Motivation (Part 2 of 3)

Question 1

What is the goal-setting theory (developed by Locke and Latham)?

Answer 1

People are motivated by goals and the prospect of achieving them.

To motivate people, set goals and in a motivating way.

The acronym SMART (e.g. set SMART goals) is often used to explain how to set goals in a motivating way (Rubin, 2002).

Question 2

What are the SMART goals?

Answer 2

S – Specific. Goals will be more motivating if they are specific instead of general (e.g. sell a handful versus do your best or try your hardest).

M – Measurable. Goals will be more motivating if they are measurable (e.g. sell five versus sell a handful) and if feedback is provided (e.g. salesperson is informed when the sale is made).

A – Attainable. Goals will be more motivating if they are not too easy or not too difficult but rather difficult but attainable (e.g. sell five versus sell one or 1,000,000). Setting difficult but attainable goals is more effectively done through participative goal setting (e.g. supervisor and subordinate jointly decide goal of five) than through assigned goal setting (e.g. supervisor decides goal of five for subordinate).

R – Resources. Goals will be more motivating if the person has the resources to attain the goal (e.g. knowhow, time, equipment, other people).

T – Time-bound. Goals will be more motivating if they have a deadline (e.g. sell five by the end of this week versus just sell five).

Question 3

What is Management by Objective?

Answer 3

Management by objective (MBO) is a style of management/leadership that is based on goal-setting and setting SMART goals. Manager/leaders and subordinates/followers meet regularly (e.g. once a week, once a month) to set new SMART goals and review progress on existing SMART goals.

Question 4

What is the Equity theory (by Adams)?

Answer 4

When a person’s input and output ratio is equal or unequal to a referent’s input and output ratio.

Person’s I/O = Referent’s I/O is equity

Person’s I/O > Referent’s I/O is positive inequity

Person’s I/O < Referent’s I/O is negative inequity

To motivate people, strive for people to perceive equity. Sometimes this involves providing people with more information (e.g. Employee A thinks that Employee B gets to leave during lunch when in fact Employee B is eating in a different lunchroom so Employee A needs to be told this). Other times this involves making changes (e.g. allowing Employee A to leave during lunch like Employee B).

Question 5

What are the 3 reactions to inequity based on the Equity theory?

Answer 5

Affective Reactions (feeling) 2 types:
A. anger
B. guilt

Cognitive Reactions (thinking) 2 types:
A. change their referent
B. Psychologically distort their own or the referent’s inputs or outcomes.  

Behavioural Reactions (acting) 5 types:
A. Change their own inputs.
B. Change the referent’s inputs.
C. Change their own outcomes.
D. Change the referent’s outcomes.
E. Leave the field.

Question 6

What is the expectancy theory (by Vroom)?

Answer 6

Motivation (M) = Expectancy (E) x Instrumentality (I) x Valence (V)

To motivate people, strive for E, I, and V to each be 1 and if each is not 1, motivate people by addressing the reasons

Notice that if E, I, or V is 0, motivation will be 0, even if the other two values are 1.

Called expectancy theory because motivation is the product of three expectations a person has:

1. Do I expect that if I try, I will fully succeed at performing my job (i.e. expectancy)?
2. Do I expect that if I fully succeed at performing my job, I will get the rewards (i.e. instrumentality)?
3. Do I expect that if I get the rewards, I will like them (i.e. valence)?

Question 7

How is the expectancy theory model built?

Answer 7

E captures the link between effort (i.e. if I try) and performance (i.e. will I fully succeed at performing my job).

I captures the link between performance (i.e. if I fully succeed at performing my job) and outcomes (i.e. will I get the rewards).

V captures the desirability (i.e. will I like) of the outcomes (i.e. the rewards).