According to Maslow’s hierarchy Essay

1. According to Maslow’s hierarchy, which basic needs does the Patagonia culture meet? What would it be like to work at Patagonia? (Hint: Go to Patagonia’s website and find the section on jobs.) What’s your assessment of the company’s work environment? (20 points) Maslow’s hierarchy consists of five basic needs, self-actualization, esteem, social, safety, and physiological. Patagonia culture meets many standards promising that their products are produced under safe, fair, legal, and humane working conditions throughout the supply chain (Patagonia, 2014). Patagonia offers all of the needs of Maslow’s theory, making employees comfortable at their job; This Company cares about their employees offering childcare, organic meals, recreational activities, and more. Working at Patagonia would be a great place, where the company encourages celebrations and activities to boost the employee’s moral. Patagonia is known for having loyal employees b ecause of how the managers treat them having communication deadlines, expectations, and including employees in figuring out the best way to meet needs. I believe that this work environment is successful because of how it is managed and the way the employees are treated. 2. Use the expectancy theory and/or the equity theory of motivation to explain how feeling underpaid might affect the work of a Patagonia associate and what a manager can do to increase the employee’s motivation. (20 points) Expectancy theory states that a person’s behavior is influenced by the expected outcomes. In this case, low pay would lead the person to feel like no matter what they did, their efforts would not be rewarded with expected pay raises or bonuses. The employees that are underpaid often just show up and do what they have to do, nothing more because they feel their efforts are not appreciated or in some cases known. To increase motivation, acknowledging a job well done, special efforts, or anything the employee tries and does should be part of the routine. Also, making pay comparable to work, offering bonuses or rewards would also help motivation. 3. What do you think might be Patagonia’s biggest challenge in keeping employees motivated? If you were managing a team of Patagonia employees in the retail stores, how would you keep them motivated? (20 points) I believe Patagonia’s biggest challenge in keeping employees motivated is the pay. Pay is one of the biggest motiv ations for employees especially a competitive pay. Employees need to be acknowledged and feel like they are a part of a team. If I were managing Patagonia, IÂ  would have quarterly bonuses for employees that exceed expectations, coming to work on time, going above and beyond for the business. I would also do an employee of the month, with rewards that could help motivate my employees. It is important to keep your employees engaged and informed when running a business. I would include my employees on decisions that need to be made, having my employees involved because they are the ones that work with the merchandise and customers. I want to treat my employees fairly making them comfortable working for me. References Working With Factories. (2014, January 1). Retrieved October 12, 2014, from http://www.patagonia.com/us/patagonia.go?assetid=67583