Expectancy The Employees At Ben A Jerry's example essay topic

Ben & Jerry's Joy Gang History: The Ben & Jerry's Joy Gang was started in 1987 in response to the increasing demands upon our employees. Our first Joy activities included pizza and 15 minute massages for our manufacturing employees who were working 12 hour marathon shifts. Jerry suggested that we should try to make fun an official part of our company culture. The Joy Committee changed its name to the " Joy Gang' due to the fact that we felt the word 'committee' was too official.

Mission: To infuse joy into everything we do. The Joy Gang approaches fun at work in 3 ways: Joy Grants: cash grants of up to $500.00 to accommodate an idea that will bring more joy to a particular department. (A hot cocoa machine for our freezer crew, a stereo for our production crew, etc.) Joy Events: planned, announced, organized activities that are sponsored by the Joy Gang. They usually include food, fun & prizes. Joy Guerilla Tactics: secretive activities that are not previously announced, which are intended to surprise employees. Doing Joy: A Compendium of Gang Activities at Ben & Jerry " sName That Face Contest: Employees brought in photos of themselves from their past which we redisplayed in a collage on the company bulletin board for other employees to guess who was who.

Holiday Gift Box Exchange: Every year Ben & Jerry's exchanges ice cream products for products from our vendors and various other Vermont businesses. A small group of employees volunteers a few hours of their time to make up boxes filled with nuts, cheese, coffee, donuts, etc. for all of their coworkers to take home over the holidays. One of the items we always get isa package of smoked ham hocks -- most employees enjoy them as an ingredient for soups and stews, but there are always a few folks who seem totally perplexed when they receive their first hunks 'o hocks, so over the years the hocks have gained a sort of legendary notoriety. Manufacturing Appreciation Day: To recognize the ongoing efforts of Ben & Jerry " manufacturing Cluster, non-manufacturing employees dressed up as their favorite production, freezer, or maintenance worker. Barry Manilow Day: In celebration of Barry Manilow's birthday (an otherwise uneventful day), Manilow tunes were played in the lunchroom and occasionally over the paging system. Manilow buttons were distributed, posters were hung, and we voted on our favorite Manilow tune.

'AtThe Copa' won hands down. Halloween Contest: In what promises to be a Joy-out event to be celebrated for years to come, employees are encouraged to (and do) come to work in zany, weird costumes on Halloween. Prizes are given for best and weirdest costumes, and a costume parade is held. A big incentive for dressing up was offered once in 1991, when Ben & Jerry's 6' 6' Chief Operating Officer promised to wear a pink ballerina's tu-tu if at least 75 employees wore costumes.

The employees rose to meet the challenge and Chuck, our bearded ballerina, danced across the front patio of our Waterbury plant. Valentine's Day: The Joy Gang distributes any combination of carnations, chocolates, candy conversation hearts and hand signed valentines to employees to let them know how much we love them. Jungle Party: One year, a particularly wild group of employees dressed up in whatever jungle outfits they had hanging in their closets and went to a party featuring jungle music, limbo contests, and prizes such as a trip for two to The Great Adventure... all courtesy of the Joy Gang. Elvis Presley Day: Our most popular event to date, complete with an Elvis look-alike contest, an Elvis impersonator who serenaded the employees, an Elvis trivia contest, and Elvis movie classics running on the VCR in the lunchroom.

Mask Making: Joy commissioned a local mask-maker to come and show interested employees how to make plaster casts of their faces and decorate them with all sorts of bizarre and beautiful gew-gaws. Late Night Joy Party: To show appreciation for the late-night production shifts, Joy cooked a Garfield-size lasagna dinner and brought in a D.J. to spin request tunes all night. Wacky prizes (like cans of SPAM) were awarded at random intervals as well. National Clash-Dressing Day (annually observed the last Thursday in January) has been celebrated for several years now by many fashion-unconscious Ben & Jerry-it es. The goal is to wear an outfit that heinously clashes in the grandest 'tres gauche' tradition, and over the years we " ve awarded a plethora of prizes (such as gift certificates for new wardrobes) to the gauchest of the gauche. We " ve celebrated American Chocolate Week (March 16-21) successfully by holding a couple of chocolate-dipping contests -- for those employees who excel in creatively dipping unusual edible& non-edible things in chocolate, we usually acknowledge their efforts by giving them more chocolate.

