2.4 (HL) - Motivation And Demotivation

Question 1

Who is David mcClelland

Answer 1

1917 - 1998) and American Phycologist proposed the acquired theory of needs. (His theory was developed in the 60’s , two decades after Maslow’s). He suggested that there are three needs that motivate employees.

Question 2

What are McClelland three needs

Answer 2

• need for achievement
• need for affiliation
• need for power

Question 3

What are the characteristics for “need for achievement”

Answer 3

➢Achievement-driven individuals who normally take moderate risks.
➢Low-risk tasks are too easy, offering no genuine sense of accomplishment.
➢High-risk activities are avoided due to chance-based outcomes.
➢Preference for tasks with responsibilities or collaboration with high achievers.
➢Focus on personal success over external rewards.
➢Dislike task delegation; engage in self-reflection for improvement.
➢Influenced by parents, culture, and education.

Question 4

What are the characteristics for “need for power”

Answer 4

➢Power-motivated individuals aim to influence other people’s behaviour and are often assertive.
➢There are two power types: personal (issuing orders) and institutional (driving staff for goals).
➢Personal power-seekers may face resentment.
➢Institutional power-seekers focus on staff’s best performance.
➢McClelland’s insight: Moderate n-Pow is vital for effective leaderships

Question 5

How are each mcClelland need tailored to the level of each person

Answer 5

• High n-Ach individuals need achievable, challenging tasks. Tasks that are too easy lack challenge and overly difficult tasks lack achievement.
• High n-Pow individuals should manage teams for accomplishment and visibility (be seen as important).
• Individuals with high n-Aff thrive in cooperative, collaborative environments and teamwork.

Question 6

How did deci and Ryan self determination theory occur

Answer 6

Professors Edward L. Deci and Richard Ryan developed the self-determination theory (SDT) of motivation in the med 80’s; but first they both recognized that there are two types of motivators

Question 7

What 2 motivators did deci and Ryan identify

Answer 7

1.Autonomous motivation (intrinsic) - refers to an individual’s drive for success regarding their personal psychological gains

2.Controlled motivation (extrinsic) - arises from the pursuit of external rewards or avoidance of punishments.

Question 8

How did the 2 types of motivators deflect each other

Answer 8

Deci and Ryan argued that what is important to people (intrinsic motivators) deflects from extrinsic motivation, like pay, perks, or status. And motivation increases when people behave in an intrinsic manner rather than an extrinsic one.

Question 9

What type of motivation is the deci and Ryan theory

Answer 9

Intrinsic motivators

Question 10

What 3 factors contribute to the deci and Ryan motivation theory

Answer 10

1.Autonomy - enables people to have control over their tasks, time, techniques, and teams; with the aim to achieve organization goals and still remain accountable for their work. Not to be confused with independence!

2.Competence - the capacity and confidence to learn and excel in desired areas.

3.Relatedness - social connections with other people providing a sense of belonging.

Question 11

What are the characteristics of autonomy

Answer 11

•Involves self-direction and control over one’s life.
•Behaviours are self-endorsed; choices are self-initiated.
•Different from mere independence.
•Avoid extrinsic rewards like bonuses; they reduce control and intrinsic motivation.
•Autonomy doesn’t mean escaping accountability since employees remain accountable for their work.
•Empowers individuals to control tasks, time, techniques, and teams.
•Achieving organizational goals while maintaining autonomy.

Question 12

What are the characteristics of competence

Answer 12

•Controlling outcomes through knowledge and skills.
•Emphasized by Deci and Ryan for performance and well-being.
•Negative feedback damages competence.
•Managers should provide constructive feedback and purposeful guidance.
•Unrealistic tasks diminish competence.
•Learning and confidence in learning are interconnected.
•Moving toward competence enhances confidence and engagement.
•Accelerates the learning process.

