Wegmans Food Markets does all it can to create happy, successful environments for both its employees and its customers. Almost anyone is sure to enjoy an ethical atmosphere filled with good food, abundant choices, responsible employees, and respect. Review the three segments of the case and write your responses as instructed. Motivation is more than a tool that managers can use to foster employee loyalty and boost productivity. It is a process that affects all relationships within an organization and influences many areas such as pay, promotion, job design, training opportunities, and reporting relationships. Motivating employees to increase satisfaction and productivity is an important concern for organizations seeking to remain competitive in the global marketplace.
Read the case below and answer the questions which follow.
Ranking high within Fortune Magazine's "Best 100 Companies to Work for" for several years, Wegmans Food Markets is loved by employees and customers alike. The 80-store chain operates on an interesting and somewhat backwards motto: Employees first, customers second. Life is different at Wegmans. At many grocery stores, annual turnover rates can reach nearly 100 percent whereas the turnover rate for full-time employees at Wegmans is only 6 percent. What makes Wegmans employees so happy? It's the fair salary and respect for each person as an individual. In addition, Wegmans offers competitive benefits including scholarship opportunities, a Wegmans retirement plan in addition to a 401(k), adoption assistance, and numerous employee discounts.
Employees at Wegmans are allowed to do whatever it takes to create customer satisfaction without having to go higher up for approval. In some cases, this has taken the form of cooking a woman's Thanksgiving Day turkey at the Wegmans store because the one she purchased wouldn't fit in her oven or sending a chef to a customer's home in response to an SOS. While this may seem a bit extreme, a Gallup poll suggests that people who are emotionally connected to their grocery stores spend up to 46 percent more. As proof, Wegmans received around 2,400 individual letters in one year in which the writers begged Wegmans to build stores in their areas.
Even an ethical company such as Wegmans isn't without its share of issues and risks. In 2005, activists accused Wegmans of cruel animal treatment at their Wegmans Eggs Farm. The New York State police and the Wayne County District Attorney's office investigated the matter and acquitted Wegmans of any wrongdoing. In response Wegmans hired Dr. Joy Mench, professor of animal science at the University of California at Davis, to consult with them on proper animal husbandry. The company also brings in a veterinarian from the Cornell University Poultry Diagnostic and Extension Service to monitor the health and well being of the hens.
Which of the following of Wegman's motivating factors is an intrinsic motivator?A. a sense of pride from meeting customer needsB. scholarship opportunitiesC. the Wegmans retirement planD. adoption assistanceE. employee discounts on groceries