Chapter 9 - Employee Motivation Flashcards
What is the definition of Motivation?
the internal force that drives a worker to action as well as the external factors that encourage that action
List four work behaviors that imply high motivation.
- Strong performance 2. Exemplary attendance 3. Organizational citizenship (i.e team player and individual contributor) 4. Personal improvement and development efforts
What are the four individual characteristics that are most related to work motivation?
Personality, self-esteem, an intrinsic motivation tendency and the need for achievement.
Define self esteem
the extent to which a person views him or herself as a valuable and worthy individual.
Consistency Theory
Korman’s theory that employees will be motivated to perform at levels consistent with their levels of self esteem.
Name five main personality dimensions
- openness to experience 2. conscientiousness 3. extraversion 4. agreeableness 5. stability
Which personality dimension is the best predictor of work performance, organization citizenship behavior and academic performance?
Conscientiousness
Salary and setting high goals correlates most with the stability personality dimension. True or False
True
What is Korman’s (1970s) consistency theory?
There is a positive correlation between self esteem and performance.
The positive or negative way in which a person views themselves overall
Chronic self-esteem - is a long lasting state
Self-efficacy or situational self-esteem
A person’s feeling about themselves in a particular situation such as when talking to others people.
How a person feels about themselves on the basis of the expectations of others.
Socially influenced self-esteem
When companies offer self-esteem workshops, and outdoor experiences like wall climbing and ropes exercises.
Ways an organization can increase employee self-esteem and productivity
What is the Pygmalion Effect?
Supervisor coaching behavior where an employee’s confidence levels are contingent upon positive communication regarding their performance
Ideal that if people believe that something is true, they will act in a manner consistent with that belief.
What is the Golem Effect? (supv coaching technique)
When negative expectations of an individual cause a decrease in that individual’s performance.
What is the Scientist-practitioner Model?
A model that uses scientific tools and research in the practice of I/O psychology i
Premack Principle (supervisor technique for reinforcement of desirable behaviors using reinforcers)
Employee creates a list of preferred and least preferred reinforcers needed to complete a job
Supervisor engages employee in “undesirable” behaviors by reinforcing with more desirable behaviors.
Archival Data
Follow-up studies
If standards of behavior are in line with strategy, what type of adaptation is this?
External adaptations
The idea that people behave in ways consistent with their self-image
Self-fulfilling prophecy
Work motivation in the absence of external factors of pay, promotion and coworkers
Intrinsic motivation
A measure of an individuals orientation toward intrinsic versus extrinsic motivation
Work Preference Inventory (WPI)
Theory developed by McClelland (1961) postulates that motivation is based on the need for achievement, affiliation and power.
Trait Theory
Self Regulation Theory
Theory that employees can be motivated by monitoring their own progress toward the goals they set and adjusting their behavior to reach those goals
Four step process of self-regulation
- Choose goals and set levels 2. Plan how to accomplish goals 3. Take action toward accomplishing the goals 4. Evaluate progress toward goal attainment or abandonment
A method of of recruitment in which job applicants are told positive and negative aspects of the job.
Realistic job preview (RJP)
Theory proposed by Hackman and Oldham that proposes that employees desire jobs that are meaningful, allow autonomy, and provide feedback regarding performance.
Job Characteristics Theory - jobs have motivation potential if they contain skill variety, task identification (meaningful outcomes), and is appreciated by coworkers (task significance).
Which three theories focus on employees’ needs and values?
Maslow’s needs hierarchy; ERG (existence, relatedness and growth) Theory; Two-factor Theory
Maslow (1954) Needs Theory
physical needs for shelter and food
safety needs for protection
social need to develop relationships on the job
ego needs to be stroked and encouraged
self-actualization “being the best that you can be in your job
Alderfer (1972) ERG Theory
Aldefer suggests that a person can skip levels looking for levels of satisfaction- Existence, relatedness and growth
Herzberg’s Need Theory (1966) two factor
Two factors in job satisfaction:
hygiene factors - benefits from being being an employee such as pay and benefits, security, work conditions
motivators - actions responsibility, independence, autonomy, interesting work
Hygiene factors
job-related elements that result from but do not involve the job itself (i.e. pay and benefits)
Motivators
actual duties performed by the employee
A method of increasing performance in which employees are given specific performance goals to aim for.
Goal setting
First goal setting study was conducted by Latham and Blades (1975) True or False
True
For goals to be most successful, they must be ___?
SMART Specific, measurable, attainable (but difficult), relevant and time-bound
Meta-analyses have indicated that employee participation in goal setting doesn’t increase performance. True or False
True
What is goal setting?
A method of increasing performance in which employees are given specific performance goals to aim for.
Lathan and Blades conducted the first goal setting study in 1975
What does the acronoym SMART mean?
by Rubin, 2002
Specific
Measurable
Difficult but Attainable
Relevant
Time-bound
What is needed to increase the effectiveness of goal setting?
Positive and imformative feedback
Tips for effective feedback
Identify the behavior, not the personality
Explain the behavior’s impact on others
Ask the employee for suggestions for change
Employee and Supervisor should set a specific goal
Set a time to evaluate whether the goal has been met
Operant conditioning principles
Employees will engage in behaviors for which they are rewarded and avoid behaviors for which they are punished
Research indicates that a reinforcer or a punisher is most effective if it occurs soon after the performance of the behavior
True or False
True
Social recognition
A motivation technique using such methods as personal attention, signs of approval, and expressions of appreciation
Define Pay for Performance
A system in which employees are paid on the basis of how much they individually produce.
Merit Pay
An incentive plan in which employees receive pay bonuses based on performance appraisal scores. Two most common individual incentive plans are pay for performance and merit pay
Merit pay is a good technique for jobs in which productivity is difficult to measure?
True or False
True
What are the biggest problems with merit pay?
They are based on subjective performance appraisals
Availability and/or amount of merit pay changes every year
What is profit sharing?
Gallatin developed in 1794. Programs provide employees with a percentage of profits above a certain amount when the company performs well overall
Gainsharing
Group incentive system were employees are paid a bonus based on improvements in group productivity.
Stock option
A group incentive method were employees are given the option of buying stock in the future at the price of the stock when the options were granted.
Expectancy Theory
Motivation = E(I x V)
Expectancy(Instrumentality x Valence)
E - perceived relationship between the amount of effort an employee puts in the resulting outcome
I - the extent to which the outcome of a worker’s performance results in a particular conequence
V - the extent to which an employee values a particular consequence
Internal locus of control
The extent to which people believe that they are responsible for and in control of their success or failure in ife.
Equity Theory
A theory of job satisfaction stating that employeees will be satisfied if their ratio of effort to reward is similar to that of other employees.
Inputs - what employees put into their jobs
Outputs - what employees get from their jobs
Ratio = Input/Output or the ratio of what employees believe they put into and get out of their jobs
Though equity theory has some theoretical problems, it was the springboard for modern research in organizational justice.
True or False
True, if employees believe they are being treated fairly, they will be more likely to be satisfied with their jobs