Question 13

What are the characteristics of relatedness

Answer 13

•Relates to social connections offering security, love, and belonging.
•Sports fans bond despite being strangers due to relatedness.
•Strong professional relationships foster relatedness in the workplace.
•Teamwork over internal competition enhances self-determination and motivation.
•Feeling valued by others enhances overall well-being.
•In professions like doctors, nurses, philanthropists, social workers, and teachers, societal impact matters beyond customers.

Question 14

What is the limitation of the deci and Ryan theory

Answer 14

a limitation of Deci and Ryan’s theory of motivation - as with all motivation theories - is that it does not apply across all professions, national borders, and cultures

Question 15

What is a strength of the deci and Ryan theory

Answer 15

a strength of Deci and Ryan’s theory is that it spans across people’s lives, not just in the workplace, but including friendship groups, schooling and life itself.

Question 16

Why was the equity theory introduced

Answer 16

Adams introduced his “equity theory” which suggested that employees will be most motivated when they can see a balance between what they put into the business (inputs) and what they get out of it (outputs).

Question 17

Define Taylor’s input and output

Answer 17

Inputs – affective and cognitive qualities that an employee brings to an

Outputs – what employees receive from working in the organization, they could be positive or negative

Question 18

What is the motivation equation

Answer 18

Output>input = motivation

Question 19

What are the input (efforts) characteristics

Answer 19

➢Adaptability (flexibility)
➢Commitment (loyalty)
➢Determination
➢Education
➢Effort (hard work)
➢Experience
➢Personal sacrifices
➢Skills
➢Support for others
➢Time
➢Tolerance
➢Training and development

Question 20

What are the characteristics of outputs (outcomes)

Answer 20

•Advancement (growth)
•Fringe payments (perks)
•Gratitude (appreciation) from
others
•Job satisfaction
•Job security
•Purpose (the opportunity to
make a difference)
➢Recognition / praise /
acknowledgement
➢Remuneration (wages and
salaries)
➢Reputation
➢Responsibility
➢Sense of achievement
➢Status (rank)

Question 21

What happens when a balance between inputs and outputs is achieved

Answer 21

When a balance is achieved between inputs and outputs, it is believed that employees will be more satisfied and willing to work towards higher levels of productivity. Hence, more motivated!

Question 22

What is a negative people Veiw to Taylor’s equity theory

Answer 22

Many would argue that fairness is something that we should expect out of our employers. When it comes to fairness, employees rely heavily on perception; namely, what do they perceive to be fair and equal? (i.e., people compare their tasks with another employee related to their individual pay). When a reward is perceived as equitable to the level of effort that they must achieve , positive outcomes and high levels of motivation should be the expected result.

Question 23

How was vrooms expectancy theory created

Answer 23

Victor H. Vroom suggested that employees only put in the effort to do a task if they expect that their role will help to achieve the required result.
If workers feel they lack the ability, expertise or skill to achieve a target, then their level of effort will be lower (which reflects a lower level of motivation).

Question 24

What does vrooms expectancy theory show

Answer 24

Vroom’s expectancy theory of motivation (1964) showed that a variety of factors affect a person’s approach to work. However, it assumes that workers will choose the route that offers the greatest probability of achieving their goals. Therefore, if employees believe that they will be appropriately rewarded for their efforts, their productivity will increase.

Question 25

What did vrooms theory recognise within people

Answer 25

Vroom recognised that employee’s performance is based on personal factors such as experience, skills, knowledge and self-belief

Question 26

What are the three parts of vrooms expectancy theory

Answer 26

➢Expectancy - People have different expectations about their capability and self-confidence in tackling a task. There are also different perceptions about the level of difficulty of the task. Will their effort lead to a good performance?
➢Instrumentality - People hold the perception that if they meet performance targets then they will be rewarded accordingly (or what they think is desirable as an award). Managers must ensure they keep their promises to gain people’s trust and therefore their level of motivation. Will the performance produce the expected outcome?
➢Valence - Managers need to find out what employees’ value since people place different values on different rewards. Valence means rewarding people with what will give people a sense of satisfaction. Is it worth going the extra effort? Do I really want to do this?

