1. Improving Organizational Performance
Phillip Woodard
University of Phoenix
PSY 428
May 3, 2010
Susan Stevens

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Introduction
Airdevils, Inc., is a professional aerial stunts firm founded in Salt Lake City, Utah in 1995
by Celsey Evans – the best female stunts artist at the time. Airdevils performs sky diving, sky
surfing, hang gliding, paragliding, ballooning, and micro lighting for industries such the motion
picture and television, demonstration exercises, public stunts, and marketing campaigns. It has
enjoyed numerous national and international awards due to daring stunts and the best photographer
equipment available since its inception. The bulk of revenues came from a dedicated customer
base providing substantial repeat business. The first hint of trouble surfaced in 2005, as Airdevils
received no awards at the ceremonies and regular customer satisfaction decreased. On top of this,
several key employees left the organization citing low job satisfaction due to inflexible policies.
Celsey hired Dream Teamworks, an organizational psychology consulting firm to help her address
the problem. As an organizational psychologist assigned to the project, the task is divided up into
four phases:
a. Identify the primary cause of low job satisfaction.
b. Select interventions to make Airdevils more flexible.
c. Select personnel to form a consultancy group within Airdevils.
d. Select measure to reduce absenteeism among support crewmembers.
Each phase is briefly described next, including recommendations and results to assist
Airdevils in improving their organizational performance through organizational psychology.
Primary Cause
Based upon the review of the Job Descriptive Index (JDI) the Job in General (JIG), and
Blog entries it was determined that employees feel the stunts are too routine, with one member
quoted as saying “I can’t do what I joined this company for; the stunts are routine and don’t excite

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me much, moreover my suggestions don’t find any takers”, meaning listeners from upper
management. Employees feel freelancers get more money throughout the season, and wish
Airdevils adopt a similar remunerations policy. A closer employee profile analysis found that
aerial daredevils find the challenging stunts and variety of routines more important than pay.
Interventions to address these concerns are paramount to assisting Airdevils.
Recommended Interventions
With a budget of $150,000 improving job design to detail employee responsibilities more
clearly and prevent extraneous work; allow participation in open competitions will allow
networking within the aerial stunt profession and publicity for Airdevils; rotation in industry meets
so every performer has the opportunity to contribute or have a voice in determining the selection of
events; and training in other stunts so employees other than the Elite Eight can cross-train on the
various stunts performed, leading to a better rounded and trained organization. By implementing
the above interventions, Airdevils will not only improve morale, but the quality of their
performances. Celsey has the foresight to recognize that Airdevils need to be on the cutting edge of
future stunt design, and recommended we assist her in selecting a stunts consultancy group.
Selecting a Team of Consultants
Analyzing survey results, interview, and the personnel records of seven outstanding
employees is challenging and requires a thorough evaluation of group attributes such as attitude,
conflict, and personality. The most important factor to consider is finding the right balance in the
three above mentioned individual traits, gleaned from available information and selecting the mix
of professional with the most positive potential for success. High performance scores in itself are
not the sole indicator of success; people skills go right alongside, as these will be the trainers of the
organization. Based on the analysis Alverta VaLoy, Cari Hanslow, and Charlie Balboa represent a

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diverse mixture of experienced and personable individuals who can best serve the needs of
Airdevils and lead them into the future challenges of returning to the top of the aerial stunts
business. This is a strong start and the final phase of our project entailed selecting measures to
thwart the absenteeism problem within Airdevils.
Reducing Absenteeism
The bottom line up front is it will cost to improve absenteeism and subsequently the overall
morale of this organization. The recommendations are a follows:
a. Relaxing training – to help employees understand the importance of alleviating
stressors before they dominate their emotional and physical health.
b. Stress-Inoculation Training – managers need to realize that assigning unrelated
tasks to stunt performers have a detrimental effect on motivation and job satisfaction.
c. Software Training – all personnel must understand how to operate the trade
computer software to reduce the burden on the few who already do.
d. Modify Team Structure – not everyone can get along, including at work;
personalities should be matched to be more productive.
e. Allow Flexible Work Schedule – swapping stunts with peers cost nothing, but
gives employees some latitude to improve their situations and stress.
f. Establish a Code of Conduct – abuse will destroy an organization from the inside.
Established policies will educate and prevent this from happening.
g. Move Temps to Permanent – deserving temps prove their organizational
commitment, so reward them accordingly.
Using motivational theories to improve morale and productivity is the bottom line in any
organization, and Airdevils is a prime example.

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Need based Theories of Motivation
In this simulation the “existence, relatedness, and growth (ERG) Theory encompasses both
the physiological and the safety/security needs from Maslow’s theory (Jex & Britt, 2008)”. In this
scenario the upward growth in the organization seemed hampered by the rigidity of the hierarchy,
stigmatizing employee job satisfaction. The Need for Achievement Theory applies in that the
support personnel did not feel like an integral part of the team due to disrespect from the stunt
performers and supervisors. People in this profession rely on recognition as a prime motivator as
the dangers are so great, and thus well deserving of accolades from within the organization. The
Equity Theory is apparent because freelancers, “Airdevil peer favorites”, and superiors receive
benefits everyone should be entitled to, such as equal pay and transportation facility when needed.
Enhancing Relationships and Reducing Stress
Human behavior, cognition, and affect are vital areas of organizational psychology used to
assist individuals and organizations in better understanding relationships and the role each plays in
the success of the other. Learning about each individual employed by an organization, not just
resume and application information, but more about what makes a person tick can go quite a ways
in growing strong productive employees and companies.
Reducing workplace stress is the goal of any organization using the services of an
organizational psychologist. Publishing policies, indoctrinating individuals into the organization
through education and training and building team dynamics can prevent many of the stressors
found in workplaces today. People are the most important resource to any organization and
investing in the time and money to ensure job satisfaction must take a front seat to driving profit
margins. The most successful Fortune 100 companies have figured this out, and it is up to the rest
of corporate America to fall in line and practice the art of putting people first.

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Conclusion
The Airdevil, Inc. simulation exercise provided the opportunity to examine, evaluate, and
analyze an organization to determine causes of employee apathy or low job satisfaction.
Determining interventions and measures to reduce absenteeism with capital investments from
management reinforced the lessons learned within the textbook and strengthened core
understanding of motivational theory and stress management principles. Motivated individuals
build strong businesses and any owner worth their weight in gold will consult or hire
organizational psychologists to assist them in moving in the right direction.

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References
Jex, S. M., & Britt, T. W. (2008). Organizational Psychology A Scientist-Practioner Approach
(2nd ed.). Hoboken, New Jersey: John Wiley & Sons, Inc..