Motivation Paper

Motivation Paper

The California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR) is a law enforcement organization that is an integral part of the criminal justice system. The men and women of CDCR are just as important as police officers, district attorney's, and judges.

Here are a just of the few of the jobs at CDCR, parole agent, corrections officer, medical staff, administration services, and support services. Team A selected the California Institute for Women (CIW), a prison located in Chino, California.

This paper, will explore operational aspects of the California Institute for Women, and will discuss the numerous job functions at the CIW facility. Some of the topics include custody, business services, medical and psychological, administration, and support services. This paper will also discuss motivational theories to workplace productivity.

Administration

In the California Institute for Women, the administration is formed with a chain of command leadership model. This chain of command is detailed in the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation Operations Manual (Operations Manual, 2012). This manual states how the chain of command will work according to delegation of job assignments and an up and down movement along the chain (Operations Manual, 2012).

The warden would be the top of the chain at California Institute for Women. Maslow's hierarchy of needs theory is used within the administration of the California Institute for Women. The administration staff of the California Institute for Women can be seen using the motivation theory based on Abraham Maslow's hierarchy of needs.

The hierarchy of needs motivational theory gives the administration a way to determine what is best to use for each employee depending on what level of need the employee is on (Robbins & Judge, 2009). If the administration is faced with an employee who is not motivated they need to determine what hierarchy of need the employee is on.

If the administration senses a need for a pay raise, the managers can use this theory to establish the best course of action to take with the employee. The administration also recognizes a hierarchy of needs to be achieved based on what needs need to be met for the inmates. The mission statement for the California Institute for Women starts out with how it will provide a safe and secure environment for the inmates and further states how it will provide healthcare, academic, and vocational programs (California Institute for Women, 2012).

The administration is striving toward meeting Maslow's hierarchy of needs for the inmates. Within the mission statements first two sentences, the agency is striving to fulfill the first two levels of those needs. They are also working on meeting inmate needs by gaining self-respect and achievement through the vocational and educational programs provided to inmates (California Institute for Women, 2012).

Comparing Maslow's Theory to Operational Procedure of Support Services at CIW

Support services at CIW include non-custody jobs such as inmate records, personnel, procurement, and business services. Each department is run by a manager and approximately 25 to 30 employees (California department of corrections and rehabilitation, 2012). Each manager reports to the associate warden of support services. The process of motivating employees according to Maslow's theory as described in Organizational Behavior by Robbins and Judge, (2009) is not found in the department's operational procedure (California department of corrections and rehabilitation, 2012).

Maslow's Theory of Hierarchy of Needs

Maslow's hierarchy of needs states that to motivate employees five basic needs must be met in sequential order (Robbins & Judge, 2009). These needs are physiological, safety, social, esteem, and self-actualization. The first two needs, also called the lower needs, physiological and safety must be provided first. The higher needs of social, esteem, and self-actualization are needs that must be satisfied by each person internally (Robbins & Judge, 2009).

The Lower Needs

According to Robbins and Judge, (2009), physiological and safety needs are provided through the employer and include pay, seniority, and union contracts. At CIW, these basic needs are negotiated with employee unions (California department of human resources, 2012). A review of the union contracts on the website reveals the calculation of pay and seniority are negotiated between unions and the State of California. Comparing the information regarding pay, seniority, and job security, on the California department of human services website with Maslow's theory, the associate warden of support and the respective supervisors at CIW provide the lower needs for employees (Robbins & Judge, 2009). In this respect, CIW follows and validates Maslow's theory of hierarchy of needs.

Higher Needs

Regarding the higher needs of Maslow's theory, the department's operational procedures do not teach supervisors how to motivate employees by appealing to the higher needs of social, esteem, and self-actualization. If an employee does not perform well or meet organizational needs, the procedure is to "write-up" the employee (California department of human services, 2012). This type of motivation is not part of Maslow's theory because it does not provide belonging, recognition, or self-fulfillment needed to realize social, esteem, and self-actualization needs (Robbins & Judge, 2009). It appears that although CIW does well to provide for the lower needs of the employees, the department does not teach or require provisions for the higher needs.

Business Services

One aspect of the California Institution for Women is business services, which consists of many departments that contribute to the operation of the prison. A definition of business services tasks and duties is explained on the website: "Business services office, plans, organizes. And directs the work of staff in the business service functions to achieve operational efficiency utilizing effective supervisory skills on a daily basic" (State of California, 2010).

The business services department is responsible to review budget proposals, and to obtain approval and funding for necessary equipment, staffing, and services. To train and motivate the staff, supervisors must communicate effectively with others and use interpersonal skills to establish and maintain a working relationship in every situation at any given time. Staff is responsible to prepare