Calvin Jhon C. Labial
Engineering Management
Date: 03/29/22
Assignment
CHAPTER 7: MOTIVATION
1. Why is motivating relevant to the job of the engineer manager?
As an engineer manager, motivating is relevant because you must find
ways to motivate your employees in order to encourage productivity and
ensure job satisfaction. A manager cannot force an employee to be successful at
his job, but he can motivate him with fair treatment, proper incentives and
adequate compensation.
2. Are motivation techniques applicable to engineers? Cite examples.
Yes, motivation techniques are applicable to engineers. Being an effective
manager is a skill that takes entrepreneurs years to master. Understanding what
motivates engineers is a world all of its own. Simply put, engineers and business
people approach business differently and both are motivated by different factors.
One best example is having a mentor. Having a mentor motivates you to do your
job well, you can avoid mistakes that your mentor encounter and give you advice
on how to do it properly.
3. When Maslow insinuated that needs are hierarchal, what does he mean?
He means that one need will have to be satisfied first before the other need.
4. What factors are associated with employee satisfaction and dissatisfaction?
Factors
associated
with
employee
satisfaction
are:
achievement,
recognition, work itself, responsibility, advancement and growth.
Factors associated with employee dissatisfaction are: company policy and
administration, supervision, relationship with supervisor, work conditions, salary,
relationship with peers, personal life, relationship with subordinates, status, and
security.
5. What are expectancies and valences? How do they affect performance?
Expectancy is a belief about the likelihood or probability that is a particular
behavioral act will lead to a particular outcome (like promotion). Valence is the
value an individual places on the expected outcomes or rewards.
6. What is meant by goal setting? What are the components of the goal setting
model?
Goal setting refers to the process of improving performance with objectives,
deadlines or quality standard. The following components are
1. Goal content
2. Goal commitment
3. Work behavior
4. Feedback aspects.
7. How may an individual be motivated through job design?
A person will be highly motivated to perform if he is assigned a job he likes.
The first requisite, however, is to design jobs that will meet the requirements of the
organization and the persons who will occupy them.
8. How may rewards be classified?
Reward may be classified into two categories:
Extrinsic – those which refer to payoffs granted to the individual by another party.
Examples are money, employee benefits, promotions, recognition, status symbols,
praise etc.
Intrinsic rewards – those which are internally experienced payoffs which are selfgranted. Examples are sense of accomplishment, self-esteem and selfactualization.
9. In what specific activities may activities may employees participate?
The specific activities identified where employees may participate are as
follows:
1. Setting goals
2. Making decisions
3. Solving problems
4. Designing and implementing organizational changes.
10. What benefits are made possible under flexible work schedules?
There are certain benefits that are offered by flexible work schedules, although it
is not appropriate for all situations. Nevertheless, the engineer manager must decide
when it is applicable,
Family Support Services. Employees are oftentimes burdened by family
obligations like caring for children. Progressive companies provide day care facilities for
children of employees. A multinational company in far flung Davao province has even
opened an elementary and a high school within the plantation site.
Sabbaticals. A sabbatical leave is one given to an employee after a certain number
of years of service. The employee is allowed to go on leave for two months to one year
with pay to give him time for family, recreations, and travel
Case 7: Batangas Polytechnic College
Engineer Lazaro has two problems. The first problem is the shortage of teachers.
Only ten applicants filed for application but all were inexperienced. She needs seven new
teachers. She wanted well-qualified engineers but none applied. One solution is to send
personal requests to the engineers which would qualify to teach which are available in
the area. She can appeal to them that their college requires experienced engineers to
provide quality education. She would be lucky if all the vacancies will be filled in by wellqualified engineers. If not, she has no choice but to hire the new graduates. The second
problem is how to make the incumbent teachers satisfied with their jobs. A lot of teachers
left because of offers from other institutions. Engineer Lazaro should motivate the
teachers. If possible, she can request an increase to the teachers’ salaries. She should
also call for a meeting to discuss the crisis of their college and give speeches to boost
their morale.