Warehouse Problem: Path-Goal Theory

Cooper Messina and Zak Green

Background        

There is a warehouse for Company A in Iowa Park, Texas. The warehouse employs around 23 percent of the city. The facility has fallen behind in their order fulfillment quotas to deliver the desired amount of parcels by the end of each week. As a result, the regional office has appointed a new manager for the facility.    

The Problem

The new manager quickly identifies the biggest problem plaguing the warehouse, a lack of motivation and proper encouragement.  Most of the workers in the warehouse have been there for a few years, and many of them are dissatisfied with the repetitive and mundane nature of the work. The feeling of being overworked has forced the new manager to come up with a few different solutions.

The Decision

The manager has taken on a more supportive style of management. The new manager allows them to listen to music while working and makes time on his breaks to visit the warehouse floor and chat with his employees (satisfying their need for affiliation/ human touch).  The new manager also begins encouragement training for the floor and middle-level managers in order to give them the skills to interact with and encourage their subordinates.  As the holidays approach he organizes a get-together for the warehouse.  

The Outcomes

Short Term

As people begin to see themselves more as valued members of a team their productiveness increases and quotas are once again fulfilled.    

Long Term

The warehouse has continued success and the new managers management style spreads to other Company A warehouses, increasing the productivity of the company and satisfaction of its employees.

Discussion Questions

1. How did the new manager’s shift to a more supportive management style address the employees motivational needs?
2. What challenges might the new manager face in sustaining employee motivation over time, and what additional strategies could be implemented to prevent the warehouse team from becoming disengaged again as the work continues to be repetitive?
3.  How might different leadership styles such as directive or achievement-oriented have influenced the outcome differently?
4. What are some pros and cons of the supportive style of management that was adopted?
5. Would a different management style have been more effective in this scenario or, should the management style stay the same?

License

This case study is licensed CC BY-NC-SA 4.0