Psychology

Cynthia Vallon
Devry University
GM591 Preparation Guide Class Project

Wal-Mart has become a company that is undeniably associated with success from a business perspective. Specifically, the manner in which the company offers items at considerably low prices to consumers, not only in the United States but also throughout the world, has continuously been its most vital advantage over the competition. However, it is also evident that employee related concerns, in terms of wage, health benefits, and discrimination, are also publicly known. A specific proof or evidence to such a claim is the presence of a myriad of news releases regarding the corporation throughout media sources such as the New York Times for example, in 2004, an article pertaining to the unfair labor practices of Wal-Mart affecting thousands of employees throughout America has been released (Greenhouse, 2004).

In this sense, it would be most appropriate to consider applying theories of motivation to attempt to improve employee perception and performance. In particular, motivation would be achieved by means of teamwork, wherein members and the team as a whole would be given sufficient levels of practice regarding authority and critical thinking. Internalizing corporate goals would also be an important aspect of such a pursuit. Of course, in order to determine or assess whether beneficial or positive changes are brought forth by the aforesaid means, conducting group discussions or simulated exercises may be the most proper approach.

Other companies have faced labor related issues such as exploitation and union suppression include Coca-Cola and McDonalds expectedly, lawsuits were filed against the aforesaid firms in multiple occasions (Schlosser, 2001). Indeed, if Wal-Mart would not consider such a worthwhile endeavor, which may not only improve employee and public perception but may also further enhance productivity, then it would be quite possible that Wal-Marts current concerns would only worsen in the years to come.  

Theory of Motivation Why Effective Teams in Wal-Mart Matter
Wal-Mart has definitely become one of the foremost icons in business. As for the consumers, Wal-Mart is nevertheless an icon as well albeit mainly in terms of accessing bargains and achieving savings. Despite having praiseworthy remarks regarding Wal-Mart though, it is for a fact that not all individuals perceive the company in a positive manner. As a matter of fact, concerns regarding the detrimental effects of Wal-Mart upon the economy are existent. Furthermore and most importantly, Wal-Mart is also facing considerable problems regarding the manner in which employees are managed. Specifically, the connection between employees and the company have been significantly weakened as profiteering became the sole focus and employee relations were disregarded (Miller  Miller, 2005). In this sense, throughout the following discussion, both perspectives regarding Wal-Mart would be presented while placing emphasis upon employee related concerns. Also, possible means of resolving such concerns through the use of the theory of motivation, especially in the context of teamwork, would be noted.

In this sense, the main problem statements to be considered throughout the discussion are follows (1) would motivation through teamwork be an effective and sufficient means of improving the manner in which employees perceive Wal-Mart (2) Would such means of improving employee perception be enough to bring forth positive changes for the company as a whole Therefore, assessment of employee related problems in order to provide motivation based suggestions to eliminate such would be the main rationale behind the discussion. Furthermore, through the use of both an appropriate literature review and an actual account from a Wal-Mart employee, the basis for the suggestions would be formed. Hence, the team based approach of improving motivation, which would be measure accordingly, would also be based from findings through the abovementioned procedures.
 
Literature Review
Issues and Detrimental Effects
In relation to the aforesaid government intervention, even from a business perspective certain arguments that support the existence of detrimental outcomes as brought forth by Wal-Mart are also present. Specifically, among the most important of such are Wal-Marts aggressive pricing scheme which negatively affects businesses within the locality and increasing the number of unemployed due to companies that close down due to competition (Quinn, 2007). As mentioned beforehand though, it is arguable that the greatest of concerns regarding Wal-Marts business practice is related to the inappropriate treatment of employees.

According to literature, while Wal-Mart is technically the largest and most dominant firm in the retail business, the manner in which employees are treated definitely cannot be considered as the best specifically, the wage of a Wal-Mart employee is known to be below average and also does not receive any form of provided health care coverage (Handler  Hasenfeld, 2006). Specific practices and responsibilities are also another point of concern for Wal-Mart employees. Insufficient job training and the hindered career progression are also considered as additional points of concern (Handler  Hasenfeld, 2006).

Further Employee Concerns
Sex discrimination is also another problem that is continuously associated with Wal-Mart also, numerous sources and studies further confirm the aforesaid problems regarding employee health and income (Featherstone, 2005). Of course, in order to provide a sufficient overview of such concerns, additional clarification and explanation would be required. In terms of sex discrimination, it is not unusual to hear of news and cases wherein a female Wal-Mart employee is oppressed sexually and at the same time given a limited opportunity in relation to task assignment in addition, such women with concerns regarding the management of Wal-Mart are further harassed as any connections with unions would result in considerable repercussions (Featherstone, 2005).

