M3A1 Motel Maids Case Study

M3A1: Case Study – Motel Maids
Name
Institution Affiliation
Abstract
Employee motivation has become a crucial aspect of focus for organizations operating in the contemporary business environments. Located in the San Diego area, the Western Motels franchise has been subject to increased complexities for a significant period, mainly in the retention of maids operating in different branches. Notably, the staff turnover rate has been growing causing adverse effects to the normal running of the motels and overall business operations. Consequently, a case study of the Western Motel’s franchise is crucial in the identification of facts supporting the primary and underlying issues facing the organization. Assertively, this analysis uses these facts and issues as the foundation for recommending resolutions that the management could incorporate into the existing approaches. Moreover, the paper highlights relevant aspects about the solutions such as their implementation and follow-up and contingency plans to support the execution of the propositions.
M3A1: Case Study – Motel Maids
Introduction
In management, the attraction and retention of quality employees is a crucial aspect and determinant of successful running of any organization’s operations. More so, the issue of ensuring employee satisfaction mainly requires the top-level management to have conventional and efficient approaches (Hellriegel & Slocum, 2010). Still, motivation of employees, in particular those that are at the bottom of the hierarchy, faces increased hindrances as compared to the situation of top-level staff members (Lazaroiu, 2015).

Consequently, this appears to be the situation at Western Motels as organizations that have been struggling in their efforts to retain maids. Assertively, it is a necessity that the company identifies and defines the key and underlying issues as the first step in formulating the best resolutions.
Key Issues and Underlying Issues
The primary problem affecting the motel is the increased employee turnover, particularly among the lower paid employees. However, the turnover is still apparent even among employees with exceptional pay. The case study highlights that the performance of duties among core representatives of the hotel, that is, the maids, still experiences increased challenges. On the other hand, the motels cannot hire new employees given the expenses attributed to the processes of hiring, processing, and bonding with the employees. It is apparent that the employees of the Western Motels lack sufficient motivation as indicated by their low-grade careless approach to their work. On the other hand, the case study highlights that the working conditions seem mood based on the meals provided and other privileges such as the pool facilities. Even so, the motivation of the employees remain at an adverse level. Nonetheless, these issues need to be addressed as it has resulted in additional expenses that include a complete refund to the consumers. Assertively, the resolution process should first entail identifying the existing gap and the specific area of focus for the management.
Facts affecting the Apparent Issues
Based on the established issues affecting the Western Motels franchise, the apparent facts are that the management is inefficient and unstable as indicated by the complexities in employees’ retention and the running of corporate processes. Moreover, the low morale of the staff members is a primary contributing factor to the issues affecting the retention of the maid employees (Cotton, 1993). Notably, the objectives of the different management teams running the various branches do not match those of the owners, which is evident from the lack of a sense of pride or ownership. The deficiencies in motivation can have adverse influences on the development of the organization (Lau & Roopnarain, 2014). Currently, the Western Motels record a 45% turnover rate, that is, three maid per motel, on a monthly basis, which is a primary indicator for the organization to reevaluate its processes by determining the factors causing the employees to quit.
Tentative Solution
Among the conditions that the management should address include job conditions. Notably, the roles and duties of the maids are physically demanding hence the compensation and privileges set by the management should match the regular tiring work, which prevails as a critical facilitator of job dissatisfaction. Consequently, the organization ought to evaluate whether the physical conditions match or surpass the requirements of the affected workers (Ristic et al., 2017). In the subject case, the affected employees, i.e., the maids, receive heightened wages and get to enjoy liberties such as meals and utilizing the pools and the different locations. Mainly, it seems as if the management at Western Motels has been efficient in the provision of the employee’s needs, that is, excellent pay for the maids, meals, and freedom to use the pool. However, the turnover rate disagrees with these sentiments, mainly due to their positive correlation with increased dissatisfaction. Even so, there are strategies and approaches that the Western Motels could incorporate or introduce to create a better outcome.
Firstly, the salary set for the entry-level positions does not seem to be the main source of challenges. Therefore, the hotel could focus on improving other aspects that supplement the compensation. For instance, they could focus on enhancing the free meal that the maids receive from the organization’s coffee shop by incorporating an isolated area or room from the employees alone. This idea emanates from the fact that the current settings involve the employees using the same facilities as the customers, which could be uncomfortable and hard to relax (Malik et al., 2015). Consequently, as an alternative for having a meal from the coffee shop, Western Motels could consider converting on the rooms in the different facilities to staff-only areas, which will be an indicator that the organization appreciates its employees. On the other hand, the aspect of pool accessibility seems to substandard tool since employees can only access the pools of four defined branches. However, it would be better for both the organization and the employees if they had the liberty to access all pool facilities for all the locations under the Western Motels. The limitations incorporated in the aspect of pool usage can be primary influences of employees’ sentiments that they are not significant to the management that’s why they can only use certain pools (Dar et al., 2014). Therefore, the best resolution is giving the employees a sanction to access all the pools.