Joy's Jan. 28, 1993 Triple Event! : Because it seemed like a good idea at the time, and because they all fell sort of on the same day, Joy held a combo-celebration to honor National Clash-Dressing Day, National Kazoo Day, and Alan Alda's Birthday. Clash-dressers played kazoos throughout the day and ate lots of Birthday cake in honor of Alda. Wild, Wild West Party: Joy once dressed up a plant lunchroom chuck-wagon-style to host a Wild, Wild West Party for manufacturing employees. Jerry joined a live jug band for campfire songs while everyone else chowed down on barbecue and played 'pin-the-tail-on-the-cow. ' Ben & Jerry's FlavOlympics, held for the first time in the snowy winter of 1993, was an extravaganza of snow-related, winter-olympic-type events.

The coolest event was the 'Sit " nShiver' contest, which featured boxer-shorts-clad contestants sitting in snowbanks for sadistic amounts of time; the most popular event was the 'Re-Use Luge,' a sledding competition using sledding devices made of recycled materials. And, as with most Joy events, an abundance of food (some of it weird) was on hand for all. A Presidential Birthday: since birthdays are always a reason to celebrate at Ben & Jerry's, Joy decided to celebrate one birthday in a big way by surprising Chuck Lacy, our Chief Operating Officer / President (the one who wore a ballerina costume in 1991... ). He was dubiously honored with a barbecue (serving ground Chuck), games (like Dart-Chucking and Pin-the-Face-on-the-Lacy), and a birthday serenade from a local college choir. Pizza & Puttin': Joy sponsored a night out for employees at an indoor miniature golf course ('Pizza Putt' in South Burlington, Vt.

). As the employees played 18 holes, they enjoyed a few slices of pizza on the Joy Gang. Dog Days of Summer: To celebrate the hot summers in Vermont and the love of 'man's best friend' we hold our annual Dog Days event. A flea-dip bath is available to all employees' dogs &cats, while we serve grilled wieners & barbecued stuff to all owners.

Doggie toys & snacks a redistributed to all freshly-scrubbed canines. In general, the Dog Days of summer are simply a great excuse to have a party (not that we really need an excuse... ). Vegas Nite: A team of Joy Gangsters gussied up in shirts & visors dealt out the entertainment with a casino-type operation. Blackjack, roulette, and craps were played. The top money earners for the shift won a dinner gift certificate and a teddy bear.

Dead Day: In honor of the Grateful Dead's last Vermont concert in 10 years, we held 'DeadDay'. A 60's / tie -dyed outfit was the theme of the day. We had a drawing for Grateful Dead cassettes, CDs and other Dead paraphernalia. All who participated were grateful indeed... Play Day: For a little fun one afternoon, the Joy Gang covered the lunchroom tables with white paper, and left boxes of crayons, as well as finger paints & cans of play-doh for our employees to enjoy. Last but certainly not least, we " ve had great fun -- complete with gut-busting guffaws -- with an event that may seem like a non-event in most workplaces, but for us is definitely a momentous occasion.

Though most of corporate America is finally loosening up a bit and allowing employees to dress casually every now and then, we " re pretty darn casual all the time, except on that one day each year that the Joy Gang holds its Dress UP Day. Our friends and coworkers sure do look funny in suits... Motivation Go Back Motivation is the set of processes that arouse, direct and maintain behavior toward attaining some goal. Employees' motivation at Ben & Jerry's are purely financial for some and for others it is a sense of actualizing their personal value-system.

Ben & Jerry's ability to successfully motivate employees - from production line workers to senior executives - has been an important component in the firm's overall effectiveness. Maslow's Need Hierarchy Theory Go Back According to Maslow there are five human needs. (1) Physiological needs (2) Safety need (3) Social needs (4) Esteem needs (5) Self-actualization needs. The first three are considered lower level needs, and some employees at Ben & Jerry's partner-shops fit into these needs. The last two are what Maslow refers to as higher level needs and most employees at Ben and Jerry's suit well with these needs. Under the physiological needs, an individual's motivation is derived from the need for biological needs such as need for food, water, air, and shelter.

