Running Head: Week 2 Assignment: Workers at Amazon Are Not Feeling Motivated

Case Study

Workers at Amazon Are Not Feeling Motivated

Louken Salvan Pluviose II

Keiser University

Introduction to Managerial/Organizational Behavior

Instructor: Dr. Tom Burgett

23 March 2025

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Running Head: Week 2 Assignment: Workers at Amazon Are Not Feeling Motivated

Introduction

Amazon is the most valuable and reputable brand from the United States. Its remarkable

customer service, high speed delivery, and innovation all add to the global reputation of the

company (Kinicki & Fugate, 2021). However, there is a more ominous side of the story,

especially for Amazon’s fulfillment center workers who are often faced with high levels of stress

and difficult physical tasks which many find demotivating.

As reported in several journalistic declamations and witness accounts, strenuous productivity

targets, indiscriminate observation, and minimal employee agency have deeply reduced the

motivation and morale of fulfillment center workers (Sainato, 2019). The combination of these

problems gave rise to unhealthy work standards, an alarming rate of employee attrition, negative

public sentiments, and attempts at unionization, all of which point to fundamental organizational

issues that threaten long-term viability (The New York Times, 2015).

In the subfield of organizational behavior, problems of motivation are typically located in the

boundaries of job design and reward systems, perceived equity, and harmful workload (Kinicki

& Fugate, 2021). Amazon’s focus on efficiency and productivity may have short-term positive

effects on output, but it may also undermine employees’ intrinsic and extrinsic motivation. In this

essay, I use the 3-Step Problem-Solving Approach to outline the motivational problems in

Amazon’s fulfillment centers and provide constructive observations and suggestions to make the

working environment more favorable and motivating.

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Running Head: Week 2 Assignment: Workers at Amazon Are Not Feeling Motivated

Step 1: Understanding the Problem

As Kinicki and Fugate indicated (2021), the first step in problem-solving within an organization

is thinking about the problem as a gap between the desired and the actual states. In this case, the

desired state for any high-performing organization is an engaged and satisfied employee base

who works under humane conditions and shows up to work healthy, motivated, and willing to

help the organization achieve its objectives. However, there seems to be a wide gap as far as

Amazon is concerned based on substantial testimonies:

1. Desired State: Management that genuinely motivates and supports employees, resulting

in enhanced commitment to customer service.

2. Current State: A highly stressed workforce that is fearful and lacking in support of their

colleagues, suffering from low motivation in a highly punitive environment (Kinicki &

Fugate, 2021).

There is high employee turnover coupled with unfavorable publicity which poses a threat to the

efficiency of warehouse operations. These problems make it difficult for Amazon to remain

competitive in the market. Any customer who values loyalty to the retailer will always expect the

best services in terms of timely order deliveries. The company economy and financial image is

severely damaged due the high media attention, surge of unsubstantiated claims, constant need

for hiring, and expensive training programs (Sainato, 2019).

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Running Head: Week 2 Assignment: Workers at Amazon Are Not Feeling Motivated

In the eyes of the employees, the issue lies within the overly stringent and highly controlled

context which makes it impossible for them to feel engaged or fulfilled. When employees were

surveyed, issues like “too much work and not enough time” were paired with strict quotas,

constant risking of getting fired for not meeting quotas, lack of breaks, and no real support from

the company all of which hurts the employee’s mind and well-being (The New York Times,

2015).

Step 2: Identifying Causes of the Problem

To find out the reasons behind this motivation gap, multiple individual and situational

components and the interaction that drives the daily work activities need to be examined (Kinicki

& Fugate, 2021). In the case of Amazon, the following causal factors arise:

a. Person Factors

1. Few Job Option Availability

A number of employees working in Amazon warehouses are located in areas that are

economically depressed. Consequently, they may be stuck in unappealing and tedious

employment because they have no better options to choose from (Kinicki & Fugate, 2021). This

dynamic undermines intrinsic motivation: workers do not grow personally and instead feel like

they have to economically survive (Sainato, 2019).

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Running Head: Week 2 Assignment: Workers at Amazon Are Not Feeling Motivated

2. Personal Needs and Expectations

Subordinate views on adequate remuneration, appreciation, and working conditions influence

motivation. Some employees might expect that a well-known company like Amazon would pay

them well and offer a good working environment. Rather, they encounter exhausting manual

work, constant watching, and insufficient pay (The New York Times, 2015). Such difference

reduces the level of engagement and motivation towards work.

b. Situation Factors

1. Performance Evaluation Factors

Inflexible adherence to performance standards is one area that situates Amazon within the

current study. It is supported by daily targets and a no-excuses policy on underachievement.

