Various Motivational Theories Essay Example for Free

Various Motivational Theories Essay In the early 1920s Walter Chrysler, a retired president of Buick and vice-president of General Motors arrived at the ill-fated Maxwell-Chalmers company. The company has been losing ground for years and they need somebody who has experience and innovation to keep it on the ground. He was hired to organize the company’s downhilled operations. Unfortunately, the partnership between Chalmers and Maxwell ended in the late 1923. Having to deal with the ailing Maxwell, Chrysler still tried to rescue the company through innovation and experimentation of his car designs. In January 1924 his long time project and prototype came into complete being, was introduced in the American market and was well-received. The Chrysler Six Automobile has a 6-cylinder engine, well-engineered and has an advance design but was most affordable to the standard American. In 1925 when Maxwell needed an overhaul with its management and its system, Chrysler re-organized it to form a solid and well organized company. On June 6, 1925, Walter P. Chrysler introduced Chrysler Corporation to the world and became the president. Chrysler’s era was full of challenges as he introduced classic cars that were in balance with the style of yesterday. Ford Motor Company and the General Motors Corporation was the clear competitor in that period and with the popularity of car sporting, Chrysler introduces the Plymouth to be the best car any sport racer could ask for. As the years entered the 1950s, there was an established dominance with the three major American automobile companies and that is to mass produce cars of their every design in order to gain advantage of client’s trend. These 3 major companies were all located near Detroit, Michigan and were all rapidly expanding in the domestic market. Even with a little competition from foreign competitors, the industry grew rapidly, producing bigger and better and affordable cars to match changing consumer choice of style and needs. Regarding the cars as necessities, interstate highway system was constructed for the transition from urban to suburban areas and traveling has never been easier and enjoyable. The time of the automobile had arrived and contributed much too fast to industrialization. Decades after the Second World War there was a slight setback in American automobile industry. In the late 1960s the American automakers are having adversarial relationships with their suppliers. The cost of the materials in manufacturing car supplies and equipment could not support the fast modernization and production of the car industry and therefore resulted in production inefficiency. The end result was suffering for the suppliers. There was the need for outsourcing of component parts and supplies and competitive biddings were done by the car manufacturers to maintain productivity. The car makers even forced the suppliers to give them a steady supply of materials although there is already the problem on high production cost for supplies. This trend resulted in a highly competitive market structure among automotive makers wherein the large buyers are able to abuse smaller parts and component makers. The 1970s was the decade in the introduction of foreign cars by the Japanese. Theirs were smaller, less expensive and more fuel efficient than the large and gas consuming American cars. Their method of company management was also recognized by the Americans as strict but with direction, disciplined but precise and particular but with best quality control measures. This was now the global competition for car manufacturing. The 1980s was the decade for the Japanese automakers to celebrate. They were making cars what the people needs- small but trendy and comfortable. Able to join the free world market the Japanese are having momentum in the car manufacturing industry in the world market and are selling good. This looks like trouble to the American manufacturers. Although there was the opening of gate to foreign exporters the carmakers of America directly advised the Japanese to regulate the exportation of cars to the US or else their own industry would be in trouble. The Japanese complied with the concern of the Americans. In effect the Americans allowed the Japanese to put up and run their own car manufacturing plants in the US soil. From 1980 and 1990, Japanese automakers led by Honda, Mazda, Nissan and Toyota totally invested $5. 3 billion in North America for cars alone. The Japanese are well known for their discipline, dedication and hard work. They do this with their lifestyle and even to work. Their production style and manufacturing practices give them superior support in terms of efficiency, quality assurance and economy. To be able to protect American’s position in their share in the domestic market and to be able to compete in the global economy the Japanese served as good examples for the Americans in their car manufacturing business. Daimler-Benz purchased Chrysler in 1998 and later changed the name of the company into DaimlerChrysler Motors Company LLC. The company became the fifth largest auto maker in the world with estimated annual revenue of $130 billion. The merging of two large companies resulted in a workforce of 421,000 employees worldwide and declared to be a merger of equals thought evidently Daimler-Benz is the dominant partner. Chrysler went into another crisis after this union. The year 2001 was the phasing-out of The Plymouth. Cost-cutting plans were done by sharing of components as well as platforms. The result of this program was the development of the Chrysler Crossfire which has a strong influence by the Mercedes. By the year 2004, the Chrysler 300 and the new introduced Hemi V8 became the top selling brand of the company. The restructuring efforts have contributed to the company’s financial performance as well as the introduction of the these two new brands to the world market.. The