Leadership: Motivational Theories

Question 1

Motivation

Answer 1

• Factors that initiate, direct, and sustain human behavior over time.
• Understand why people behave the way they do helps leaders modify behavior by appealing to the right needs in the right way

Question 2

Motivation Theories Types

Answer 2

• Theory X/Theory Y
• Needs Theory
• Expectancy Theory
• Attribution Theory
• Goal-Setting Theory

Question 3

Theory X

Answer 3

• Motivation is absolutely irrelevant
• Leaders micromanage and coerce team members
• Belief that people do not like to work and must be strictly controlled and forced to work.

Question 4

Theory Y

Answer 4

• Motivation is seen as absolutely critical
• Belief that employees dislike rigid controls and they want to accomplish something.
• Leaders apply a more participative style that empowers employees.
• Considered more appropriate in today’s knowledge-driven workplaces than Theory X

Question 5

Needs Theory

Answer 5

• Individuals are motivated by a desire to satisfy certain needs.
• Understanding needs allows right incentives to be offered and create the most motivational external environments.
• Common factors are
  
  • Achievement
  • Desire for social connection
  • Some degree of control

Question 6

Needs Theory Includes

Answer 6

• Maslow
• Herzberg
• McClelland
• Self-determination

Question 7

Maslow’s Needs Theory

Answer 7

• Needs throry
• There are basic needs that must be met in ascending order
• Lower level of need must be satisfied for a high-level to emerge or motivate
• No need is ever totally satisfied, the lower-level needs always have some influence on behavior

Question 8

Five Categories of Maslow’s Needs in Ascending Order

Answer 8

1. Physiological
   
   • Basic needs related to survival
2. Safety and security
3. Belonging and love
   
   • Need to belong, to be accepted
4. Esteem
   
   • Both self-esteem and admiration of others
5. Self-actualization
   
   • Need to fill one’s potential

Question 9

Herzberg’s Needs Theory

Answer 9

• Behavior is driven by intrinsic and extrinsic factors
• Hygiene factor levels must be acceptable in order for motivation favors to work
• Satisfied hygiene factors
  
  • Can remove some areas of discontent that interfere with motivation
  • Not enough to create motivation

Question 10

Intrinsic factors

Answer 10

Challenging work, meaningful impact of work, recognition Innate desires

Question 11

Extrinsic factors

Answer 11

Workplace hygiene Job security, pay, conditions

Question 12

McClelland’s Needs Theory

Answer 12

• There are 3 basic desires
• Employees have all 3 needs, but the importance of the need’s vary among different individuals

Question 13

McClelland’s Needs Theory Desires

Answer 13

1. Achievement (accomplishment)
2. Affiliation (feeling part of a group)
3. Power (influence or control over others)

Question 14

Self-determination Needs Theory

Answer 14

• Individuals are motivated by innate needs, such as competence (McClelland’s achievement) and relatedness (McClelland’s affiliation) but also by needs for:
  
  • Autonomy
    
    • Need to feel that one has control over one’s life.
  • Purpose
    
    • Sense that one’s actions have effects beyond the individual or the workplace.

Question 15

Expectancy Theory

Answer 15

Effort increases as one’s confidence that the behavior will result in an outcome or reward increases

Question 16

Vroom

Answer 16

• An expectancy theory
• Level of effort depends on
  
  • Expectancy
    
    • Employee can succeed with reasonable effort
  • Instrumentality
    
    • Success will result in a reward
  • Valence
    
    • Reward is meaningful to the employee
• All 3 factors must be addressed to create motivated employees

Question 17

Attribution Theory

Answer 17

• The way a person interprets the causes for past success or failure is related to the present level of motivation.
• Leaders can help employees attribute results to the correct causes and create opportunities for success.

Question 18

Heider, Weiner

Answer 18

• An atrribution theory
• Success or failure is attributed to internal or external factors
  
  • Internal - in employee’s control
  • External - outside of employee’s control
• Track record of success
  
  • Creates empowered resilient employees
• Track record of failure
  
  • Create “learned helplessness”, hostility or aggression even outside of employee control

Question 19

Heider, Weiner Attribution Theory leaders can help by

Answer 19

Creating opportunities for success for less experienced employees More challenging assignments can be given to employees who believe they can (and are likely to) succeed

Question 20

Goal-Setting Theory

Answer 20

• Motivation can be increased by providing employees with goals to assess their achievement.
• Employees should be involved in designing their goals
• Support should be provided to employees to achieve their goals
• Feedback helps employees determine the effectiveness of their effort

Question 21

Effective goals in Goal-Setting Theory

Answer 21

Specific and clear Important to the individual - enables greater commitment Realistic, but challenging