Microsoft Case Study Sample: Employee Motivation

Employee Motivation and Retention Strategies at Microsoft

INTRODUCTION

With time computers have proved to be vital in virtually every line of work. The technology sector has experienced tremendous transformations making computers to undertake various important tasks in organizations. It's made companies to base their tasks and responsibilities on computers for they boost competitive advantage features. Computers have many beneficial features that enhance efficiency in the activities of organizations. It's showed that organizations are quite ready to invest heavily on computer based operations to attain their objectives effortlessly. The pc software industry has changed through the years as it is extremely competitive and lots of organizations aim at meeting the expectations of the customer in the easiest way possible. Microsoft has became ahead in the computer programs industry for this is reliable and progressive organization all over the world.

Microsoft has transformed into a world wide empire since its formation in 1975 by Bill Gates in the computer industry. Microsoft has was able to align it self with the prevailing conditions in the computer industry to meet the expectations of consumers. The organization has was able to meet the needs of consumers worldwide because skilled manpower and huge resources that will address numerous aspects in the computing world. Microsoft has faced competition from various companies in the industry however it has was able to prove it self as an international leader over years in meeting computing needs of consumers. Microsoft has was able to stay strong and profitable since its formation as a result of firm leadership that optimizes the available opportunities. Even though the company faced financial crisis, it managed to over come the challenge whilst still being continue to take control the industry. As Microsoft is maximizing its profits and enhanced world wide research, it's evident the organization will continue steadily to enhance its dominance in the software and hardware industry over the years in the future. The aim of the paper is always to focus on employee motivation and retention strategies at Microsoft.

literature review

Organizational Culture and Human Resource Management in Microsoft

The program and hardware industry in computing was largely dominated by IBM during the 1990s. Microsoft faced a stiff competition with the other businesses in the industry and had to examine its organizational culture with an advantageous edge (Ananthan & Sudheendra 2011, 122). It has proved to be effective as the company managed to become dominant in the competitive industry while companies like IBM attempting to catch up with the others. Microsoft has managed to gain an upper hand by firmly taking advantage of the weaknesses of IBM in the computer industry. IBM did not take into consideration an organizational culture that could enhance longterm sustainability, but focused only in enhancing profitability. IBM ventured more on meeting the expectations of the consumers in order that they could optimize profits without focusing on employee development with an advantage edge over other organizations. IBM wanted to develop world class computers that would be difficult to copy and appreciated by the consumers. The aim of IBM had not been attained since the public received mild receptions of the program and hardware computing services and products. The products were below the expectations of the consumers hence paid down the expected profitability level yet IBM had invested heavily. This made it problematic for IBM to handle their operations giving Microsoft and possibility to dominate the global market.

Bill Gates dedicated to strengthening the organizational culture of Microsoft for long haul sustainability and success. This played a vital role in nurturing the values of the company for they have been the inspiration of success in the organization towards being a global leader the computing industry. Bill Gates also focused on ensuring the environment where employees worked could bring optimal results through their skills and capabilities. This played an important role in the growth of the organization in its operations in the globe. The organization managed to compete competitively in long term as some of the company such as IBM could not maintain the quickly changing technology industry. The organizational culture in Microsoft caused it to be possible to produce a strong relationship between employees and the management. Bill Gates, the founder of Microsoft, comprehended the significance of establishing an organizational culture that would ensure long term success and existence of the organization. The enhanced relationship of employees and the management in the organization by Bill Gates ensured that the organization had a typical objective to generally meet in the industry. The more the organization was available the relationship got stronger and stronger in understanding the easiest way it would align to the prevailing conditions in the computer industry. This gave Microsoft a bonus edge for making it a number one company in the hardware and pc software company.

