In today's ever changing business climate, organizational change is the norm, rather than the exception. Mergers, acquisitions, and re-organizations are prevalent, and in order to remain viable, organizations and their members have to be adaptive and responsive to change (Robbins, 2001, p. 28). However, change can have its price. Motivating employees to be productive assets is a challenge many managers face in a variety of organizational settings. This paper will consider the organizational behavioral issues, pertaining to employee motivation and productivity, during a period of transition. The topics addressed will center on the formation of an operational motivation plan. The plan will define the role of the manager, the role of the organization, and the specific incentive elements of the plan. Additionally, the plan will identify the measures that will provide value-added results to the organization.
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Operational Motivation Plan.
Periods of organizational change, regardless of whether that change is a re-organization, merger, or acquisition, challenge even the most satisfied employee to remain on course. If an organization is not cognizant of the effect that these situations can potentially have on a workforce's motivation, then, what once was appealing about a job may now become unpleasant, and as a consequence, diminished returns in the form of decreased employee productivity may result. In other words, "pull the right motivational levels, and your company is halfway down the road to success. Pull the wrong ones, and you"re stalled at the starting line." ("The Most Intangible Asset," 2003). The key to preventing such a scenario is two-fold. First, understanding what motivates people is paramount. As Stephen Robbins (2001) points out, motivation is an individual's willingness to act in order to satisfy a physical or psychological deficiency that makes the result of the action attractive (p.