Secondly, as highlighted above, being a maid itself is a hassle, especially when people have different dreams and prospects for advanced career paths. Therefore, the Western Hotels franchise must utilize its HR personnel in the development of better relationships with the maid as the foundation for understanding the causes of the high turnover rates (Dar et al., 2014). More so, the practices incorporated to enhancing more real relationships so allude to the need for increased motivation among the employees. This means that all aspects of the organization should depict a healthy working environment with components such as realistic pay, shared responsibility, a sense of respect and standard communication (Olafsen et al., 2015). As indicated by the case study, the aspect of payment and collective compensation is not a challenge, but what about the other aspects? The management should ensure that the maids feel respected. Moreover, there should be consistent communication between the management and employees, which ought to act as the foundation for support for personal and organizational development (Ali & Ahmed, 2009). Therefore, the management should start by rebranding and reconfigure the comprehensive motel maid concept with a purpose of instigating a sense of pride and ownership, not only among the maids but the overall staff members.
Thirdly, based on the results of the management’s attempts to interview the workers, it is apparent that the maids do not feel as if they have a voice in the running of the motels. More so, they understood that the interviews were a desperate attempt from the management to overcome the rapidly increasing rate of turnover. Thus, it is essential for the management to implement processes and practices that create a conducive atmosphere for the maids and other employees such as the patron (Lau & Roopnarain, 2014). The conduciveness should allude to a sense of safety and belong in addition to a place where all the voices are heard. This should build a firm foundation for increased productivity as well as create a stronger association between the management and employees (Olafsen et al., 2015). Furthermore, the eventual developments could entail the maids being given opportunities to raise their opinions during meetings, especially on how to make the organization better given that they have direct interactions with the customers.
Follow – Up and Contingency Plans
Essentially, an integration of these practices and policies into the current curriculum for the motel maids should empower the affected staff and motivate them to perform at higher levels. However, as a follow-up and contingency plan, the Western Motels franchise could create a platform that facilitates peer reviews of work productivity for all the employees including the management. This could be the basis of a formal review that would provide a more transparent image of the strengths and weakness of all the employees including the maids (Ristic et al., 2017). Based on this, the management and owners can formulate training and development initiatives aimed at helping the maids improve their skills. On the other hand, the peer reviews will be instrumental in identifying maids and other staff members with hidden talents or exceptional productivity levels (Olafsen et al., 2015). As a gesture of recognition, they could promote them or reimburse them using other ways that will motivate others to perform better.
References
Ali, R., & Ahmed, M. S. (2009). The impact of reward and recognition programs on employee’s motivation and satisfaction: an empirical study. International review of business research papers, 5(4), 270-279.
Cotton, J. L. (1993). Employee involvement: Methods for improving performance and work attitudes. Sage Publications, Inc.
Dar, A. T., Bashir, M., Ghazanfar, F., & Abrar, M. (2014). Mediating role of employee motivation in relationship to post-selection HRM practices and organizational performance. International Review of Management and Marketing, 4(3), 224.
Hellriegel, D & Slocum Jr., J. W. (2010). Organizational Behavior. 13th ed. South-Western College Pub.
Lau, C. M., & Roopnarain, K. (2014). The effects of nonfinancial and financial measures on employee motivation to participate in target setting. The British accounting review, 46(3), 228-247.
Lazaroiu, G. (2015). Employee Motivation and Job Performance. Linguistic and Philosophical Investigations, 14, 97.
Malik, M. A. R., Butt, A. N., & Choi, J. N. (2015). Rewards and employee creative performance: Moderating effects of creative self‐efficacy, reward importance, and locus of control. Journal of Organizational Behavior, 36(1), 59-74.
Morisano, D., Hirsh, J. B., Peterson, J. B., Pihl, R. O., & Shore, B. M. (2010). Setting, elaborating, and reflecting on personal goals improves academic performance. Journal of Applied Psychology, 95(2), 255.
Olafsen, A. H., Halvari, H., Forest, J., & Deci, E. L. (2015). Show them the money? The role of pay, managerial need support, and justice in a self‐determination theory model of intrinsic work motivation. Scandinavian journal of psychology, 56(4), 447-457.
Ristic, M. R., Selakovic, M., & Qureshi, T. M. (2017). Employee motivation strategies and creation of supportive work environment in societies of post-socialist transformation. Polish Journal of Management Studies, 15.