Organizational Behavior: Officeworks Motivation Report

This report analyzes the organizational behavior issues at Officeworks, focusing on low employee motivation and high turnover rates. It provides a brief introduction to Officeworks, followed by a description of the problem, highlighting its impact on the organization's operations. The analysis applies Herzberg's Motivation Hygiene Theory to understand the underlying causes, examining both hygiene and motivational factors. The report then proposes a change intervention strategy, emphasizing focused intervention and team building to improve interpersonal relationships and foster a positive work environment. Finally, the report concludes with recommendations for Officeworks to enhance its operations and reduce employee turnover, including training programs and improved management practices, and suggests ways to improve employee-manager relations.

Running head: ORGANIZATIONAL BEHAVIOUR STRUCTURE AND
PRACTICE
ORGANIZATIONAL BEHAVIOUR STRUCTURE AND PRACTICE
Name of the Student
Name of the University
Author Note

1ORGANIZATIONAL BEHAVIOUR STRUCTURE AND PRACTICE
Table of Contents
Introduction....................................................................................................................2
Description of the problem – Low motivation level and high employee turnover........2
Analysis of the problem based on theories....................................................................3
Change intervention to solve the issue...........................................................................5
Conclusion......................................................................................................................6
Recommendations..........................................................................................................7
References......................................................................................................................8

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Introduction
Officeworks is a chain of stores operating under Wesfarmers that offers office based
supplies to the customers in different parts of Australia. The firm was recognized in early part
of 1990s by Coles Myer. The concept of the stores of Officeworks is mainly based on the US
based chain named Office Depot that operates in the same industry. The first store of
Officeworks was developed in suburb areas of the inner city of Richmond in Melbourne. The
100th store of Officeworks was opened in South Yarra that is some kilometres away from the
first store of the firm in Richmond (Officeworks.com.au. 2019).
The report will be mainly built on the analysis of a problem situation that has taken
place within the organization due to low levels of employee motivation and high turnover as
well. The issues that are being faced by the organization due to this problem situation and
their impact on the operations will also be a significant part of the study made in the report.
The issue will also be analysed based on theories that can be used to develop effective
solutions as well.
Description of the problem – Low motivation level and high employee turnover
Officeworks had started its operations in Australia from a single store that had been
opened in Melbourne to the position of “mini Bunnings” that has been gained by the firm.
The current worth of the organization is around 1.5 Billion Dollars. The retailer has currently
been named as the “category killer” due to the large range of products that are offered to the
customers in different categories including electronic gadgets, office supplies and furniture.
Currently Officeworks runs more than 160 stores in Australia along with 7000 employees
(Officeworks.com.au. 2019). The analysts have also stated that the organization is currently
at the top of its game with respect to its operations in the industry. The acquisition of Viking
Office Supplies and Harrris Technology has been able to play a crucial part in proper

3ORGANIZATIONAL BEHAVIOUR STRUCTURE AND PRACTICE
enhancement of the processes of Officeworks Australia. The parent company of Officeworks,
that is, Wesfarmers has received the credit for the transformation that has taken place in the
organization (News.com.au. 2019). The firm is currently dominating 12 Billion Dollars based
office supplies and stationery based sector. However, Officeworks has started facing some
major issues related to employee and motivation and levels of turnover from the last few
years (Al-Haddad & Kotnour, 2015).
The levels of motivation in the organization are quite low and this has further led to
the increase in employee turnover rates. The huge growth of Officeworks has an impact on
the employees and their work process as well. Officeworks has also seen a fast increase in
number of customers who are a part of the consumer base of the firm. The firm has been able
to increase the product offerings from just office supplies to different other products that are
offered to the customers (Singh, 2016). However, lack of proper levels of motivation has a
negative impact on the organizational operations. The employees have not been able to their
highest levels of contribution to the firm in order to enhance the customer service. The high
turnover of employees has further increased the costs based on recruitments that have to be
incurred by the firm (Stephan et al., 2016). Customer services have been influenced in a
negative way due to increase in levels employee dissatisfaction in the organization. The costs
related to recruitment in Officeworks Australia is also considered to be a major issue that has
occurred due to dissatisfaction of the employees (Sanjeev & Surya, 2016).
Analysis of the problem based on theories
The low motivation level based issue that is currently being faced by Officeworks
Australia can be analysed in detail with the help of proper implementation of the motivation
theories. Herzberg’s Motivation Hygiene Theory can be implemented in order to understand
and analyse low motivation and high turnover based concerns that have been faced by

4ORGANIZATIONAL BEHAVIOUR STRUCTURE AND PRACTICE
Officeworks Australia. The theory is also popularly known as the Herzberg’s Motivation
Hygiene (Two-factor) Theory (Alfayad & Arif, 2017). Herzberg had developed the theory
with respect to the responses that have been provided based on the two major incidents at the
jobs. The different factors that are a part of the Motivational and Hygiene aspects of the
theory are as follows,
 Hygiene – Job dissatisfaction – Company administration and policy,
interpersonal relations, salary, security, supervision and status.
 Motivators – Job satisfaction – Achievement, recognition, work, advancement,
growth and responsibility (Quratulain & Khan, 2015).
According to the theory that has been developed by Herzberg the opposite of
satisfaction is not always dissatisfaction. Removing the dissatisfying characteristics may not
improve the levels of satisfaction within the organization. The development of a dual
continuum is thereby considered to be important for ensuring proper satisfaction in the
organization. The behaviour of individuals will also be influenced by the motivators of today
and the hygiene factors of tomorrow. The factors that are considered to hygiene based today
can change to motivators later on (Gerhart & Fang, 2015). This will further be able to reduce
the motivation levels among the existing employees who are a part of the organization.
The lack of proper motivation in Officeworks is also based on the Hygiene factors and
the Motivation factors that are taken into consideration by the employees. The Hygiene
factors have been able to influence motivation of employees within the organization. The
presence of high levels hygiene factors in the organization as compared to the motivation
factors have an impact on the motivation levels in Officeworks Australia (Kim, Park & Kang,
2019). The major hygiene factors that are able to influence Officeworks Australia mainly
include the lack of proper interpersonal relations after the expansion of stores of the firm,

