Ben and Jerry's Company Motivational Profile

Ben & Jerry's Company Motivational Profile

Motivational Techniques

The underlying mission at Ben and Jerry's is to seek out new and creative motivational techniques necessary to uphold the standards holding true to the core foundations of the company's three progressive values. The values and mission at Ben and Jerry's is one of social excellence, product true to the planet by using products made free of chemicals and fair-trade manufactured by wholesome venders. The ingredients used by Ben and Jerry's are made with integrity and a low carbon footprint to minimize the corporations affects on the environment. Any organization that gives back to the environment they take from and strives to achieve their mission while holding a deep respect for individuals inside and outside the company and for the communities of which they are a part will stimulate the extrinsic motivators necessary to promote positive intrinsic motivations. The goal-setting theory is one to find a home in the ranks of the Ben and Jerry's corporate headquarters and trickle down to the individual franchisees. Goals are a part of the mission statement and have become imbedded into the fabric of the organizations culture. From the executive committees visions of lowering the company's carbon footprint and seeking out new wholesome fair-trade venders to support that mission. The baseline employees share in the most important goals of all the giving back to the community of which they are a part. Each year top performing employees selected run and head the non-management only operations of the Ben and Jerry's foundations a multimillion-dollar charity designed to allow employees an opportunity to give back. This is done by interacting directly with the communities they are a part of and actively participate in the decision-making of whom and how the funds are disbursed.

The fore-mentioned philosophy of Ben and Jerry is to "strive to show a deep respect for human beings inside and outside our company and for the communities in which they live" (Ben and Jerry's, 2011). This hit on several additional motivational theories; the needs theory or Maslow's hierarchy tapped at first by the employee's basic needs of physiology, safety, and security leading to belongingness, recognitions, and possible self-actualization. The third theory used at Ben and Jerry's is incentive or reward theories; small little gestures the corporation believes in giving in addition to a traditional paycheck. The daily incentives for employees is three free pints of ice cream per day, considering the average age of employment at the frontline is 17 years this extrinsic motivator can keep a young adult believe that he or she are wanted and cared about by his or her employer. The support of the incentive theory and needs theory in the way of building relationships between management and employees is a producer of intrinsic motivators. The incentives continue to stimulate the individual intrinsic motivators when goals reached in the organization reworded by incentives and recognitions. Recognitions and participation in the company decision making of the allocations of financial contributions of the Ben and jerry's foundation once again attributes to Maslow's hierarchy of needs at the same time of the extrinsic reword system is.

How Motivational Techniques Are Used

"The Ben and Jerry's Joy Gang was started in nineteen eighty seven to keep employees motivated." (Ben&Jerry's Joy Gang, 1999). There is no doubt that Ben and Jerry's has a more fun and unconventional positive approach to keeping their employees happy and motivated at work. Like most organizations, setting goals are a main motivator technique within Ben and Jerry's. What separates Ben and Jerry's from other organizations is the prizes at the end of the goal. For the people who work in the manufacturing department after reaching a goal would be a fifteen-minute massage and pizza. "Jerry suggested that the organization should make fun an official part of the company culture" the "Joy Gang" is to infuse joy into everything that they do. (Ben&Joy's Gang, 1999).

Ben and Jerry's separated the Joy Gang techniques of fun in three ways. The first way is to establish cash grants called Joy Grants up to five hundred dollars to accommodate an idea that will bring joy to a department. That joy product could be along the lines of new freezer or a new hot cocoa machine for the store. The second Joy Gang technique is to plan events and activities that include food and prizes for the employees. The last Joy Gang technique is to surprise the Ben and Jerry's employees with unannounced activities. The main idea of the Joy Gang is to keep employees happy in all departments to keep production up and moving by giving the employees positive incentives.

Ben and Jerry's Joy Gang has came up with several fun techniques that every department can use on weekly or even daily basis. One activity uses is that the employees have to bring in a picture of them in the college days, place the picture in the company bulletin board for other employees to guess the pictured employee. Every year the company does a holiday gift box exchange and every employee receives a package of smoked ham hocks along with other various food items. Another technique used is manufacturing appreciation day. The manufacturing employee and non-manufacturing employee will dress up as his/her favorite production or maintenance worker.

In the month of October, Ben and Jerry also host a Halloween contest. Employees are encouraged to come to work with a weird costume on Halloween. Prizes are given out for the best costume and also a costume parade is held. "A big incentive