The Changes Initiated by Michelle Rhee - Case Study Example

\There is no denying the fact that the changes initiated by Michelle Rhee are thoroughly in consonance with the pragmatic essentials of equity theory that have to do with the existence of mechanisms to gauge and influence employee motivation in relation to the outputs extended by them and the placement of commensurate reward and penalty mechanisms, which are deemed to be just, fair and equitable by the employees. It is indeed true that in an organizational context, the concept of employee motivation has relevance only in the context of influencing employee performance (Caruth & Handlogten 43).

As is quite evident from the given case study, before Michelle Rhee took over, either there were no mechanisms in place to measure and evaluate teacher performance or even if they existed, they were skewed in favor of the non-performing teachers. Consequently, though 95 percent of the Washington, D.C. School System teachers were evaluated to be excellent, the fact was that the student test scores in the area happened to be one of the lowest in the nation. Besides, no teacher was ever fired for non-performance or lack of credentials.

In that sense, the achievement of Rhee lies in her initiative to link teacher performance to the on the ground results. The crux of any motivation theory is to link employee performance to output and to put the mechanisms in place, which are aimed at motivating the employees. The central assumption of the equity theory is that employees tend to expect fair and just compensation for the contribution made by them (Caruth & Handlogten 43). Being true to this assumption, the teacher evaluation system contrived by Rhee happened to be just in its intent and spirit.

The just credentials of the evaluation system are corroborated by the fact that it was contrived in the light of the compensation agreement agreed upon by the Washington Teachers Union (WTU). So there exists no excuse to consider the teacher evaluation system contrived by Rhee to be unjust, especially because it was initiated after accruing the consent of the associated teachers’ body. Besides, the intent of this evaluation program intended to evaluate the teacher performance and reward the performing teachers and penalize the non-performing teachers.

Which, the arrangement could have been more equitable than this.