Graduate case analyses
Diagnosing Motivation During Workplace Change
- Leadership & Organizational Development
Two workplace cases showing how leaders can investigate a drop in motivation and choose a response the evidence supports.
My approach
At Riverview Patient Access, two competing explanations for declining motivation are tested against the evidence that would strengthen or weaken each. At Northside Shared Services, a decision map links the diagnosis to specific leadership actions.
Riverview: two theories, one problem
| Goal-setting theory | Expectancy theory | |
|---|---|---|
| Diagnostic question | Are current goals directing attention toward the behaviors leadership wants? | Do employees believe effort leads to good performance and meaningful rewards? |
| Case facts | Tighter call-time targets, weekly rankings, stricter scripts, fewer improvement ideas | Brief training, software freezes, shifting bonus thresholds |
| Leadership action | Measure quality, teamwork, and patient service alongside speed | Improve training, stabilize technology, explain how performance affects bonuses |
Northside: measuring whether leadership changes work
A new case-management system arrived during a 9 percent jump in service volume. The brief pairs performance results with employee-experience measures, so progress shows up in both the work and how people experience it.
| Measure | Type | What it shows |
|---|---|---|
| Rework, missed deadlines, response time | Objective | Whether quality, priorities, and timeliness are improving |
| Priority clarity, leadership explanation, feedback usefulness | Perceptual | Whether communication and coaching feel clear and useful |
| Fairness, voice, development access | Pulse survey | Whether opportunity processes and input channels feel fair |