DISCUSSION THREAD 1 1
Motivation or Incentives
Takazia Snell
School of Business, Liberty University
Author Note
Takazia Snell
I have no known conflict of interest to disclose.
Correspondence concerning this article should be addressed to Takazia Snell
Email: tmsnell@liberty.edu
DISCUSSION THREAD 1 2
Motivation or Incentives
Based on the case study, Workers at Amazon are Not Feeling Motivated, “Amazon
became the most valuable public company and second largest e-commerce company in the world
in 2019 by being hyper-focused on customer experiences” (p. 195). Despite its enormous
influence, however, the problem of poor employee motivation has become widespread. The firm
is more concerned with productivity than with the condition of its employees. As a result,
Amazon has had to deal with a high incidence of employee turnover.
Amazon employees are subjected to severe working conditions and are constantly
monitored for efficiency. This means that they compete to complete as many orders as possible
or to beat the daily goal. Those who fail to reach the goals are written up, and if the problems
continue, they can lead to termination. Furthermore, research suggests that employees do not
communicate with one another during work hours in order to complete their tasks on time. The
problem is so terrible that employees are afraid to take a bathroom break. As a result, when such
concerns are not addressed, poor motivation rates result. The work environment has been
compared to that of a prison, which contributes to the poor motivation rates. There are multiple
screening operations at the start and end of each shift. The company consists of shaming its
employees in multiple ways. According to the case study, “There’s also a custom of publicly
shaming employees who steal from the company on flat screen TVs and bulletin boards around
the warehouses” (p. 195). Another factor that contributes to low motivation is the practice of
closely monitoring employee attendance to the point that it becomes a source of anxiety. Workers
are afraid of skipping work, even when sick or injured because their occupations are physically
demanding.
DISCUSSION THREAD 1 3
The subject of mistreating workers is addressed in Proverbs 6:12-15, “A worthless
person, a wicked man, goes about with crooked speech, winks with his eyes, signals with his
feet, points with his finger, with perverted heart devises evil, continually sowing discord;
therefore calamity will come upon him suddenly; in a moment he will be broken beyond
healing” (English Standard Version Bible, 2001). Managers at fulfillment centers treat workers as
if they are captives, ignoring their plight. Leviticus 19:13 also defends, “You shall not oppress
your neighbor or rob him. The wages of a hired worker shall not remain with you all night until
the morning” (English Standard Version Bible, 2001). It is possible that if Amazon employees
were not treated badly by their managers, their behavior would alter. According to Sarwar &
Muhammad (2020), “Employees develop feelings as if they are treated less human in the
organization and they attribute it to their organization” (p. 516).
Despite the unfavorable attention, Amazon has taken various steps to assist in the
resolution of the situation. One is that it has committed to using rewards to improve its
relationship with employees, despite the fact that the type of presents it offers cannot be matched
by the amount it spends. In addition, employees have reported receiving bonuses when the
organization meets its goals, though this is unusual. As a result, in my opinion, the corporation
should address the severe working circumstances that the people are subjected to first. “. . .
employees may develop perceptions of unfairness and relational devaluation if they have
destructive relationship with their organization” (Sarwar & Muhammad, 2020, p. 516). If
working circumstances were improved by coaching and creating a level playing field for all
employees, the company’s ability to perform would improve. Amazon must ensure that
employees are treated properly and with the greatest respect possible. Issues like publicly
humiliating employees when a problem arises should be avoided. Esmaeelinezhad & Afrazeh,
DISCUSSION THREAD 1 4
(2018) states, “Individual behavior is typically determined by personality traits” (p. 235). Maybe
if the managers worked on their own personalities it would boost their employee relationships.
Furthermore, Kroeger et al., (2002) reveal, being empathetic helps in establishing strong bonds
and trustworthy relations. According to Gokoglan & Ozen Bekar, (2021), “Revealing the
relationship between managers’ personality traits and conflict management strategies can help to
understand the dynamics between employees and managers . . .” (p. 6). Furthermore, when
personality is accepted at fulfillment centers, it will have a significant impact on employee
motivation.
DISCUSSION THREAD 1 5
References
Esmaeelinezhad, O., & Afrazeh, A. (2018). Linking personality traits and individuals’ knowledge
management behavior. Aslib Journal of Information Management, 70(3), 234–251.
https://doi.org/10.1108/ajim-01-2018-0019
Gokoglan, E., & Ozen Bekar, E. (2021). The relationship between nurse managers’ personality
traits and their conflict management strategy preferences. Journal of Nursing
Management. Published. https://doi.org/10.1111/jonm.13262
Kinicki, A., & Fugate, M. (2020). Organizational behavior: A practical, problem-solving
approach plus Connect. McGraw-Hill. ISBN: 9781260075076
Kroeger, O., Thuesen, J. M., & Rutledge, H. (2002). Type talk at work: How the 16 personality
types determine your success on the job (Revised and Updated ed.). New York, NY: Dell
Publishing. ISBN: 9780440509288
English Standard Version Bible. (2001). ESV Online. https://esv.literalworld.com/
Sarwar, A., & Muhammad, L. (2020). Impact of organizational mistreatment on employee
performance in the hotel industry. International Journal of Contemporary Hospitality
Management, 33(2), 513–533. https://doi.org/10.1108/ijchm-01-2020-0051
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