Valassis Exercises

With today's competitive market it is crucial for organizations to focus on recruiting and retaining the most qualified ambitious employees. One of the most effective ways of keeping these high quality employees is keeping them "happy" with their jobs. There are a number of way in which an organization can enhance the job satisfaction of its employees. David Brandon CEO of Valassis Co. along with other top executives are turning their focus to building and maintaining a corporate culture which supports and encourages high employee performance, believing this is the cornerstone of building a globally successful twenty-first century organization. Valassis's total performance plan is an example of a successful new age rewards system because it incorporates all aspects of motivation a person progresses through on a personal level. By fulfilling each of these individual motivational needs, a corporation can maximize each of it individual's human capitol.

When talking about a successful employee motivation program the basics start with the company culture. The company culture needs to be one that promotes goal setting and achievement, while reinforcing highly motivated employees to do high quality work. Goals, as well as being embraced by all the members of an organization need to be SMART or specific, measurable, attainable, results oriented and time bound in order to serve as motivators. As part of its corporate culture the Valassis Co. attempts to make all the employees act and behave like owners of the company. By acting in a profit sharing, stock options, or performance rewards program a corporation is able to financially motivate their employees to strive for the success of the company. A single motivational tool may not be enough to cover all the needs which motivate a person to do work an organization would consider profitable.

McClelland's theory on motivation stems from the individuals need for achievement, affiliation, and power. Since people have needs and desires for things such as achievement, recognition, responsibility, salary, and personal relationships, all these needs can be manipulated to act as motivators towards specific behavior which is profitable to the company.

Depending on current emotional conditions and stages of life, different people will be motivated more strongly by certain needs opposed to others. That's why keeping employees motivated takes a multidimensional system,