IOP4862
ASSIGNMENT 2 2024
- 1 JULY 2024
QUESTIONS WITH COMPLETE ANSWERS
[School]
[Course title]
, IOP4862 Assignment 2 2024 - 1 July 2024
Case Study (Please note that the case study is not an actual company situation.)
John Sithole is the managing director of manufacturing and operations of a
medium-sized steel construction organisation. John has a PhD in engineering but
has not been directly involved in research and new product development for 20
years. He runs a “tight ship” when it comes to operations. The company does not
have a turnover problem, but it was evident to John and other key management
personnel that the hourly people put in only eight hours daily. They are not working
at their full potential and have become “clock watchers”. John is upset with the
situation because, with rising costs, the only way the company can continue to
prosper is to increase the productivity of its hourly people. John called the human
resources manager, Zamile de Wet, and said, “What is it with our people, anyway?
Your wage surveys show that we pay near the top in this region, our conditions are
tremendous, and our fringe benefits are unbeatable. Yet, these people are still not
motivated. What in the world do they want?” Zamile replied: “I have told you and
the CEO time after time that money, conditions, and benefits are insufficient.
Employees also need other things to motivate them. Moreover, I have been
conducting some random confidential interviews with some of our hourly people,
and they tell me they are very discouraged because, no matter how hard they work,
they get the same pay and opportunities for advancement as their co-workers who
are just scraping by”. John replied, “Okay, you are the motivation expert. What do
we do about it? We must increase their performance”.
QUESTIONS:
a) Identify Maslow’s hierarchy of needs and discuss how it relates to the case
study by explaining the motivational problem in this organisation. (7)
ASSIGNMENT 2 2024
- 1 JULY 2024
QUESTIONS WITH COMPLETE ANSWERS
[School]
[Course title]
, IOP4862 Assignment 2 2024 - 1 July 2024
Case Study (Please note that the case study is not an actual company situation.)
John Sithole is the managing director of manufacturing and operations of a
medium-sized steel construction organisation. John has a PhD in engineering but
has not been directly involved in research and new product development for 20
years. He runs a “tight ship” when it comes to operations. The company does not
have a turnover problem, but it was evident to John and other key management
personnel that the hourly people put in only eight hours daily. They are not working
at their full potential and have become “clock watchers”. John is upset with the
situation because, with rising costs, the only way the company can continue to
prosper is to increase the productivity of its hourly people. John called the human
resources manager, Zamile de Wet, and said, “What is it with our people, anyway?
Your wage surveys show that we pay near the top in this region, our conditions are
tremendous, and our fringe benefits are unbeatable. Yet, these people are still not
motivated. What in the world do they want?” Zamile replied: “I have told you and
the CEO time after time that money, conditions, and benefits are insufficient.
Employees also need other things to motivate them. Moreover, I have been
conducting some random confidential interviews with some of our hourly people,
and they tell me they are very discouraged because, no matter how hard they work,
they get the same pay and opportunities for advancement as their co-workers who
are just scraping by”. John replied, “Okay, you are the motivation expert. What do
we do about it? We must increase their performance”.
QUESTIONS:
a) Identify Maslow’s hierarchy of needs and discuss how it relates to the case
study by explaining the motivational problem in this organisation. (7)