Constant measurement of productivity such as the items picked per hour creeps incessant stress

(Kinicki & Fugate, 2021). While performance measurement is usually a useful motivational tool,

in the absence of supportive feedback, an overwhelming focus on disciplining brings about

anxiety more than motivation (Sainato, 2019).

2. Fear-Terminal and Anti-Camaraderie

An employee’s average conduct is not to talk with co-workers lest they be considered as wasting

office time (The New York Times, 2015). Absence of trust and the threat of being fired for trivial

reasons combines to produce an environment where trust and collaboration is incredibly difficult,

which are critical for both social and work motivation. Social support helps to mitigate the
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Running Head: Week 2 Assignment: Workers at Amazon Are Not Feeling Motivated

negative effects of stress at work (Kinicki & Fugate, 2021). Absence of social support may lead

to apathy and loss of motivation among employees.

3. Physically Straining Tasks and Unsafe Activities

The work pace in the fulfillment centers, including standing for extended periods, rushing to

finish work within tight deadlines, and lifting heavy shipments, is very physically demanding.

Reports of workers not using public bathrooms and instead urinating in bottles illustrates how

extreme these conditions can be (Sainato, 2019). Such conditions are bad from any reasonable

perspective and inevitably contribute to long-term stress, chronic disease, and injuries. The high

levels of physical stress decreases motivation, as threats to even the most basic safety and

comfort exist (Kinicki & Fugate, 2021).

4. Inadequate Recognition and Reward

For meeting targets, the incentive system with “swag bucks”, cookies, or small gift card may

come across as absurd, especially where employees feel under compensated or deprived of

benefits such as stock options (The Verge, 2018). While rewards that are not a part of the salary

may lead workers reaching a target, they are not likely to change their reason for working if they

feel the rewards are less in value compared to what they are giving up. Furthermore, wage

moderation, qualified as the situation where long-serving workers are receiving the same salary

as new employees, snowballs the absence of any equity (Kinicki & Fugate, 2021).

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Running Head: Week 2 Assignment: Workers at Amazon Are Not Feeling Motivated

c. Process Factors

1. Poorly Designed Jobs and Lack of Empowerment

Employee satisfaction directly correlates with the effectiveness of a particular job design

(Kinicki & Fugate, 2021). Optimally motivational job design typically incorporates autonomy,

feedback, variety, and significance. In stark contrast, Amazon’s fulfillment work has much more

of a monotonous, task-oriented nature with very high levels of itemized picking, scanning, and

boxing. Without autonomy or variety, feelings of intrinsic motivation transform to employees

viewing themselves as nothing more than a cog in a large machine.

2. Harsh Managerial Styles

A defining trait at the group level in most fulfillment centers operated by Amazon is the

prevalence of control-oriented and directive top management. Performance is driven by

intimidation and stress and supervisors are very fond of measuring productivity with specific

numbers. Employees are motivated as long as there exits a certain balance (Kinicki & Fugate,

2021) between one’s personal input – in this case, effort and skills put into work – and the

output, generally speaking compensation and recognition one gets after bolstering that input.

Within the framework of fear, a common model employees are familiar with includes input

(working excessively hard, skipping breaks, etc.,) with any observable output or recognition

being given is very little. This is shown as employees feeling frustrated and not motivated.

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Running Head: Week 2 Assignment: Workers at Amazon Are Not Feeling Motivated

3. Absence of Employee Contribution

Employees who notice any issues at work or have any safety concerns remain quiet for fear of

the consequences. Employees trying to unionize or form a union reportedly undergo severe

surveillance (The Verge, 2018). That results in what is called a silence pandemic, where workers

are unable to solve problems and use their creativity. An employee's contribution is vital for

innovative and motivating organizational cultures (Kinicki & Fugate, 2021). Their absence

engenders discord, anger, and alienation.

Step 3: Recommendations for Solving the Problem

In a business setting, a problem has been defined as a gap between what is currently happening

and what is expected to happen; therefore, in most cases, organizational problems present three

types of strategies that are generally used to either resolve the defined issue: “solve” or

“dissolve” (Kinicki & Fugate, 2021). In terms of this case, perhaps fully dissolving the problem,

is to remove it completely, in this situation by either eliminating or transforming completely

Amazon’s warehouse operations, is not very realistic due to the nature of Amazon’s business.

Nevertheless, the company can try to formulate strategies to resolve or solve the motivation gap

by employing evidence-based interventions, many of which have proven to be effective in other

organizations.

