-workers.
It is interesting to apply this theory to this particular case because of the interaction of two groups of workers in different stages of Maslow’s hierarchy of needs. At the same time the study is intriguing because a problem or challenge has been inserted into the interaction between nurses and physicians. Thus, it magnifies the weakness and strengths of the theory because Maslow seems to have provided a simplistic explanation of how humans desire to achieve a goal but failed to clarify what would happen if experienced problems along the way.
In the case of the physicians they are already happy and contented and yet when a problem was presented to them struggled once again when it comes to the fulfillment of their needs. It is interesting to note that their feeling of self-actualization is firmly related to their skills and their autonomy. But when the organization required the physicians to work together to develop a better system for Glendale Pediatrics they revert back to the problem of affiliation needs. On the other hand the nurses never went past that particular stage in the hierarchy of needs.
Maslow’s theory did not seem to consider the impact of new challenges to the feeling of fulfillment or self-actualization. This case study on the other hand affirms that the hierarchy of needs can help explain why some workers would leave the organization if they are unable to satisfy affiliation and self-esteem needs. Thus, some of the nurses quit their jobs because there was already a high level of negative feelings towards their co-workers and managers. They also left because they felt that their contributions were never recognized and the physicians continue to make them feel inferior.
Alderfer’s ERG Theory
Clayton Alderfer made an attempt to improve on Maslow’s theory and if applied to Glendale Pediatrics’ case a manager will realize that workers have different needs and that they can deal with their needs simultaneously without having to go through a step-by-step process as outlined by Maslow. Thus, “managers must recognize that an employee may have multiple needs to satisfy simultaneously; focusing exclusively on one need at a time will not effectively motivate an employee” (Borkowski, 2009, p.110). In this particular case the manager must not overlook the needs of the nurses when it comes to their desire to effectively communicate with their peers and their supervisors.
Herzberg
One of the weakness of Maslow’s theory is that it did not account for other factors that are present in the workplace such as policymaking and other administrative issues. Maslow did not account for unexpected changes and simplified the idea of needs and needs fulfillment. But in the case of the Glendale Pediatrics the physicians are happy until they were forced to develop a particular policy to improve healthcare. If an analyst has nothing else to work on except Maslow or Alderfer’s theory then he or she will simply push their workers to improve their capabilities in order to solve a problem or increase their salary in the hope of motivating them to work harder.
Herzberg’s theory improves on the work of Maslow and Alderfer by stating that there is a weak link between salary and job satisfaction. Applying Herzberg’s needs-theory to this case the analyst will realize that in order to increase job satisfaction health workers must also experience a sense of achievement; to be recognized for their work; they must view their work as a worthy and fulfilling undertaking and that there is a chance for them to be promoted. According to this theory the following can cause job dissatisfaction: “a) company policies; b) administrative policies; c) supervision; d) salary; e) interpersonal relationship; and f) working conditions” (Borkowski, 2009, p.112). It is therefore important for managers to look into the administrative aspects of the job in order for the employees to work in the most efficient manner and at the same time lessen their frustrations that in turn would increase their job satisfaction.
McClelland’s Learned Needs
Applying McClelland’s theory on the problems faced by health workers at Glendale Pediatrics, the managers will do well to realize that achievement or solving a particular problem is a primary need of man. Thus, management must support those who desire to provide a solution for a particular problem. It is also important that management creates an atmosphere that would encourage friendly relations among workers. There must be a way to resolve conflict and at the same time a clear definition of goals to prevent overlapping of authorities. Finally, management must realize the need for power especially when it comes to the ability to control the environment. In this particular case the physicians and nurses were frustrated for not having the capability to solve their problems even if they have the resources to solve it. In other words, they felt helpless and powerless to change their situation.
The five processed base theories of motivation
The five processed base theories of motivation can be applied to understand the different motivation issues in Sarah Goodman’s case. Vroom’s theory can help the manager understand that Sarah is motivated because she loves her job and she has the skills to improve her performance even further. In the case of Janine she may have wanted to increase her capacity as a worker but she may feel like she does not have the necessary skills to excel in her job.
