Motivation and Job design

Question 1

According to Steers and Porter (1979), motivation comprises…

Answer 1

1. Direction: what a person is trying to do
2. Effort: how hard they are trying
3. Persistence: how long a person continues trying

Question 2

What is the relationship between ability, situational constraints (opportunity) and motivation impacting on performance?

Answer 2

Given, your ability or capability to perform and an environment which allows you to perform; motivation determines whether you will do it or not
(Muchinsky, 2006)

Question 3

Look up how motivation impacts on work performance

Answer 3

kf

Question 4

What is the definition of intrinsic motivation? and by who

Answer 4

The doing of an activity for its inherent satisfaction rather than for some separable consequence
(Ryan & Deci, 2000)

Question 5

What is the definition of extrinsic motivation? and by who

Answer 5

Extrinsic motivation is a construct that pertains whenever an activity is done in order to attain some separable outcome
(Ryan & Deci, 2000)

Question 6

What are the AMP characteristics of intrinsic motivation?

Answer 6

Autonomy
Mastery
Purpose

Question 7

What are the CPR characteristics of extrinsic motivation?

Answer 7

Compensation
Punishment
Reward

Question 8

What are the process theories of motivation? and who came up with them

Answer 8

. Goal-setting theory (Locke & Latham, 1990)

. Goal orientation (Elliot & McGregor, 2001)

. Expectancy theory (Vroom, 1964)

. Equity theory (Adams, 1969)

. Self-determination theory (Ryan & Deci, 2000)

Question 9

How can you apply intrinsic theory into practice?

Answer 9

. learn what people care about, design tasks and jobs that are interesting and intrinsically rewarding

Question 10

How can you apply extrinsic theory into practice?

Answer 10

. learn what extrinsic rewards people want e.g. more salary, pension, health care, flexible work, possibility to work from home office

Question 11

How can you apply model of AMO of motivation by CIPD:

- Ability, Motivation and opportunity (situational contraints) into practice?

Answer 11

provide opportunities for people to learn and enhance their abilities; provide opportunities to apply skills

Question 12

Applying process theories into practice

Answer 12

need to do

Question 13

What is the definition of job design?

Answer 13

The process of assigning tasks to a job, including the interdependency of those tasks with other jobs

Question 14

What is the definition of job redesign?

Answer 14

Techniques designed to increase one or more of the variety, autonomy and completeness of a person’s work tasks

Question 15

What are Frederick Taylor’s five principles of scientific management to improve job performance and motivation?

Answer 15

. A clear division of tasks and responsibilities between management and workers.

. Use of scientific methods to determine the best way of doing a job.

. Scientific selection of the person to do the newly designed job.

. The training of the selected worker to perform the job in the way specified.

. Surveillance of workers through the use of hierarchies of authority and close supervision.

Question 16

Pros and cons of Frederick Taylor’s five principles of scientific management

Answer 16

. Scientific Management is still very much a part of any organisation in the 21st Century
. +making organisations efficient through replacement of “rules of thumb” with scientific fact
. - No longer accepted that employees are just motivated by mony
. - pure form is therefore outdated

Question 17

Who came up with the Job characteristics model? and when

Answer 17

(Hackman & Oldham, 1980)

Question 18

Explain job characteristics theory

Answer 18

. Idea that job satisfaction and motivation is based on the intrinsic featurs of the job
. Based on skill variety, task identity, task significance, autonomy and feedback

Question 19

what must occur in goal setting theory for it to be successful in motivating and leading to a high performance ?

Answer 19

. Clarity
. Challenge
 .Commitment-no other goals 
. Feedback
These are very similar to the more widely known acronym SMARTER goals

Question 20

According to goal setting theory, what do goals to that results in improved task performance?

Answer 20

. Direct attention away from distractions
. Regulate high effort with difficult goals
. Increase persistence with difficult goals
. Helps stored task knowledge to come through or motivates individual to improve task knowledge

Question 21

What is the empirical evidence/pros of goal setting theory?

Answer 21

. Seen as the most consistently supported theory of motivation
. Offers a clear approach to organisations to be used in different contexts (eg appraisal)
. Accounted for 50% of the published work in motivation

Question 22

What are the criticisms of goal setting theory?

Answer 22

. Focuses only on task performance rather than other work behaviour and can lead to ‘tunnel vision’- led to development of learning goals
. Conflicting goals-does not explain this scenario
. Static view of motivation, ie one moment in time
. Where do goals come from?

Question 23

Explain the expectancy theory/ VIE MODEL

Answer 23

. This theory is about what we believe: what we think particular outcomes will be and what we think the rewards will be.
People will be motivated to the extent to which they believe that their efforts will lead to good performance
. people make conscious decisions about their motivation

Question 24

How would an amployee use the VIE model to ensure employees were motivated to perform their jobs?

Answer 24

. . Employees feel they have the right skills to complete their tasks (expectancy)
. Employers feel they will be rewarded if they do the job right (instrumentality)
. Employers value the awards on offer (valance)

Question 25

What is the empirical evidence of the VIE model?

Answer 25

+ Provides a clear and rational model of processes individuals engage in

• However - research evidence suggests validity of theory is moderate at best- measures of V, I and E have been poorly constructed
• Do we know all the alternative courses of action & do we go through a series of calculations?

Question 26

What are the phychological outcomes when the facets of the job characteristics model are high?

Answer 26

Skill variety, task identity and significance=meaningfullness at work
. Autonomy= feeling of responsibility
. Feedback= leads to improvement which is motivating

Question 27

What does equity theory suggest?

Answer 27

People will be motivated at work when they perceive that they are being treated fairly.

Question 28

What are the three components of equity theory?

Answer 28

1) Equity norm: People expect a fair return for their work
2 )Social comparison: comparing own with others’ input and rewards
3) Cognitive distortion: distorting inputs/rewards in their minds; actually altering (decreasing) inputs/rewards