As already noted above, these are immediate recommended actions: Identify the recommended

actions that respect the root causes described above:

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Running Head: Week 2 Assignment: Workers at Amazon Are Not Feeling Motivated

a. Redesign Jobs to Enhance Autonomy and Meaning: Amazon should revise its job

design to give workers more control over their tasks and schedules. This could involve

implementing flexible work arrangements, reducing micromanagement, and allowing employees

to set their own productivity goals within reasonable limits. Research shows that autonomy is a

key driver of intrinsic motivation and job satisfaction (Kinicki & Fugate, 2020).

b. Improve Working Conditions and Incentives: The company must address the physical

and psychological demands of fulfillment center work by providing adequate breaks, ergonomic

equipment, and mental health support. Additionally, Amazon should offer meaningful incentives,

such as performance-based bonuses, career development opportunities, and profit-sharing

programs, to align employee interests with organizational goals (BBC, 2021).

c. Foster a Positive Organizational Culture: Amazon should cultivate a culture of respect,

trust, and collaboration by encouraging open communication and teamwork. Managers should be

trained to recognize and reward employee contributions, rather than focusing solely on

productivity metrics. Creating opportunities for social interaction and team-building activities

can also help build camaraderie and reduce feelings of isolation (The Guardian, 2020).

d. Support Worker Representation: To address power imbalances and give employees a

voice, Amazon should allow workers to form unions or other representative bodies. Union

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Running Head: Week 2 Assignment: Workers at Amazon Are Not Feeling Motivated

representation can help negotiate better working conditions, fair wages, and grievance

mechanisms, thereby improving job satisfaction and reducing turnover (Kinicki & Fugate, 2020).

e. Align Organizational Goals with Employee Needs: Amazon must recognize that

employee well-being is integral to long-term success. By prioritizing worker satisfaction

alongside customer satisfaction, the company can create a more sustainable and ethical business

model. This alignment can be achieved through regular employee feedback surveys, transparent

communication, and inclusive decision-making processes (BBC, 2021).

Conclusion:

Amazon’s success in the public marketplace and its relentless emphasis on customer satisfaction

stand in stark contrast to the discontent and demotivation experienced by many fulfillment center

workers. It becomes evident that the core problema demotivated workforcestems from

overlapping factors related to rigid performance metrics, fear of termination, physically

demanding roles, inconsistent rewards, and limited employee voice.

The proposed solutions ranging from job redesign and fair compensation structures to fostering

psychological safety and well-being illustrate that viable paths exist for bridging the gap between

the desired and current states of worker motivation. By genuinely committing to these changes,

Amazon can transform its warehouses into more engaging, supportive, and, ultimately, more

productive environments. This does not necessarily mean diminishing the company’s efficiency

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Running Head: Week 2 Assignment: Workers at Amazon Are Not Feeling Motivated

or market goals. Instead, it involves recognizing that motivated, healthy workers are not only a

moral imperative but also a driver of sustainable, long-term organizational success.

Adopting these recommendations would help Amazon align its operational prowess with an

employment brand that reflects respect for human capital. Such a shift could yield positive

outcomes across all levels of analysis: individual (healthier, happier workers), group (improved

camaraderie and collaboration), and organizational (enhanced reputation, lower turnover, and

greater innovation). Only by prioritizing employees’ motivation and well-being can Amazon

safeguard its status as a global leader in e-commerce while protecting the dignity and health of

those who make its success possible.

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Running Head: Week 2 Assignment: Workers at Amazon Are Not Feeling Motivated

References:

Kinicki, A. (2020). Organizational behavior: A practical, problem-solving approach (3rd ed.).

McGraw-Hill Education. Retrieved 23 March, 2025

BBC. (2021). Amazon workers urinate in bottles due to time pressure, says report. Retrieved

23 March, 2025, from https://www.bbc.com

The Guardian. (2020). Amazon workers protest over unsafe conditions during pandemic.

Retrieved 23 March, 2025, from https://www.theguardian.com

Kantor, J., & Streitfeld, D. (2015, August 15). Inside Amazon: Wrestling big ideas in a bruising

workplace. The New York Times. Retrieved March 23, 2025, from

https://www.nytimes.com/2015/08/16/technology/inside-amazon-wrestling-big-ideas-in-a-

bruising-workplace.html

Sainato, M. (2019, July 15). Amazon warehouse workers face severe working conditions, low

pay. The Guardian. Retrieved March 23, 2025, from

https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2019/jul/15/amazon-warehouse-workers-strike-prime-

day

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Running Head: Week 2 Assignment: Workers at Amazon Are Not Feeling Motivated

Bosa, D. (2018, November 28). Amazon warehouse workers slam “swag bucks” incentives. The

Verge. Retrieved March 23, 2025, from

https://www.theverge.com/2018/11/28/18115722/amazon-warehouse-workers-swag-bucks-

delivery

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