As for issues regarding health care, it has already been previously noted that some report a lack of proper health coverage given to employees. In contrast to this though, other sources also confirm the presence and recent application of basic health coverage for Wal-Mart employees the health care plan is still noted as significantly limited and below average in comparison to more common plans for the same purpose (Employee Benefit News, 2003). In addition to both discrimination and health related issues, providing additional information pertaining to the problems about the wage of Wal-Mart employees would be essential. Specifically, published information regarding the wage of employees is not always accurate as Wal-Mart does not necessarily follow minimum wage laws (Jacobs, 2008).

Praiseworthy Economic Icon
Opinions regarding Wal-Mart are quite diverse, which of course depend upon ones perspective. In particular, from a societal perspective and employee relations the positive effects of the company are in great doubt in terms of product availability and economic stimulation in certain regions the implications of Wal-Marts presence are well received (Werther  Chandler, 2006). However, among experts in business and economics, there is a widespread notion that Wal-Mart is without doubt a symbol of financial success. To further expound, Wal-Mart has been regarded as a significant aspect of the current economy, which continuously and significantly further improves such aspects of society in addition, Wal-Mart is also often perceived as an example of effectively complying with the specific demands of the market while also attaining a perfect balance in terms of pricing (Goswami, 2007).
Hence, given such points, it would be most appropriate to conclude that Wal-Mart is definitely among the main icons in attaining economic and business success. It may also be argued that Wal-Mart is becoming too successful. As noted beforehand government interventions regarding the manner in which the company distributes products and designates prices have already been thought of so as to allow other firms to possibly attain success (Goswami, 2007). Regardless, the capability of Wal-Mart to achieve superior annual sales and global success is without doubt enough to justify as to why the company is worthy of praise from a business perspective and is testament to the effectiveness of its marketing model (Siegel, 2007).

As expected, conflicting views and even data about the aforesaid issues exist. Interestingly, Wal-Mart also attempts to improve public perception and support by establishing or funding sites or blogs for their benefit (Craig, 2007). Thus, it would be best to acquire firsthand information regarding the issues.

Analysis

Interview and Confirmation
While literature derived information may be reliable, in order to prove the existence of such concerns it is necessary to acquire information directly from a Wal-Mart employee. Hence, an interview was conducted in order to accomplish such needs for gaining additional data. Upon asking a Wal-Mart employee, to be referred henceforth as William, from a branch in Miami as to whether he is satisfied with his pay, the response was rather pessimistic. In particular, he pointed out that he had to perform other jobs, in addition to his employment at the retail store, in order to make enough money to pay for the most basic of needs (William, Telephone Interview, March 22, 2010).

Of course, despite not having been able to acquire information regarding the specific wage, such a response undoubtedly implies that the salary of Wal-Mart employees is insufficient for basic survival. Additional questions regarding ensuing work concerns were also asked. In response, William delineated problems regarding being overworked and in relation to such expressed concerns about his health as no medical benefits are given (William, Telephone Interview, March 22, 2010). William also expressed fears in terms of how the management might react to certain actions of employees. In fact, he noted that some employees are mistreated and even fired just because they questioned certain actions of the management (William, Telephone Interview, March 22, 2010). In order to further validate the reliability of the comments given by William, other Wal-Mart employees have been given asked for confirmation.
A total of three more Wal-Mart employees, again not listed under their real name, have confirmed through an interview that unfair labor, low wage, and health coverage are indeed usual concerns (Mickey, John,  Adam, Telephone Interview, April 16, 2010). The main limitation with such sources of additional information though is that the aforementioned employees are peers of William. In this sense, a broader perspective regarding the views of Wal-Mart employees has still not been achieved. Also, the interviewed individuals work at the same Wal-Mart store. While more respondents may have been ideal, limitations are present making such rather impossible to achieve. Regardless, for the purpose of this research, it would still be proper to state that the accounts above are still sufficient.  

Upon acquiring information about employee concerns from both literature and firsthand accounts, it becomes evident that such issues are indeed a reality. Particularly, both sources emphasize the presence of a significantly insufficient wage in addition to the absence of appropriate health care coverage. In contrast though, more specific concerns have been highlighted from the interview and were not noted from literature based sources reviewed. Examples of such include signs of suppressing the thoughts of employees and preventing them from giving opinions which may be against the views of the management. In addition, since being fired was among the foremost concerns of the interviewee, it also becomes clear that threatening and firing employees on such grounds may be more common throughout Wal-Mart stores than generally thought.

