To prepare employees for a major change in the organization's technology,Microsoft Inc.sent all employees to training on the new system.While the performance of all other members of the staff has improved over the past month,one member of the group,John,continues to make excessive numbers of errors.Using the principle,performance = ƒ (ability  motivation) ,the most appropriate step to take to improve John's performance would be:

A) provide him with a mentor
B) praise him every time his number of errors goes down
C) discuss the source of his performance problems with him
D) threaten him with a written reprimand every time he makes an error

The principle of performance being a function of ability, motivation, and the situational factors affecting performance is a widely accepted principle in organizational behavior. Among these factors, ability and motivation are the primary determinants of performance.

In John's case, the performance improvement training has enhanced his ability (F1) to work on the new system. However, his motivation (F10) might not be high enough, causing him to make excessive errors. Therefore, to resolve John's performance problems, it is essential to identify the source of his reduced motivation (such as a lack of job satisfaction, unclear expectations, or insufficient rewards) and address it through constructive discussions.

Providing John with a mentor and praising him for improved performance might not be effective if his motivation level remains low. Threatening him with a written reprimand can further decrease his motivation, leading to a more poor performance. Hence, option (C) is the best choice to resolve John's performance issues by identifying the underlying cause and addressing it constructively.