Lecture 3 - Motivation and learning

Question 1

What is intrinsic motivation?

Answer 1

Stem from a persons ‘internal’ desire to do something (self-applied)

Question 2

What is extrinsic motivation?

Answer 2

Stem from outside the individual and include tangible rewards (pay)

Question 3

What are some examples of content theories?

Answer 3

• Maslow’s hierarchy of needs
• McGregor’s Theory X/Theory Y

Question 4

What are some examples of process theories?

Answer 4

• Equity theory
• Reinforcement theory

Question 5

What are content and process theories?

Answer 5

• Content - relate to built-in needs or motivators
• Process - relate to conscious choices that lead to a specific type of behaviour

Question 6

What is Maslow’s hierarchy of needs?

Answer 6

• Physiological (food. water, breathing)
• Safety (employment, health)
• Love/belonging (friendship, family)
• Esteem (confidence, achievement)
• Self-actualization (morality, creativity)

Question 7

What are some criticisms of Maslow’s theory?

Answer 7

• Difficult to apply to the workplace
• Researchers have found little supports to
  people have completely separate needS

Question 8

Describe McClelland’s theory of needs?

Answer 8

Workers are satisfied by: achievement, power, affiliation, independence, self-esteem, security

Question 9

Describe McClelland’s Acquired needs theory?

Answer 9

• Need for achievement - desire to consistently want challenging tasks
• Need for power
• Need for affiliation - good social and personal relations

Question 10

What is McGregor’s theory X?

Answer 10

• Employees are inherently lazy
• Dislike responsibility
• Employees only want security and material rewards

Question 11

What is McGregor’s theory X?

Answer 11

• Employees like work and undertake challenging tasks
• People are motivated by needs for respect, esteem and recognition
• People at work want responsibility

Question 12

What is Herzberg’s motivator-hygiene theory?

Answer 12

• Workers motivation translates into their job satisfaction
• Motivators will increase job satisfaction
• Hygiene factors might increase job dissatisfaction

Question 13

What is the equity theory?

Answer 13

• based on the comparison of the ratio between employee input into task and output (rewards)
• Inequity can motivate changes in behaviour

Question 14

Describe reinforcement theory?

Answer 14

• Rewards should reinforce performance
• Rewards should follow after desired behaviours
• Behaviour that is not rewarded will end
• Withholding rewards is a powerful means to discourage unwanted behaviours

Question 15

What is the social cognition theory?

Answer 15

• Employees have regular feedback, personal control over performance outcomes and confidence to achieve goals
• Managers role is to provide employees with such confidence especially when they don’t achieve goals

Question 16

What is alienation?

Answer 16

• A condition of objective powerlessness
• Derives from Karl Marx’s theories - workers alienated from the products of their labour, act of production, social relations

Question 17

What are Robert Blauner’s dimensions of alienation?

Answer 17

• Powerlessness
• Meaninglessness
• Isolation
• Self-estrangement

Question 18

How can culture help organisations?

Answer 18

• Operates as a mode of control
• Act as the organisational glue through shared ritual and ceremony
• Create a shared identity

Question 19

What is learning?

Answer 19

• A relatively permanent change in behaviour or human capabilities resulting from processing new knowledge, practice or experiences
• Learning is a mode of adaptation to change, it can be formal, non-formal, informal or incidental

Question 20

What is a behavioural approach?

Answer 20

Perceives learning as a chain of conditioned reflexes encouraged or inhibited by positive and negative reinforcement

Question 21

What is social-learning?

Answer 21

People learn through observational learning

Question 22

What is self-efficacy?

Answer 22

The extent or strength of ones belief in one’s own ability to complete tasks and reach goals