Motivation Flashcards

1
Q

What is motivation?

A
  • The cognitive decision making process through which goal directed behaviour is initiated, energised, directed and maintained (H and b,2013)
  • The forces that drive people to act in particular ways (Gabriel, 2008)
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2
Q

How it the basic concept of motivation outlined?

A

Through a stimulus, a response and an outcome

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3
Q

What is the stimulus in terms of the concept of motivation?

A
  • Psychological needs

- Want, desires, emotional, social needs

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4
Q

What is the response in terms of the concept of motivation?

A
  • Behaviour

- E.g if stimulus is thirst, the behaviour would be to drink enough

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5
Q

What is the outcome in terms of the concept of motivation?

A
  • Satisfy need/failure to satisfy need

- Attain wants/needs, fail to attain satisfaction

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6
Q

Why do we study motivation?

A

Organisations need a motivated workforce in order to be successful, achieve their goals, grow etc

In challenging economic conditions, motivation is important.

Helps avoid bore out, burn out and fosters engagement and commitment

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7
Q

What are the three types of motivation theories?

A
  • Content (or need)
  • Process
  • Job enrichment
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8
Q

What are content theories?

A

They focus on the desired goals and motives e.g Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs, Alderfer’s ERG Theory

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9
Q

What are the process theories?

A

They explore/explain decision processes

e.g Adam’s Equity Theory, Locke’s Goal Setting Theory, Vroom’s Expectancy Theory

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10
Q

What are job enrichment theories?

A

They align work with organisational goals through social processes e.g Herzberg’s Two Factor Theory

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11
Q

What does Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs assume?

A
  • Low levels need to be satisfied to move up to higher levels
  • Human beings want to move up the hierarchy
  • Everyone strives for self actualisation
  • Still influential today for management practice
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12
Q

What are the criticisms of Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs?

A
  • Some people may be deprived of lower level needs but still strive for self actualisation
  • Lack of cause and effect between need and behaviour
  • People not always aware of their needs
  • Measurement of satisfaction of needs not possible
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13
Q

What did Ed Diener (2011) find about the HoN across cultures?

A
  • 155 countries between 2005-2010
  • Looked at food, shelter, money, social support, respect and emotions
  • The needs described in the theory appeared to be universal
  • The order wasn’t important
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14
Q

What is Alderfer’s ERG Theory?

A

Expands on Maslow’s hierarchy of needs based on empirical research (1966-1989), he focuses on three needs existence needs, related needs and growth needs

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15
Q

What are the existence needs from Alderfer’s ERG theory?

A

The desire for physiological and material well being

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16
Q

What are the relatedness needs from Alderfer’s ERG theory?

A

The desire for satisfying interpersonal relationships

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17
Q

What are the growth needs from Alderfer’s ERG theory?

A

Desire for continued personal growth and development

18
Q

How does Alderfer’s ERG theory relate to the Hierarchy of Needs?

A

Existence needs concern the safety and physiological needs from the from the first two levels, relatedness needs concern social needs from the third tier and growth needs relate to esteem and self actualisation needs at the top of the hierarchy

19
Q

What is Adam’s Equity Theory?

A

People gauge the fairness of their work outcomes in relation to others - insiders and outsiders called referents

20
Q

When is equity achieved in Adam’s Equity Theory?

A

Self outcomes/self inputs = others outcomes/others inputs

21
Q

When is there underpayment equity in Adam’s Equity Theory?

A

Self outcomes/self inputs

22
Q

When is there overpayment equity in Adam’s Equity Theory?

A

Self outcomes/self inputs > others outcomes/others inputs - individual feels they received relatively more in proportion to work inputs

23
Q

How to perceived discrepancies motivate action with regards to Adam’s Equity Theory?

A
  • Inequalities lead to tensions

- Individuals engage in various strategies to resolve tension

24
Q

What behaviours can individuals undertake to reduce inequity in terms of Adam’s Equity Theory?