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lack of effective supervision in the stores of Officeworks Australia that operate in different
parts of the country (Karahanna, Xu & Zhang, 2015).
The managers or supervisors of the stores are able to play a key part in reduction of
the motivation levels within the firm in the last few years. The organization has not been able
to maintain motivation of the employees in an effective way that has further led to high
turnover. The employee turnover has an impact on the costs that are incurred due to
recruitment based process (Mohrman & Lawler, 2017). The two-factor based motivation
theory is able to play an important part in the methods by which motivation levels can be
measured. Changing the hygiene factors to motivation factors is considered to be a major
aspect that can have an influence on Officeworks Australia. Motivational factors are
considered to be vital for the ways by which a firm like Officeworks Australia can maintain
its operations in the industry (Sanjeev & Surya, 2016).
Change intervention to solve the issue
Intervention can be defined as the planned and programmatic activities that are aimed
at development of changes within the organization. The changes are mainly intended towards
the ways by which improvement in the processes can be ensured for maintaining the
functions of the firm. The effectiveness and efficiency levels will also be able to play a
crucial role in facilitating the change process. The organizational development intervention
involves proper interaction that takes place between the client and the consultants (Hickman
& Silva, 2018). The change intervention can be implemented by the external consultants who
are able to act with the help of proper cooperation with client members. Intervention thereby
takes place at system levels and the task process as well with respect to hierarchy levels
within the firm. Current position of the firm is improved with the support that is provided by
proper development of change interventions (Petrou, Demerouti & Schaufeli, 2018).

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The type of change intervention that can be applied by Officeworks Australia in order
to improve the motivation levels is focussed intervention. The employees and training that is
provided to them is considered to be a vital part of the change intervention that is
implemented in this case. Force field analysis is considered to be a process that has been
developed by Kurt Lewin for the purpose of diagnosing the various situations (Robescu &
Iancu, 2016). The proper planning and implementation of change management based
programme is able to play a key part in development of the “team building” based efforts.
The lack of motivation levels among employees in Officeworks Australia is considered to be
a major driving force that is related to the implementation of the change intervention in an
effective manner. The strategies and training programs will be developed by Officeworks
Australia in order to strengthen the employees and increase the motivation levels as well
(Tuan, 2019). The process of team building is able to play a crucial part in the procedures by
which the firm can increase the coordination and interaction between the employees. The
proper improvement of interpersonal relationships between the employees will be able to play
a vital part in increasing the motivation levels in an effective way. The growth of a positive
work environment will also be able to play a key role in the ways by which Officeworks
Australia can improve motivation (Robescu & Iancu, 2016).
Conclusion
The report can be concluded by stating that the huge growth of Officeworks Australia
in the country has an impact on the employees and the organization as a whole. The
organization has faced major levels of issues with respect to the absence of appropriate levels
of motivation. The dissatisfied employees have led to the upsurge in levels of employee
turnover in Officeworks Australia. The improvement of position of Officeworks Australia is
influenced positively with the help of change that can be implemented within the firm.
Employee turnover has affected customer services in an adverse manner. Lack of proper

7ORGANIZATIONAL BEHAVIOUR STRUCTURE AND PRACTICE
interpersonal relationships also influenced the employees and the work environment as well.
The change intervention with focus on the employees will be able to improve the position
that is developed by the firm.
Recommendations
The major recommendations that can be provided to Officeworks Australia in order to
improve the organizational operations and reduce employee turnover are as follows,
 The management of the firm needs to develop training programs in order to
provide effective knowledge to them with respect to the needs of the
employees.
 The managers or supervisors of stores need to understand the demands and
needs of the employees with the aim of improving the relationships that are
developed with them.
 The feedback provided by the employees need to be taken into consideration
in order to provide an effective work environment to them.

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References
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Al-Haddad, S., & Kotnour, T. (2015). Integrating the organizational change literature: a
model for successful change. Journal of Organizational Change Management, 28(2),
234-262.
Alvesson, M., & Sveningsson, S. (2015). Changing organizational culture: Cultural change
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Psychol. Organ. Behav., 2(1), 489-521.
Hickman, C. R., & Silva, M. A. (2018). Creating excellence: Managing corporate culture,
strategy, and change in the new age. Routledge.
Karahanna, E., Xu, S. X., & Zhang, N. (2015). Psychological ownership motivation and use
of social media. Journal of Marketing Theory and Practice, 23(2), 185-207.
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Mohrman, A. M., & Lawler, E. E. (2017). Motivation and performance-appraisal behavior.
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9ORGANIZATIONAL BEHAVIOUR STRUCTURE AND PRACTICE
News.com.au. (2019). Officeworks is being billed as a ‘mini Bunnings’ worth $1.5 billion.
Retrieved 14 September 2019, from https://www.news.com.au/finance/small-
business/how-officeworks-grew-from-a-single-store-in-melbourne-to-a-15-billion-
mini-bunnings/news-story/3051b93e53c4466501d8cd940d380970
Officeworks.com.au. (2019). Office Supplies, Stationery & Office Furniture at the Lowest
Prices | Officeworks. Retrieved 14 September 2019, from
https://www.officeworks.com.au/
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