These basic needs simply translate into a job to make a living. Ben & Jerry's guarantees "livable" (not "minimum") wages to all its employees. They calculate livable wage by looking at what an average person living in a community needs to earn to adequately fund his or her life (rent, utilities, health and dental care, transportation, nutrition, recreation, and savings). For 1995, it was $8.42/hour for a single person and Ben & Jerry pegged their entry-level wage at $8.50, three dollars more than the national average for entry level positions.

For many people their skill levels cannot match the demands of the customer service industry and thus cannot find a job to suit their capabilities. Through retail stores and social "partner shops", Ben and Jerry's provides the opportunity for many people to gain employment who otherwise would be on public assistance. For example, the Harlem partner shop, which opened in 1992 and closed in 1996 was run by an inner-city homeless shelter. A successful example is the Times Square Hotel partner shop where employees who work there have histories of disability. The disabled people who work at these part ner shops want to rebuild their lives and become self-sufficient and Ben and Jerry's allows this opportunity because the stores have designed their jobs so that their tasks are smaller and more focused. Safety needs address a person's need for security and freedom from threats that may include employment benefits such as medical, and unemployment benefits.

Ben & Jerry's provides great employee benefits (Exhibit 5) and for some this may be one of the motivating factors. EXHIBIT 5 o Health coverage- free to employee, subsidized to partner / family o Dental coverage- free to employee, subsidized to partner / family o Life Insurance- free at two times annual salary, additional available at cost o Disability insurance- free short- and long-term coverage o Family leave- two weeks paid for mother or father employees o Retirement plan- company matches 50 percent of employee's contribution o Education- company will reimburse for job-related or degree courses o Vacation- two weeks for up to five years's ervice; three weeks for five to ten years's ervice; four weeks thereafter o Sick time- six paid days / year o Domestic partner- health, dental, life insurance, and family leave available for domestic partner no matter marital status or gender Social needs comprise the need for friendship and love. Ben & Jerry's offer a wide variety of social activities for their employees who are motivated by these types of environment. Through social activities teams such as Green Teams, Community Action Teams and the Joy Gang, employees can seek the social needs that motivates them to work for Ben & Jerry's. Further, a few times a year Ben & Jerry's holds concerts and parties for all those involved with the company and their customers which allows for social interaction that some people are looking for. Esteem needs refer to needs for self-respect and to gain approval of others.

This need is one of the driving motivators for the employees at Ben & Jerry's. It is the internal satisfaction that employees derive from working at Ben & Jerry's because their hard work is just a means to achieve the social missions of the company and that if they work hard the shop makes money and a good chunk of it goes to the community projects that they help. Employees at Ben & Jerry's needs to feel like their work contributed to a positive change and Ben and Jerry's provides this for many workers and at the end of the day feels good about what they have accomplished at work. Self-actualization needs are innate needs of an individual who wants to develop their fullest potential. This motivational factor is a key reason for working for Ben and Jerry's.

Most people who work for Ben and Jerry's want to fulfill the values they themselves believe in. They want to be effective in making a difference in the world by helping society. They want to live with the same set of values throughout their life, and not have one set at home and a different set at work". I worked at a Fortune 500 corporation for ten years. What attracted me to Ben & Jerry's was that I believe in what Ben & Jerry's believes in.

I thought it would be nice to be able to live twenty-four hours a day with the same set of values". McClelland's Achievement Theory Go Back Under this theory there are three types of need that drives an individuals motivations: (a) need for achievement; (b) need for affiliation; (3) the need for power. The need for achievement for Ben & Jerry's employees is to advanced the social mission of the company. The motivation behind employees to work hard comes from the fact that if they work hard and make money for the company it is going to help them further their values. Need for affiliation, the desire for friendly and close interpersonal relationships, are reasons why people choose to work for Ben and Jerry's. Ben and Jerry's is known as a socially responsible company and also recognized as a fun and friendly working environment.

One store in New York City throws a Halloween party for the neighborhood kids every year. This party allows a safe environment for kids and families to have fun. The staff gets into is as well by trying to outdo each other with outrageous costumes. The kids get a free cone for being in costumes and the winner gets an ice cream party. This type of environment is not only created through stores but also by community action groups within the company and at company concerts and parties. 93% of the workers at Ben & Jerry's report being highly satisfied with co-worker relationships.