Given such concerns of Wal-Marts employees, it would not be inappropriate to assume that motivation has been detrimentally affected. Furthermore, as news of improper and unfair treatment would become more widespread it further damage to Wal-Marts reputation and trustworthiness may result. Hence, effective means to counteract the effects of the aforementioned issues must be applied.

Significance of Motivation
Employee engagement, as exemplified by the continuous willingness to be productive and efficient at work, is among the main factors and requirements in attaining business success (Soyars  Brusino, 2009). Motivation and employee engagement may be perceived in a similar or rather intertwined manner. As employees become motivated the more productive they become. Of course, other factors such as significance of instruction and the presence of appropriate tools would also influence motivation. In this case though, given the result of the interview as presented beforehand, it may be appropriately assumed that both factors are also lacking. To further explain such a concept and its connection to the theory of motivation, it would be necessary to point out the main methods through which engagement may be achieved.

Assuring employees of the fact that vital contributions are brought forth by the efficiently accomplishing their responsibilities is one manner through which engagement may be attained growth and advancement is also perceived to be of equal importance as well in achieving the aforesaid goal (Soyars  Brusino, 2009). The most relevant and vital aspect though, in relation to achieving motivation through teamwork based approaches, would be connections. In fact, the forming connections between employees result in highly evident and appreciable effects upon employee engagement as both a suitable social and working environments are achieved (Soyars  Brusino, 2009).

Certain theories of motivation, pertaining to both a business and psychological context, highlight the significance of the social aspects of the work environment such theories are delineated in the subsequent portions of discussion. In particular, it has been established from the Hawthorne Studies that human related factors are indeed the most vital aspect to consider in relation to productivity (Pride, Hughes,  Kapoor, 2008). Furthermore, Maslows hierarchy of needs as well as Theory Y basically supports such a notion regarding the effects of social factors and requirements (Pride, Hughes,  Kapoor, 2008). In relation to this, motivating individuals would definitely be an important pursuit for companies attempting to further improve overall productivity. Furthermore, if individual motivation is regarded with such significance, then it would only be proper to consider team based motivation to be undeniably important as well. To further explain, as noted beforehand, productivity and performance are generally considered to be affected by the levels of motivation among employees.

In this sense, motivation, in relation to teams, may be considered to have an associated economic value in relation to productivity which would be gained if appropriately accomplished. Also, if employees would perceive the company in a more positive manner, then public perceptions regarding Wal-Mart may also improve. To further explain such a point, it may be assumed that the presence of negative public perception is directly related to the information derived from the negative experiences of the employees in the company, which eventually attracts the media and eventually the public. If experiences would no longer remain as pessimistic, then news detrimental to the image of Wal-Mart may be significantly lessened. Of course, notions of the complexity of the task, associated costs, as well as the suitability of approaches to attaining team motivation are existent (Bruce  Pepitone, 1999). Nevertheless, given such promising outcomes in terms of considerably enhancing productivity, work relations, and public perception companies should definitely consider team motivation.    

Solution

Pre-Assessment
During pre-assessment, a modified version of Wherry and Souths (1997) worker motivation scale would be used so as to determine the extent of motivation of Wal-Mart employees. To further expound, the original worker motivation scale was developed to distinguish between different types of motivation in this case though, the questions of the aforesaid scale would instead be used to determine whether motivation exists or not and to what degree. Specifically, certain items from the aforesaid scale would be adjusted and applied as yes or no questions for convenience. Given the possibility of assessing the number of affirmative responses, an empirical evaluation of the number of affirmative responses would initially be determined during pre-assessment and would be compared with the post-assessment results. In order to further understand and review questions of the motivation scale, refer to Appendix A take note that not all the questions have been included so as to minimize the time required to answer and process the survey.

Motivation through Teamwork
In order to further highlight the benefits of motivation through teamwork, it would be necessary to provide means as to how such a goal may be achieved. In managing teams, one of the best approaches in order to motivate each member would be to thoroughly explain the goals and the rationale behind each goal to the team (Bruce  Pepitone, 1999). If such actual face to face discussions are given, then employees or the team as a whole would gain a greater sense of appreciation of tasks and responsibilities. Another potential means of furthering team motivation would be to establish a sense of authority among teams so as to effectively develop resolutions to concerns and obstacles (Bruce  Pepitone, 1999).

