G: Motivation Flashcards
[Week 6: How to motivate people]
- What is motivation?
Motivation refers to the psychological forces that cause people to invest effort in action. It involves three key components:
Direction: What should I do? (The choice of activities or goals)
Intensity: How hard should I work? (The amount of effort invested)
Persistence: How long should I work? (The duration of effort over time)
Motivated individuals have a desire to act and are willing to expend effort to achieve goals.
- Describe equity theory and provide an example of how motivation changes when inequity is perceived.
Equity Theory suggests that employees are motivated by fairness. They compare their input-output ratio (effort and rewards) with that of others. When they perceive inequity—either being under-rewarded (negative inequity) or over-rewarded (positive inequity)—it affects their motivation.
Negative Inequity: If an employee perceives that they are under-rewarded compared to peers, they may reduce their effort, become dissatisfied, or even quit.
Example: If two employees put in the same amount of effort but one is paid less, the underpaid employee may decrease their work quality or seek employment elsewhere.
Positive Inequity: If an employee feels over-rewarded, they may increase their effort to justify the higher rewards or experience guilt.
Example: An employee who receives a larger bonus than peers for the same work might work harder in the future to feel that the reward was deserved.
- Describe expectancy theory and provide an example of how it can be used to improve motivation at work.
Expectancy Theory (Vroom) posits that motivation is determined by three factors:
Expectancy (E → P): Belief that effort will lead to performance.
Instrumentality (P → O): Belief that performance will lead to outcomes or rewards.
Valence (O): Value placed on the outcomes.
The theory is summarized by the equation:
Motivation = Expectancy × Instrumentality × Valence
Example: To improve motivation, a manager could:
Enhance Expectancy: Provide training to increase confidence that effort will lead to success.
Strengthen Instrumentality: Ensure that good performance is directly linked to meaningful rewards.
Increase Valence: Offer rewards that employees truly value, such as flexible work hours or bonuses.
- What is Maslow’s hierarchy of needs? Draw the hierarchy and offer a critique.
Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs is a motivational theory that suggests human needs are arranged in a hierarchical order, from basic physiological needs to self-actualization.
Hierarchy (from bottom to top):
Physiological: Basic needs like food, water, shelter.
Safety: Security, stability, freedom from fear.
Belongingness and Love: Social relationships, friendships, family.
Esteem: Achievement, recognition, respect.
Self-Actualization: Personal growth, creativity, fulfillment.
Critique:
The hierarchy is not universally applicable; not everyone prioritizes these needs in the same order.
It assumes that people are motivated in a linear progression, but individuals might pursue higher needs without fulfilling lower ones.
The concept of “self-actualization” is vague and difficult to measure.
- How does Herzberg’s two-factor theory of motivation differ from other theories of motivation? Describe how it could be used to improve motivation at work.
Herzberg’s Two-Factor Theory distinguishes between:
Hygiene Factors: These include aspects like company policies, salary, and working conditions. They do not motivate if present but can cause dissatisfaction if absent.
Motivators: These include factors like recognition, responsibility, and personal growth. These lead to job satisfaction and motivate employees when present.
Difference: Unlike other theories, Herzberg’s model suggests that job satisfaction and dissatisfaction are not opposites but rather two separate dimensions. Improving motivation requires focusing on enhancing motivators rather than merely addressing hygiene factors.
Application: To improve motivation at work, a company should ensure that hygiene factors are adequate to prevent dissatisfaction while also creating opportunities for recognition, responsibility, and personal development to actively motivate employees.
- How do goals affect performance?
Goal-Setting Theory suggests that specific, difficult goals lead to higher performance compared to vague or easy goals. Goals focus attention, energize efforts, increase persistence, and encourage the development of strategies for achievement.
Mechanisms:
Direct Attention: Goals focus employee efforts on goal-relevant activities.
Energize Effort: Goals motivate individuals to exert more effort.
Increase Persistence: Challenging goals prolong effort over time.
Encourage Strategy Development: Goals lead individuals to discover and use task-relevant knowledge and strategies.
- Name three factors that affect how strongly goals affect performance, and explain why.
Goal Commitment: Performance is higher when individuals are committed to the goals. Commitment can be enhanced by involving employees in goal setting and by ensuring the goals are important to them.
Feedback: Providing feedback on progress helps individuals adjust their efforts and strategies to stay on track, thereby enhancing performance.
Task Complexity: The effectiveness of goals is greater for simple tasks. For complex tasks, the benefits of goal setting depend on the individual’s ability to find appropriate strategies.
- What is merit pay and how is it different from incentive pay?
Merit Pay is a salary increase based on individual performance, typically evaluated annually. It is a long-term adjustment to base pay and rewards consistent, high performance.
Incentive Pay is a one-time bonus or financial reward given for meeting specific performance targets or goals. It is typically linked to short-term achievements and does not affect base salary.
Difference: Merit pay provides a permanent increase in base salary based on past performance, while incentive pay is a temporary reward for specific accomplishments.
9. Does incentive pay boost productivity? Discuss the pros and cons of using incentive pay.
Incentive Pay can boost productivity by directly linking rewards to performance. However, its effectiveness depends on how it is implemented.
Pros:
Direct Motivation: Clear connection between performance and reward can increase effort and focus.
Flexibility: Can be tailored to specific goals or short-term objectives.
Cons:
Threat to Autonomy: Can lead employees to feel controlled, reducing intrinsic motivation.
Overjustification Effect: May decrease enjoyment and intrinsic motivation for tasks when rewards are removed.
Inequality: Can create pay disparities, leading to jealousy and decreased cooperation among employees.
Unintended Consequences: Incentive pay can encourage undesirable behaviors if goals are poorly set (e.g., cutting corners to meet targets).
