Motivational Theories and Application in Jack Stores

This case study explores the theories of motivation and their application in Jack Stores, a discount store started by Tesco. The focus is on Herzberg's two-factor theory and Adams' equity theory. Recommendations are provided for effective management.

Case Study

Contents
INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................................................3
MAIN BODY.................................................................................................................................................3
Motivational theories..............................................................................................................................3
Application of theories of motivation......................................................................................................4
Recommendations for the management.................................................................................................5
CONCLUSION...............................................................................................................................................5
REFERENCES................................................................................................................................................6

INTRODUCTION
Motivation is a desire to achieve something. It is necessary that the management of an
organization displays effective motivational techniques so that the employees’ productivity can
be increased effectively (Bellemare and et.al., 2016). This case study is based on Jack Stores
which have been started by Tesco for offering discounted products to the competition. In this
case study, focus will be made on theories of motivation, their application in Jack Stores and the
recommendations for the management of Jack Stores.
MAIN BODY
Motivational theories
There are two main theories of motivation- Content theories and Process theories.
Content theories are used to explore those factors which satisfy the needs. Process theories try to
explain the reason behind the initiation of behaviors.
The content theory which is used by the management of Tesco for motivating employees
at the Jack Stores is Herzberg’s two factor theory of motivation. The explanation of this theory is
given as follows-
Herzberg’s two factor theory-
According to Herzberg’s theory there are mainly two factors which motivate an employee
at the workplace. These factors are-
Motivators- These are the factors which can encourage an employee to work harder
(Herzberg’s Motivation Theory- Two Factor Theory, 2018). The examples of these factors are
achievement, recognition, work itself, responsibility, advancement and growth. Tesco’s
management needs to motivate its employees at Jack Stores by facilitating these factors. This
will boost up the morale of the workers and will also positively influence them to work harder to
achieve the objectives of the company.
Hygiene factors- These are the factors whose absence can decrease the motivation level
of an employee. The examples of these factors are company policies, supervision, relationships,
work conditions, remuneration etc. These factors need to be considered by the management of
Tesco for the staff working at Jack Discount Stores so that their motivation level can be
increased.
The management of Tesco can ensure that the Jack Stores has all the motivators present
for work and also the hygiene factors are properly followed in the company. This will make sure

that the company is able to effectively motivate its employees to perform better for it. This will
increase the overall efficiency, effectiveness and productivity level within the organization.
Tesco makes use of Adams’s equity theory which is explained as follows-
Adams’ Equity Theory-
Adams’ Equity Theory calls for a fair balance to be struck between the inputs of an employee
and the outputs (Buckley and Doyle, 2016). If this balance is struck then it will lead towards
efficiency and effectiveness within an organization. Tesco follows this theory so that the workers
at Jack Discount Stores can be motivated by ensuring that their inputs will result in significant
outputs.
The inputs are-
 Efforts- It refers to the overall efforts put in by an employee for facilitating achievement
of tasks (Nicholls, 2017). Tesco’s employees put in their efforts in order to attain an
outcome.
 Loyalty- It refers to the permanency which workers display by continuing in an
organization for a long time. Tesco’s employees display loyalty towards their company.
 Hard work- It refers to the determined efforts which are put in by the workers of a
company to make sure that the company achieves its objectives. Tesco’s workers have
this quality which allows the organization to succeed.
 Commitment- It means the dedication which the workers can show towards their work.
The employees at Tesco show dedication towards their work which allows for
achievement of various goals and objectives of the company.
The outputs are-
 Financial rewards- It refers to the results of the continuous efforts done by the employees
of the organization (Ritz, Brewer and Neumann, 2016). The employees of Tesco put in
determined efforts to obtain these rewards.
 Reputation- It refers to the recognition received by an employee due to work done. The
employees of Tesco should focus on this output as it will enhance their image.
 Praise- It means appreciation received due to the good work done by an employee. The
employees of Tesco need to focus on this so that they maintain their credibility within the
company for their work.
 Job security- It refers to the assurance given to the workers that their jobs are well-
secured. The workers of Tesco have to focus on this aspect which can be achieved by
bringing efficiency in the work.

Application of theories of motivation
Herzberg’s two factor theory can be applied by the Tesco’s management at Jack Stores
by ensuring the presence of the factors required by this theory. This will ensure the efficiency
and effectiveness of the employees. Adams’ equity theory can be applied by the managers of
Tesco if they ensure that there is a balance between the inputs and the outputs of the employees.
If this balance is struck the workers will feel that their efforts are paying off with good rewards
and thus they will work even harder to attain the goals and objectives of the company.
Recommendations for the management
The recommendations for the management of Tesco are to follow both these theories
effectively so as to ensure that the motivation level of the workers stays up. If the management is
able to motivate its employees using these theories then surely it will benefit the company as it
can easily attain a strategic edge over its competition. The managers also have to assure the
workers that their needs and demands will be taken care of and that their various problems and
issues will be solved quickly so that they can easily focus on their work with maximum
efficiency, effectiveness and productivity. This can benefit the company both in the short-run
and the long-run.
CONCLUSION
From the above report, it can be concluded that motivation is necessary in order to derive
performance from the employees. There are different theories of motivation which a company
can use. These theories can then be effectively applied within the context of the company. Also,
the management needs to make sure that it applies these theories effectively and efficiently so
that the results can show within the performance of the various processes of the organization.

REFERENCES
Books and Journals:
Bellemare, M. and et.al., 2016. Unifying count-based exploration and intrinsic motivation.
In Advances in neural information processing systems (pp. 1471-1479).
Buckley, P. and Doyle, E., 2016. Gamification and student motivation. Interactive learning
environments. 24(6). pp.1162-1175.
Nicholls, J. G., 2017. Conceptions of ability and achievement motivation: A theory and its
implications for education. In Learning and motivation in the classroom (pp. 211-238).
Routledge.
Ritz, A., Brewer, G. A. and Neumann, O., 2016. Public service motivation: A systematic
literature review and outlook. Public Administration Review. 76(3). pp.414-426.
Online
Herzberg’s Motivation Theory- Two Factor Theory. 2018. [Online]. Available through:
<https://expertprogrammanagement.com/2018/04/herzbergs-two-factor-theory/>