Of course, such a beneficial effect upon the capability to critically find and apply solutions would manifest as the team and each member will develop a greater sense of confidence. Team motivation may be achieved by establishing suitable expectations and expressing positive support and critique furthermore, reward systems would also be an ideal addition in maintaining or improving motivation (Bruce  Pepitone, 1999). From the suggestions given above, one would immediately notice that attempting to achieve team motivation so as to result in numerous beneficial effects for Wal-Mart does not necessarily require extensive expenses and costs. Hence, not only is establishing team motivation a realistic pursuit, it is also an economical endeavor.

In particular, a daily group meeting may be set for the team under evaluation. Assuming that there are five to six working days attended by employees per week, the four of such meetings must be considered as the minimum if a daily meeting would not be possible. During the meeting, which would require an hour or two, shifting topics would be given as the discussion and exchange of ideas would ensue. For example, during the first meeting of the week, insights regarding company policies may be gained and freely discussed within the group. During the second meeting, challenges in the workplace, in relation to clients would be a potential topic for discussion. The most significant aspect of such team-based discussions is that personal thoughts and opinions are allowed to be freely given and a constructive discussion among the members would be permitted.

Method of Evaluation
Even though teamwork based motivation may be accomplished with minimal complexity and costs, it would still be necessary to initiate means of evaluating whether improvements in motivation are indeed being gained through such means. Specific simulation exercises may be used as a method of measuring motivation albeit in a qualitative manner. To further expound, non-facilitated group discussions wherein responses which emphasize the innate behavior of a team member would be a suitable example of a means to measure motivation (Thornton  Rupp, 2006). Throughout the duration of the group discussion, certain actions which signify motivation should be taken note of.

In particular, the capability of team members to effectively engage in discussions, by expressing thoughts and opinions without unnecessary hesitation, as well as being able to appropriately criticize the views of other members are indicators of assertiveness and motivation (Thornton  Rupp, 2006). Aside from the aforementioned behavioral cues, it would also be appropriate to use the same means of evaluation as that used during the pre-assessment phase. The modified version of Wherry and Souths (1977) worker motivation scale would be used thus, a questionnaire would again be distributed among the samples and the response, according to the number of affirmative answers, would be tallied and evaluated.

If more affirmative responses are generally found during post-assessment, then it would be indicative of an improved motivation through the team based approach. Hence, the aforesaid manner of evaluating the presence of teamwork based motivation would still suitable in the case of Wal-Mart. Eventually though, if employee motivation would become a priority of the company, it would be ideal to shift to a more specific means of measurement or evaluation.

Summary and Reflection
Summary and Further Research
Throughout the discussion it has been established that if appropriately taken into account, a team-based approach to enhancing employee motivation is indeed a potential means for Wal-Mart to gain the benefits of positive changes throughout the workforce both in perspective and productivity. As noted beforehand, the most efficient and simple manner of gaining beneficial improvements in motivation would be through a regular discussion and brain-storming event for members of the team. Expectedly, means of evaluating whether changes have actually occurred are noted as well. The most significant of such of course would be the use of the modified work motivation scale.

Regardless of the promising scenarios which may be determined if such changes are to be done, it would still be most proper to conduct further tests using such an approach. Ideally, it would be best if Wal-Mart of a company with similar concerns would consider and apply the aforementioned team-based plan of improving employee motivation. Hence, it would be best if future studies regarding such a topic would conduct actual tests and at the same time establish or develop a more specific means of evaluating employee motivation, especially one that is specifically suitable for the context and culture of Wal-Mart.

Perceived Effectiveness and Predictions
Views regarding the applicability teamwork based motivation so as to further improve Wal-Mart in a holistic sense most probably differ. In fact, it would not be surprising if some individuals would pertain to such an endeavor as untimely or too late. In contrast those opinions though, it is vital to emphasize that the foreseeable benefits of motivation to the company heavily outweighs the perceived uncertainties and risks as discussed above. To reiterate, motivation would most probably result in increased productivity and would also enhance public perception also, the requirements, changes, and costs of initiating methods of motivating employees through teamwork are quite minimal. Hence, despite the fact that employee and public perception regarding Wal-Mart has not been entirely positive throughout the recent years, it would still not be enough reason not to attempt to bring forth positive changes through motivation.

Businesses continuously evolve throughout time and evolution is a vital requirement for survival. Despite the current success of Wal-Mart, it is also apparent that employee and public perception regarding the company is continuously worsening. If an effective method to resolve its current problems would not be considered and accomplished, then it would be highly possible that Wal-Marts current concerns would only worsen three to five years from now. Therefore, attempting to significantly lessen such concerns by motivating employees through teamwork is certainly a worthwhile and realistic endeavor.