The purpose of this paper was to examine the relationship and the effect that flexibility has in the workplace on managers’ motivation. As a matter of fact, after reading literature on flexibility in the workplace and theories on motivational factors, the authors have been able to identify a research gap where the effect of flexibility was only linked to employees and their motivation and not on managers. Indeed, when implementing flexibility, a company also brings complications and challenges for managers that have to handle flexible teams. Therefore, the researchers identified a dilemma in manager’s behaviour regarding the effect of flexibility on their motivation. The aim of this case study was, therefore, to determine if the theories on motivation apply to managers just as well as for other type of employees, or if by the new challenges brought by flexibility, the theories and literature are contradicted.

In order to answer this issue, the authors decided to stem their research on different motivation theories, as well as management control. Furthermore, to conduct this research, the authors decided to realize a case study in a company having semi-flexible workplace without going to an extreme. Therefore, the researchers selected a specific unit of Amazon.com,Inc. that was in a single location, which allowed the researchers to meet such criteria. In this study, four operations managers were interviewed in order to get an insight of their thoughts regarding how flexibility offered to them and how managing people that are flexible affects their motivation. The present qualitative study sought to find the impact of the further implementation of flexibility in the workplace for either the employees, either the managers or both parties. The data collected were then analysed and discussed on whether or not dissonance was created with the theories mentioned in the theoretical framework.

The data gathered by the authors suggested that a right balance between the employee side and the managerial side in the manager’s behaviour was possible, and this balance is what a company needs to aim for when implementing flexibility in order to maximize manager’s performance. Regarding the unit studied at Amazon, the authors concluded that Amazon found the right balance and thus Amazon maximizes managers’ performances by motivating them on their employee and managerial motivational sides.