Although the manager is aware that in order to increase the quality of performance of Maria and Janine it is imperative to determine if they find satisfaction in their jobs. Thus, the satisfaction-performance theory is a useful tool to understand how to deal with job satisfaction issues and how to link it to performance. However, it can be argued that Sarah is satisfied with her job because she is willing to go the extra mile in order to increase her productivity levels.
Equity theory is applicable in the case of Maria. If Sarah wants Maria to improve on her people’s skills then she need to convince her that it is mutually beneficial for all workers to develop the capability to interact with others. Unless Maria understands the value of affiliation then she would not exert the necessary effort for her to make meaningful connections to her office-mates. There is no need to convince Janine of the benefits of working hard in the job because she is already motivated to put in extra effort to impress her boss.
One way to encourage and inspire Maria to improve on her people skills is the use of goal-setting theory. It is a waste of time and effort to simply provide general and vague goals to the team. Sarah could not afford to communicate with Maria in a way that her instructions are unclear. Sarah must carefully lay down the goals and explain to Maria the expected outcome. In this way Maria knows what is expected of her and she would be motivated to achieve that particular goal.
Janine also needs to have specific goals in order to create change in her behavior. Sarah must spend time with Janine to help her understand the merits of a particular goal and once a clear picture of the outcome has been communicated then Janine will work hard towards that goal. But aside from goal-setting it is important that Sarah develops a system of reinforcement for both Maria and Janine to help them understand quickly desirable behavior and to continue with the correct attitude.
The major source of conflict
Betty is upset because a primary need has not been met and that is recognition and the sense that she could advance in her field. Her skills were never recognized according to her estimation and she resented the fact that a fellow worker without the required experience to deal with complicated software was promoted ahead of her. She has the experience and she has given more years to the company serving as a loyal employee while Joe was relatively new to the job.
The management team must deal with the issue of needs. It is not advisable to offer her more money. First of all, there is no more budget to affect a salary increase. Secondly, Herzberg’s theory informs the management team that there is a weak connection between salary and job satisfaction. Betty has to feel that she is a valuable asset of the company. This must be the first step, to make her feel that she is part of the team. The second step is to apply the principles of equity theory. The management team must convince Betty that everyone will benefit if she would give her best to teach other employees with regards to the proper use of the software.
The top officials of the company must work closely with the human resource department to align the needs of the employees with that of the organization (Whitten & Bentley, 2007). This can only be achieved if managers are aware of the primary needs of the worker and then make them aware of the goals and objectives of the organization. In this way both leaders and workers are looking at the same thing and working towards one goal.
The major source of conflict is the failure of corporate leaders to communicate standards. The management team of the company has a particular standard in mind and that is the reason why they chose Joe to lead this particular department and bypassed Betty. The corporate leader had to make Betty and Joe understand their expectations. By doing so Betty will realize that she needs to improve on her people skills. On the other hand this will help Joe realize that he needed to improve on his technical capabilities.
The management team must bring them together and make them realize that by working as a team they can achieve greater things. It is crucial that Betty takes the first step and open her doors for Joe and the rest of the workers. At the same time Joe has to be proactive in approaching Betty and ask for her help. They have to learn to work together but the management team has to provide the correct environment so that workers can develop harmonious relationships. This can be achieved by developing applicable policies for the workplace.
References
Borkowski, N. (2009). Organizational Behavior, Theory and Design in Health Care. MA: Jones and Bartlett Publishers.
Burns, L., e. Bradley, & B. Weiner. (2011). Shortell and Kaluzny’s Healthcare Management: Organization Design and Behavior. 6th ed. New York: Delmar-Cengage Learning.
Whitten, J. & L. Bentley. (2007). Systems Analysis and Design Methods. 7th ed. New York: McGraw-Hill.