Need for power has no real significance as a motivator for employees at Ben and Jerry's. The types of people working at Ben & Jerry's are not looking to move up the corporate ladder, and in fact opportunities for advancement in the loosely structured organization are low. Herzberg's 2-Factor Theory Go Back Herzberg identifies motivators and hygiene as factors that motivate people. Motivators are factors that lead to satisfaction e.g. achievement, recognition, responsibility, opportunities for personal growth. Aside from achieving the social missions of the company, the internal achievements within the company are low as well as corporate recognition for workers. Hygiene factors are factors that prevent dissatisfaction e.g. job security, fair company policies, and safe working conditions.

There are a great deal of hygiene factors the contribute to the motivation of the workers at Ben & Jerry's. The company uses environmentally benign cleaning agents (like baking soda) wherever possible. The injuries to workers are far below the industry average with 2.67/100 full-time workers at Ben & Jerry's as compared to 13.2/100 for industry average. The company has fair company policies such as gender pay equity. The median weekly income for women at Ben & Jerry's is $954 and $900 for men.

The average total hourly compensation for employees is $24 at Ben & Jerry's while it is only $18 for average U.S. manufacturing companies. Motivational techniques Go Back Ben & Jerry's motivate its employees through their mission statements and business practices. Being a value-led business allows the company to attract people to want to work for Ben & Jerry's because they feel their personal values are aligned with the those of the company. Process theory involves directing the motivation of an individual or a group to achieve the desired goals. There are three principal theories within the process theory that directs efforts in the right direction. They are: expectancy theory; equity theory; and goal setting theory.

Expectancy theory Go Back Expectancy theory is the tendency to act in a certain way depends on the strength of an expectation that the act will be followed by a given outcome and on the attractiveness of that outcome to the individual. The elements of the expectancy theory are: expectancy, instrumentality; and valence. Expectancy The employees at Ben a& Jerry's do not expect their efforts to improve their own performance rather the overall mission of the company. For example, community action teams are a purely voluntary but workers know that the company provides the teams with product, money, or coupons with the organizations they are working with. When an employee took it upon herself to provide the ice cream for a fund-raising picnic for gay youth, the franchise owner provided her with coolers and everything she needed.

Instrumentality: This element is the belief that one will be rewarded according to one's level of performance. Once again, at Ben and Jerry's there are no direct financial rewards or promotions for working harder or coming up with innovative ideas. Rather, the reward comes in the form of having the resources to make the kind of socially beneficial changes that workers are striving towards. Valence: Reward comes in many forms and each person has different ideas about what it is.

Rewards can be tangible or intangible. For Ben & Jerry's employees the value they set on the returns for their effort is extremely high. These values are ingrained in who they are and what they stand for. Such efforts like immunization program where giving out free ice cream to inner-city kids for getting immunized is a far more valuable than getting a bonus check for some employees. Equity theory Go Back Under the equity theory, individuals compare their job inputs and outcomes received, with those of others to determine fairness. At Ben & Jerry's upper management tends to receive the short end of the stick when it comes to wages (compared to executives at comparable firms) while lower level employees benefit.

On the other hand, when it comes to rewards that helps the community there is no inequality. For example, Ben & Jerry's was involved in a program called Campaign to end Childhood Hunger in Vermont and this required an employee being a captain for their town. They had to attend training programs to learn about the federal funds that were available to provide free breakfasts for school children and had to attend local school board meetings. This extra work by the employees resulted in providing tens of thousands of children in Vermont with free school breakfast. Any worker who lived in towns where they were not receiving free breakfast could have gotten involved and all who did get involved received the same results - free breakfast for school children. Reinforcement Ben & Jerry's employees maintain their motivation though continuous reinforcement.

The motivation that drives the company and their employees is constantly reminded through their mission statements and through their business practices. Mission statements are written on the walls of every store and manufacturing facility to remind everyone involved that the business has certain values that is to be applied in all facets of the company. It also helps that the people who work for Ben & Jerry's maintain their values intrinsically because they truly believe that what they are involved in are a worthy cause. Job Design Job rotation / enlargement allows Ben & Jerry to reinforce the motivations of the workers. Employees are paid to work in the community doing some kind of social service. The program known as Making a Difference Day allows a typical manufacturing employee to go out into the community to paint a fire house or plant trees.

This allows the employee to realize that the money made by Ben & Jerry's does indeed go to community services and reinforces their values.