Imagine That You Volunteered to Spend a Few Hours Each

question 82

Essay

Imagine that you volunteered to spend a few hours each day teaching arts and crafts to young children in a day-care center. After several weeks, you discover that you really enjoy working with the children even though they sometimes make a mess and don't follow directions-which occasionally gets a little annoying. Now, suppose a paid position opened up at the center, and you began to receive a fairly good salary for performing the same kinds of work you had previously done for free. How might your attitudes toward your work-and, perhaps, toward the children themselves- change as a result? Explain the reasoning behind your answer, making sure to discuss the distinction between internal and external justification. Support your response with relevant research and theory.

---

Definitions:

Job Enrichment

Empowering workers by adding more decision-making authority to jobs.

Piecework Plan

A compensation system where employees are paid a fixed rate for each unit of production or action they complete, encouraging productivity.

Pay Structure

An organizational system that categorizes employee compensation into levels based on job duties, seniority, and performance outcomes.

Fairness

Fairness refers to the equitable and impartial treatment of all individuals according to established rules and principles.