Question 27

State vrooms expectancy theory equation

Answer 27

M = E × I × V

M = Motivation
E = Expectancy
I = Instrumentality
V = Valence.

Question 28

What does the vrroms expectancy theory equation mean

Answer 28

What this means is that if any of the three elements of motivation is too low, the level of motivation will be low. Furthermore, if any of the elements is zero (i.e., missing), then there is no motivation to do a particular job.

Question 29

Define labour turnover

Answer 29

Labour turnover measures the percentage of the workforce that leaves the organisation in a given time period (generally 1 year). It is an indicator of the organisations stability.

Question 30

State the equation to calculate labour turnover

Answer 30

Labour turnover =number of staff leaving/total number of staff X 100

Question 31

What does a low labour turnover mean

Answer 31

A low Labour Turnover means that managers have recruited the right people for the job and existing employees are motivated in their current jobs. However, labour stability can also create a sense “lack of progress” and could have a negative effect in productivity.

Question 32

What does a high labour turnover mean

Answer 32

A high turnover means that staff might be incompetent or have lack of job satisfaction. But most importantly, it can because there are better prospects elsewhere. Either way, high labour turnover is a problem for any organization.

Question 33

What are 2 disadvantages of a high labour turnover

Answer 33

1. A high turnover will add to the costs of recruiting and training more people and will create loss of productivity while more people are hired (i.e. According to research by Oxford Economics and Unum in 2022, the average cost of turnover per employee (earning £25,000 a year or more) is £30,614).
2. High turnover also sends the employees the message that there might be a problem in the organization and even some employees that ae happy with their jobs will feel affected.

Question 34

How can you anticipate a labour turnover

Answer 34

Labour turnover can sometimes be anticipated. Young people tend to change jobs more often than middle-aged employees. Also, if the economy is experiencing a “boom” more people are going to seek better opportunities.

Question 35

What organisations will have a high labour turnover and which will have a lower turnover

Answer 35

•Organizations that hire loads of part-time workers like McDonalds, Burger King, Boots; will face a higher labour turnover due to the nature of the business.

•Accounting consultants, Law firms, IB teachers; in contrast, will focus on keeping their employees and will seek staff retention since it is more costly to hire someone new than keep the existing employee

Question 36

Define recruitment

Answer 36

Recruitment is the process where a business finds (recruits) the right person for the right job. It includes analysing the requirements of a job, attracting employees to that job, screening and selecting applicants, hiring, and integrating the new employee into the organization.

Question 37

What are the 3 part in a process of recruitment

Answer 37

1. Identification
2. Application
3. Selection

Question 38

Explain the identification process

Answer 38

first identifies the reason why the need for a new employee, then creates a job description followed by a person’s specification which states the type of person needed for the job and finally determines if the process of recruitment should be internal or external .

Question 39

What is the job description

Answer 39

• the job title
• what the employee will have to do
• the employee’s responsibilities.

Question 40

What is stated in the person specification

Answer 40

• the skills required to do the job

-the qualifications necessary

-what experience is necessary.

Question 41

How does a business decide to recruit internal or externally

Answer 41

The business has to weigh up the advantages of recruiting internally by promotion [or
recruitment
redeployment), such as it being:
• cheaper
• quicker
• more efficient as the person would know how the business works.
It then has to weigh up the advantages against the disadvantages. For example, recruiting internally:
• limits the pool of potential candidates
• may cause resentment • causes the “domino” effect as the person promoted would leave a vacancy to be filled, and
so on down the hierarchy.
Searching externally would be the reverse of all of the above.

Question 42

Define the application process

Answer 42

first the business decides how to find the best applicant for the job, then crate a job advert followed by deciding how will the process of application will be (application of CV) and finally evaluate if they will use their own HR or an external agency.

Question 43

What does a job advert consist of

Answer 43

The business has to decide how to find the best applicants for the job.
The business will need to consider:
- where to place the advert so it is seen by the right people

• what should be included in the advert so the applicants have sufficient information
• the legal requirements that have to be met.

