Pushing Paper Can Be Fun
Case 1
What performance problems is the captain trying to correct?
In the case study the police captain is having difficulty getting the police officers to perform required tasks accurately. Task performance is crucial since it refers to goal-directed activated tasks that are under the individual’s control.
The main issue is the behaviour and the result. The behaviour includes police officers not doing detailed and unambiguous paperwork. Since most the police officers are young they enjoy more out in the field and lack motivation in the office. The result is that due to incompetent paperwork the police department is dealing with legal cases in court inadequately. The officers lack motivation and perceive filling out reports as boring. The Captain understands the officers frustration with paperwork. When they signed up to be police officers they imagined themselves on the street, fighting crime, not in an office doing tedious paperwork. It is also frustrating as even if the paperwork is done properly, it doesn’t necessarily mean they will win the case. The force needs to come up with some new, betters way to handle the increased demand for paperwork to be filled out accurately and I am sure the majority of officers would be open to change in order to pursue new innovative ways.
Use the MARS model of individual behavior and performance to diagnose the possible cause of the unacceptable behavior
How can the Police Captain ensure that all his officers fulfill their other work obligations? To answer this question, we must examine the MARS model of the individual performance. The MARS model identifies four interrelated elements that have an effect on employee performance: Motivation, Ability, Role Perception and Situational Factors.
The MARS model demonstrates that these four factors have a combined effect on individual behaviour. If any factor weakens, employee performance will decrease. For example, highly qualified employees who understand their job duties
What performance problems is the captain trying to correct?
In the case study the police captain is having difficulty getting the police officers to perform required tasks accurately. Task performance is crucial since it refers to goal-directed activated tasks that are under the individual’s control.
The main issue is the behaviour and the result. The behaviour includes police officers not doing detailed and unambiguous paperwork. Since most the police officers are young they enjoy more out in the field and lack motivation in the office. The result is that due to incompetent paperwork the police department is dealing with legal cases in court inadequately. The officers lack motivation and perceive filling out reports as boring. The Captain understands the officers frustration with paperwork. When they signed up to be police officers they imagined themselves on the street, fighting crime, not in an office doing tedious paperwork. It is also frustrating as even if the paperwork is done properly, it doesn’t necessarily mean they will win the case. The force needs to come up with some new, betters way to handle the increased demand for paperwork to be filled out accurately and I am sure the majority of officers would be open to change in order to pursue new innovative ways.
Use the MARS model of individual behavior and performance to diagnose the possible cause of the unacceptable behavior
How can the Police Captain ensure that all his officers fulfill their other work obligations? To answer this question, we must examine the MARS model of the individual performance. The MARS model identifies four interrelated elements that have an effect on employee performance: Motivation, Ability, Role Perception and Situational Factors.
The MARS model demonstrates that these four factors have a combined effect on individual behaviour. If any factor weakens, employee performance will decrease. For example, highly qualified employees who understand their job duties