In 500 words or more choose an experience that intrigues you and that you want t
ID: 426455 • Letter: I
Question
In 500 words or more choose an experience that intrigues you and that you want to learn more about.
1. Objectively describe in great detail the experience (who, what, when, where, and how).
2. Subjectively describe your feelings, perceptions, and thoughts that occurred during (not after) the experience. What others seem to be feeling?
3. Relate concepts/theories from the current assigned readings (such as learning, experiential learning, self-control, shaping, self-efficacy, self- reinforcers, social cognitive theory, positive/ negative reinforcement, operant conditioning, cognitive processes, expectancy theory, equity theory, need theory, goal-setting theory, skill variety, task identity/ significance, and social identity theory) to the experience. Explain thoroughly how they apply to your experience. Please apply at least four concepts and/or theories.
Explanation / Answer
I had been working as a Supply Analyst for ExxonMobil’s Colombian subsidiary since 2010. Things were ok; but I was getting to that point I always get to in my career where I was considering a move to something new. This normally happens to me every 2 or 3 years when I start looking out for new experiences and new opportunities for professional growth within the company.
It all started last November (2013), I was called by my boss to meet him at his office for a meeting. I was intrigued by his phone call; it was not usual to have a meeting one on one with him. Actually, I never expected what he was going to tell me; as I came into his office we started talking about a new position opening up as a Fuels Marketing Territory Manager for the Retail department and how he recommended me for the job. This new job offered a great salary and great benefits in the world's most successful company- that’s attractive. However as he kept talking about the opportunity I understood that the new job required me to relocate to a different city, I had to move to Ibague.
I was flattered and excited, however I had to wait to be contacted by HR and go through the necessary recruitment process at some point in the near future. For my surprise, the Fuels Marketing Area Manager contacted me the next day offering me the job; one of the conditions was that there was not much time to fill up the position. This meant that they needed my answer right away, I had to accept or reject the offering the next day. In this call he told me about the position as well as the benefits, however I don’t think there was enough due diligence in terms of whether someone is the right fit for relocation, as well as for the role and company. It’s obviously a big undertaking that can put a huge amount of pressure on you and those around you. I came off the call feeling even more pumped about the whole thing, I was excited but at the same time I was really confused. I would have to change all my lifestyle for a job in a city I’ve never visited before.
That night I called my parents and talked through some of the positives and negatives in accepting this new job, we talked about my fears, hopes and dreams. I had been working for this company for the last three years as a supply analyst, so the opportunity of becoming a manager in such a short age (26 years old) sounded really interesting to me. After that long conversation we all agreed it was a job opportunity worth pursuing for the time being to see where things ended up. I convinced myself that I had to do this, so I accepted the job the day after and got relocated two weeks later.
To summarize being a Territory Manager consisted in overseeing and supervising the running of Esso and Mobil service stations. I had to supervise over 43 sites in four different departments (states). I was responsible for making sure all the sites ran smoothly and safely, while meeting customer needs and making a good financial return. I aimed to visit all of my sites twice a month. I won’t go into much detail on the specifics of my last job but my pinch in my psychological contract was the following:
So let’s just say it was not at all as the job description they gave me. Just to give you an idea the departments (states) I had to go to were Huila, Tolima, Caldas and Caquetá. There are really considered high risk zones in the country, mostly because of guerrilla and criminal bands.
I felt completely frustrated, lonely and angry with myself and with others. I know I’m smart enough to make it through the situation but I felt my safety was put on risk. It is not safe to travel the country by road all by myself.
However I made my best out of the situation, I achieved my goals and handled everything great. My supervisor was surprised! I signed in with ExxonMobil the best seller service station in the country and my territory grew 10% vs last year sales.
I kept going for 10 months, I was getting better each day but I was not happy at all. My psychological contract had been broken, I was not in a safe place, I didn’t like my job and worst of all I felt really lonely. I was unhappy at work and I was really unhappy with my life. After those months of pushing through I finally told my boss how I was feeling. I told him how unhappy I was and that I wanted to feel in control of my life once again. This went on for a couple of months, my boss said he would help me out but nothing changed after four months of waiting.
After a few months of pushing through there was a final factor that made the decision for me was one day that my boss called and said that there were no more positions available and that the minimum time for me to stay in that job was for two years. I snapped! I thanked him for everything he had done for me but I was not staying any longer. So I quit.
You must think it was the easy way out, but after so much time in such stressful situations I made what was best for me.
As I said earlier my expectations for the job position were not fulfilled there was no clear definition of my job position and taking everything into consideration I believe my profile did not adjust to the job position.
Not only must the job description be clear but also it must also be clearly communicated to the employee. As I was selected for the position my supervisor gave me no guidance, he didn’t even define or describe the position. I had a completely different perspective of my job; I went to Ibague believing things were going to be completely different I saw this more like an opportunity rather than a burden.
I believe that my boss was looking for an employee with a good profile that could help him increase sales in the area. As he noticed that I could meet his goals he demanded more and more every day. He didn’t realize that I was in a stressful situation and the challenges that came with the new position. My boss behaved as he did because he wanted more recognition on the workplace. I now know that expert managers take actions rather than ignore pinches or crunches. There were no meetings or interest on his side to understand what has going on with me.
Psychological Contract: is essentially concerned with a set of expectations and obligations. I came to believe, based on the organization’s public relation that I was being offered various things such as: security of employment; promotion prospects; training; help and care in times of trouble; and a fair treatment.
Social exchange theory: A simple example of social exchange theory can be seen in the interaction of asking someone out on a date. If the person says yes, you have gained a reward and are likely to repeat the interaction by asking that person out again or asking someone else out. On the other hand, if you ask someone out on a date and they reply with “No way!” then you have received a punishment that will probably cause you to shy away from repeating this type of interaction in the future. Applying this theory to my experience, I understood that even though I rationally seek to maximize my profit it is not always about money, a simple gesture such as a smile, nod or pat in the back goes a long way.
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