partnership of Mitsubishi and Daimler-Chrysler also ended as Daimler divested most of its shares in the firm and also due to Mitsubishi’s diving sales worldwide. Today, the European Commission has approved of the U. S. buyout firm Cerberus Capital Management (CBS) to purchase carmaker Chrysler from DaimlerChrysler (DCXGn) and the deal was approved under basic procedures because nobody lodged any objection, the Commission said. Without any option DaimlerChrysler conceded to sell most of its shares and some of its services that concerns with financing to Cerberus (Reuters, 2007). Meanwhile, the Chrysler Group with the need to restructure its field organization has created five Regional Business Centers to have focus on sales for each region. Every center is empowered to make plans relative to the car’s accessories and parts, incentives and its market. The five Regional Business Centers are located in Detroit, New York, Orlando, Dallas and Los Angeles. The centers will be supported locally with enough assistance such as Finance, Legal, Marketing, Parts Service, Fleet, Customer Relations, Training and Warranty personnel. There would be a need for downsizing staff and re-deployment to the Regional Business Centers. This is done to directly service the dealers and the local markets. It was assumed that the restructuring in the organization will be faster, more responsive and more efficient. (Group, 2007) After many years of pitfalls and improvement and the innovation of cars to the new world, Chrysler has experienced lots of changes and loses just like any giant companies which dominate the car world for decades. Chrysler has been employing many personalities known for their superior management style and productivity. But business is business and there is always a change of climate and trends. Although over the years the primary concern of the car industry is always focused on saving the company with output expenses but maintaining quality and sales, the internal problem would always affect the company’s growth and existence. Now that Chrysler has a new and restructured organization and plans, the need for other strategies to improve productivity is needed. Within the company, jobs are created and sometimes are getting lost too. Ironically, there must be the feeling of hopelessness of the employees because they knew that working with a company that had strived, lose and survived again seems to bring worries. Nobody knows the future and this sometimes causes demoralization to the individuals. Management has always been changing and it only put shivers to every employee that another management who has the capacity to run the company is now looming their heads. This is where enhanced motivations to drive force to the working people must be employed. Motivational strategies are required to every company to lit up the workers into working more, produce more, and be happy about it. But one thing is for sure. Motivation improves when everything in the organization is organized. So the keyword here is â€Å"Organization†. To top it all, the characteristic of a good organization can best be described if everything being done inside the workplace is meaningful to the workers. One of the best methods the organization must include is the injection of beneficial related tasks to the task that were already in practice. A positive environment greatly contributes to the worker’s attitude inside the workplace. Erroneous beliefs, wrong assumptions and expectations that may bring negative learning and guilt must be faced with positive confrontations. If needed, any indication or components that may lead to failure or fear must be removed. Activities that allow the employees to learn should always be advocated. Within an organized institution, an observation for any discontent within the workforce must be enforced. Make the employees involve themselves with the plans, giving them options on how to be more productive. Involve them with all the tasks that require acceleration of learning, interest and efficiency. Organize them so they can have smaller groups and provide them the right to choose their group leaders which can also motivate them to relate and work with bigger groups. From a small group with group leaders into teams and team leaders, this could essentially form a network of supporters for every cell within the organization and company. Sharing is one big factor that emanates from each member of an organization to the top management. Sharing is learning, learning is giving the company the capability to be more adept and ready with any internal and external changes. In conclusion, there must be a continuous supply of feedback particularly to the management. It must recognize that the progress of the company begins from the workforce. If the company does not recognize that there is always the feeling of discomfort and lack of interest to be productive. Recognition breeds motivation. Chrysler has already evolved into a giant corporation and already withstands difficult times. It had already recognized and imitated the work ethics of the Japanese and it still has enough manpower and brains to stir its way to top. Lots of management changes must have contributed to the adoption of different management style and quality employment within the company. But the company must always have to choose the best and not the easiest methods. Motivated people provide growth and stability to the company. Loyalty and trust of all the people within is the best way to avoid losing the best assets of the company. The people within are the driving force of an organization. References Group, C. (2007). Chrysler Group Restructures Field Organization To Empower Local Management [Electronic Version] from http://www. prnewswire. com/cgi-bin/stories. pl? ACCT=105STORY=/www/story/03-26-2001/0001455476. Reuters. (2007). EU Approves Purchase of Chrysler By Cerberus [Electronic Version] from http://www. bnet. com/2407-13071_23-93331. html.