The organization faced a few challenges just before their success of becoming an international leader in the computer industry. The management of Microsoft ultimately of 1990s initiated a huge reorganization of the company to easily meet with the needs and expectations of consumers easily. The major reason for the organization transforming its strategy and practice of developing good quality software and hardware computer products was to focus on the preferences and interests of its consumers. The management of Microsoft emphasized that it was crucial that you undergo major transformation to counter the challenges which they faced in the competitive hardware and software industry. The company transformation made it to stay a better position of accomplishing the needs and expectations of its consumers all over the globe. The reorganization of the company also faced challenges as they viewed it to own other intentions. The management of the organization was facing difficulties in controlling employees so critics thought they certainly were trying to address the issue. The organization restricting it self, the management focused on enhancing the enthusiasm of employees in the corporation by offering opportunities that will bring optimal results in the capabilities and skills (DeCenzo 2006, 65). It was crucial for the company to reach success by employees optimizing on their skills.

Most of plans and choices ahead of the reorganization of the company were made by the organization leaders. It absolutely was important for the corporation to review the aspect to reach flexibility in the operations. This would offer employees a way to give their views while they were those carrying out significant amount of work. Through consultation with employees and supervisors it was easier for the corporation to come up with exemplary decisions that will prove advantageous to the organization. The organization decentralizing their operations believed it would increase the process of decision making because of it would inspire the employees and the management. It was a vital platform of reigniting the passion of employees that had lost to undertake their responsibilities in perfect way. The strategies the organization had adopted had slowed up the pace growth in the operations of the organization worldwide thus the need to review to motivate employees to boost their output.

Microsoft in the end of the 1990s had to manage the challenge of numerous of its top management employees deciding to end their careers, some joining rival companies in better career opportunities. It was a problem the organization had to deal with to continue being fully a global leader in the computer industry as they were the competent individuals that had propelled the organization to the career it was currently. The employees had valuable contributions to the company it had started focusing on profitability while reducing concerns on the needs and expectations of workers that made it profitable (Tayeb 2005, 31). This made a few employees to be frustrated and disappointed and decided to quit their jobs and seek better job opportunities in rival organizations.

Microsoft Human Resource Management Issues

Microsoft has faced various problems in its human resource organizational culture. The human resource strategies and practices in terms of employee motivation and retention faced issues during the start of the 21st century when the company had began to grow rapidly. Some of the issues Microsoft faced in human resource management include:

1. Politics and bureaucracy.

While the company expanded its operations globally, it continued to recruit more employees to deal with the increased volume of operations to meet the intended objectives easily. This made the organization to hire the absolute most competent and skilled individuals to improve its recruitment process. This was important for the corporation to maintain its position as a global leader in computing devices and pc software industry throughout the global (Kavitha, Geetha & Arunachalam 2011, 763). Initially, handling the diverse and huge workforce in the organization was advantageous as it surely could maintain its profitability level all over the world. The improved process of recruitment ensured that only the most effective employee was in every position. However , the diverse and huge workforce proved to be an obstacle for people aspiring to boost their career development through promotions. As individuals got promoted for their dream positions, they got frustrated for they stayed there for an excessive period. This generated lobbying for the positions for those who were desperate to have promoted. The others decided to leave the company in place of waiting and enhance their career development in other companies that contributed to a top attrition rate in Microsoft.

2. Discrimination.

A number of the employees in the organization felt that they were being discriminated hence affected their performance level. Like Black American employees in Microsoft complained they were being treated unfairly compared to their white counterparts. The employees were being given low salaries set alongside the white American employees who received high incentives and bonuses for his or her performances. This demoralized the Black American employees in carrying out their duties efficiently or opting to seek employment in rival organizations. Black American employees in Microsoft also received low performance rating rendering it difficult for them to be looked at for higher office. This made them to be easily expelled from the business and replaced with more competent workers. The business had contractual employees who could easily replace Black American employees. This paid down motivation of Black American employees in carrying out their responsibilities needlessly to say as the company only centered on increasing its profits rather than their welfare (Mohlala, Goldman & Goosen 2012, 122). Employees who have been also recruited on contractual basis complained on unfair treatment, for example, inadequate training to carry out their responsibilities needlessly to say. This made contractual employees not to finish their contracts due to frustration and disappointment…