Morale and motivation in the Canzalian Credential Assessment Unit 2009-101.1

The Canzalian Credential Assessment Unit (CCAU) is a public service agency that does a range of different activities. Its assessors come from a variety of backgrounds including the teaching profession, and technical and trades work. While some staff are long-serving, others are new recruits. Shane was the manager of the CCAU and its 59 people in teams varying in size from five to 22. Lately he had noted deficits in the quantity and quality of work being produced. Privately, Shane observed that the majority of the assessors could be grouped into one of four work styles: “productive but careless”, “conscientious but non-productive”; “fast but unfocussed” and “conscientious and efficient”. Shane needed to even out the differences between these styles, but also wanted to ensure that staff remained motivated, including through some of the less-inspiring tasks they had to conduct. How could Shane motivate his staff to make a new start, while ironing out some of the glaring inconsistencies in work quantity and quality?

This case describes the dilemma facing a new manager of established teams with distinctly different cultures and a history of low morale. It can be used for a discussion of motivation theory as it applies within a particular organisation. Although names and other details have been changed for anonminity, it is based on a real situation.