Microsoft Case Study

1. If you were a programmer, would you want to work at Microsoft? Why or Why not?

If I were a programmer, I would love to work at and for Microsoft. There are some reasons why I would love to work for them. The first reason is, as we know, Microsoft is the best company for programmers, developers & the people that are attached to the field of computer sciences. Every person who qualifies for a job in the fields of computer sciences would love to make it to the Microsoft which is setting the standards in this area.

Another reason is that the chance of growth in Microsoft are for real as there is no biasness within the ranks and the abilities and performance of the employees is appraised, and all the employees are given what they're worth of. Whether it's a raise or a promotion and of course the lucrative offers including the stock of the company.

The last reason is the experience that we get at Microsoft is unique as we can get an opportunity to work with people from different origins & ethnicity. This workforce diversity helps in raising the standards of performance of employees as they have to strive a hard way to retain their place in the company by matching the pace of the best employees of the company. These are a few reasons for which I'd like to work at Microsoft.

2. How many activities in this case can you tie into specific motivation theories? List the activities, list the motivation theories, and how they apply.

* The 1st activity is of a former programmer at Microsoft that he worked 20 hours a day to start with. Now, he is a program manager as he has moved up the hierarchy of the organization, hence he is moved a step or two upward in past few years, changing his needs since the time he started that job. So, Maslow's hierarchy of needs is applied here with greater impact.

* As the employees are hardworking and creative as they seek responsibility and direct themselves on work, we can also see Theory Y being implied in this case.

* With needs of the employees of Microsoft, relatedness in their work, and the growth of the business, the growth of the number of employees,and the growth of share of the organization, the ERG Theory seem to be in place as well.

* Activities like employee's achievement, lust for power within the organization & the affiliation of the employees of Microsoft relates it to the McClelland's theory of needs.

* When at Microsoft employees don't feel fragile to a certain task and they are like working 24/7 in order to complete some important project and showing their willingness to do something important for Microsoft with a belief that they can do it, such activities can be related to the Self-Efficacy Theory.

* Employees know that they're the best in the business and when they compare their performance and rewards with the employees