Question 44

Explain the application form or resume

Answer 44

What is the most appropriate tool to process the applications? Every tool should include the same elements (personal details, skills and qualifications, work experience, interests
and hobbies, and references but application forms are:
• standardized (so they are useful for jobs with lots of possible applicants)
• designed specifically to match the job requirements
- focused on the issues that the business wants
• legally binding.

However, a résumé (CV:
• is better for jobs with limited applicants (such as senior posts)
• is more personal and can reveal more about the applicant

• can be more flexible
• is quicker as it can be prepared beforehand

Question 45

How does the business decide to hire internal or external agency

Answer 45

The business has to weigh up the advantages of finding the best applicants internally
by using its HR department, such as it being:
• cheaper
• quicker
- more efficient as the HR department will know precisely what the business
requires.
It then has to weigh up the advantages against the disadvantages. For example, using its HR department:
• limits the pool of potential candidates; agencies may have plenty more applicants in their databases
• may cause a lack of focus in other areas
- may not cater for specialist skills, in contrast with an agency, for example that
specializes in administrative vacancies.

Question 46

Explain the selection process

Answer 46

This is the final process of recruitment. It starts with selecting adequate candidates, shortlist the best candidates and finally run interviews to make a decision. Some organizations subject the prospect employees to examinations or tests.

Question 47

How does a business short list

Answer 47

The business will have to discard many applicants on the basis of:
• their overall quality
• how many are required for interview
• any legal requirements that have to be taken into account.

Question 48

How do business carry out testing

Answer 48

Many businesses like to subject the shortlisted applicants to some form of test, to be
used as a complement to the final interview. These tests can be:
• aptitude (task-oriented activities, designed to test understanding and application of
theories or concepts]
• psychometric (personality questionnaires, designed to test reasoning skills and
personality traits]
• team based exercises designed to focus on the qualities necessary for working in
project teams).

Question 49

How do business carry out interviews

Answer 49

The interview is the final part of the recruitment process and there is no one best style
of interview. It will depend on circumstances but may include the following:
- face to face (one to one]
- panel (with more than one person]
- video conference or telephone]
- multi-stage (one interview leads to another)
- multi-day (conducted over a number of days).

Question 50

What are the 3 stages of recruitment

Answer 50

Identification

Job description

Person specification

Internal or external recruitment

Question 51

What are the 3 stages of application process

Answer 51

Job advert

Application form or resume

Internal or external agency

Question 52

What are the 4 stages of selection process

Answer 52

Selection

Shortlisting

Testing

Interview

Question 53

What is an appraisal

Answer 53

An appraisal is a formal assessment of an employee’s performance in fulfilling his/her job based on the tasks and responsibilities set out in the job description. It is normally done on an annual or quarterly basis.

Question 54

Why is an appraisal unlike a inspection

Answer 54

Appraisal, unlike inspection, is a two-way communication between the manager and the employee. The employee can be involved on a discussion with the manager after he/she is given feedback on his/her performance.

Question 55

What are the 6 advantages of performance appraisal

Answer 55

1. They provide a document of employee’s performance over a specific period of time.
2. They provide a structure where a manager can meet and discuss performance with an employee.
3. They allow a manager the opportunity to provide the employee with feedback about their performance and discuss how well the employee goals were accomplished.
4. They provide a structured process for an employee to clarify expectations and discuss issues with their manager.
5. They provide a structure for thinking through and planning the upcoming year and developing employee goals.
6. They can motivate employees if supported by a good merit

Question 56

What are the 5 disadvantages of performance appraisals

Answer 56

1.If not done right, they can create a negative experience.

2.Performance appraisals are very time consuming and can be overwhelming to managers with many employees.

3. They are based on human assessment and are subject to rather errors and biases.
4. Can be a waste of time if not done appropriately.
5. They can create a very stressful environment for everyone involved.