Management 315 Final Exam Flashcards
What do Process Theories (Reinforcement Theory, Expectancy Theory, Goal Setting Theory, Equity Theory) focus on?
How behavior change occurs
What do Content Theories ( Job Characteristics Theory, Visionary Leadership + Identification) emphasize?
The reasons for motivated behavior
Motivation is the combined effect on behavior of three choices:
Direction, intensity, and persistence
Direction choice of motivation
The choice to expend effort on something
Intensity choice of motivation
The choice of the level of effort to expend
Persistence choice of motivation
The choice to persist at a certain level of effort
Extrinsic motivation
- Do something to get a reward or to avoid punishment
- Good for production tasks
Intrinsic motivation
- Do something because the activity itself is enjoyable
- Good for creativity tasks
- Meaningful work
Which type of motivation is most effective for sustained performance?
Intrinsic motivation
Which type of motivation do employers focus on most?
Extrinsic motivation
Positive reinforcement
- Increases desired behavior
- GIVE GOOD
Negative reinforcement
- Increases desired behavior
- TAKE BAD
Punishment
- Decreases undesired behavior
- GIVE BAD/TAKE GOOD
Reinforcement most effective when:
- Directly tied to behavior
- Either reward or punishment tied to what people value
- Magnitude needs to be in line with behavior
Expectancy Theory: Motivation is fostered when an employee believes three things
- There is high Expectancy (Effort -> Performance)
- There is high Instrumentality (Performance ->
Outcomes) - There is high Valence (Outcomes are valuable to the employee)
Which of the following needs is most likely to increase outcome valence?
Safety needs; Belonging needs; Self-actualization needs
It depends on what need is least satisfied
Expectancy Theory: Motivation =
- (Effort -> Performance) x Σ(Performance -> Outcomes) x Valence
- Motivation is zero is either expectancy, instrumentality, or valence is zero
Goal Setting Theory: When is motivation fostered?
When employees have specific and challenging (S.M.A.R.T.) goals
Which of the following characteristics of a goal is effective in increasing motivation?
A. A self-set goal, because it increases commitment
B. A difficult but attainable goal, because it increases direction and intensity
C. A measurable goal, because it allows for accurate feedback
D. All of the above
D. All of the above
Equity Theory
Motivation and satisfaction are high when an employee’s ratio of “outcomes” (Pay/promotions, praise, better working conditions, etc.) to “inputs” (Job performance/effort, seniority, training and education, etc.) matches those of some “comparison other”
What is a likely response to underreward and overreward cases of outcomes?
Underreward: envy; Overreward: reevaluation of inputs
Comparison others may be:
- Internal (in the same firm)
- External (in another firm)
- Often the most powerful method for changing equity perceptions is changing the comparison other
Job Characteristics Theory
Variety, Identity, Significance, Autonomy, and Feedback tend to be strongly correlated with job satisfaction
What can you as a manager do to increase meaningfulness?
- Job rotation: providing employees with different tasks or jobs
- Job enlargement - increasing number of tasks