A
  1. Change inputs
  2. Change outcomes
  3. Get other to change inputs or outcomes
  4. Quit job
25
Q

How can individuals change their cognitive way of perceiving the inequity in Adam’s Equity Theory?

A
  1. Distort own inputs/outputs
  2. Distort other’s inputs or outcomes
  3. Change comparison other
26
Q

What are the managerial implications from Adam’s Equity Theory?

A
  • Underpaid people experience anger/overpaid people experience guilt
  • Perceptions of rewards determine motivational outcomes
  • Negative consequences of equity comparisons should be minimised
  • Do not underestimate the impact of pay as a source of equity
27
Q

What are the limitations of equity theory?

A
  • A desire for equity is not universal
  • Each according to his need - socialist/former communist
  • Other research found that friends value giving as much as receiving
28
Q

What is the basic premise of Goal Setting Theory by Edwin Locke?

A

That specific and difficult goals, with self generated feedback, lead to higher performance, this means that work motivation is influenced by goal difficulty, goal specifity and knowledge of results

29
Q

What are the assumptions of Edwin Locke’s Goal Setting Theory?

A
  • Challenging goals lead to higher levels of performance
  • Specific goals lead to higher levels of performance
  • Participation in goal setting improves performance
  • Knowledge of results of past performance (feedback) increased motivation
30
Q

How can Edwin Locke’s Goal Setting Theory be implemented?

A

As management by objectives - goals need to be SMART - specific, measurable, attainable, results - orientated, and time bound e.g increase employee satisfaction by 3% until the end of 2014

31
Q

What is the power of setting anti goals in terms of goal setting theory?

A

A lot of success in life and business comes from knowing what you want to avoid, early death and a bad marriage etc

32
Q

What are examples of anti goals in terms of goal setting theory?

A
  • Never schedule a meeting if it can be done by email or phone
  • No more than 2 hours of scheduled time per day
  • No business with people we don’t like
  • Never give up voting control of business
  • Video conference or pay people to come visit us
  • Never schedule morning meetings, sleep in when needed
33
Q

What was Jooyoung et al (2017)’s study about backward planning in terms of goal setting theory?

A
  • Aimed to see if goal planning methods affected motivation
  • 5 studies, students planned approach to school work
  • Some planned in chronological order and some backward
  • Feelings of distance to a goal and the number of goals can slow goal setters
  • Preparing backwards was beneficial for complex tasks
34
Q

What are the key variables from Vroom’s Expectancy Theory (1964)?

A

Expectancy, instrumentality and valence

35
Q

What is expectancy from Vroom’s Expectancy Theory (1964)?

A

The belief that working hard will result in desired level of performance, the probability perceived by the individual that exerting a given amount of efforts will lead to performance

36
Q

What is instrumentality from Vroom’s Expectancy Theory?

A

The belief that successful performance will be followed by rewards, the degree to which the individual believes that performing at a particular level will lead to attainment of the desired outcome

37
Q

What is valence from Vroom’s Expectancy Theory?

A

The value a person assigns to reward and other work-related outcomes, the degree to which an organisational reward will satisfy individual needs and its attractiveness for the individual

38
Q

What is the formula for Vroom’s (1964) expectancy theory?

A

Motivation = Expectancy X Instrumentality X Valance - if E, I or V is low, motivation will be low

39
Q

How is expectancy maximised in terms of expectancy theory?

A

Through making the person feel competent and capable or achieving the desired level of performance

  1. Select workers with ability
  2. Train workers to use ability
  3. Support work efforts
  4. Clarify performance goals
40
Q

How is instrumentality maximised in terms of expectancy theory?

A

Through making the person confident in understanding which rewards and outcomes will follow performance accomplishments

  1. Clarify physical contract
  2. Communicate performance outcomes possibilities
  3. Demonstrate what rewards are contingent on performance
41
Q

How is valance maximised in terms of expectancy theory?

A

Through making the person understand the value of various