Week 6: Parker, Bindl & Strauss (2010) Making things happen: A model of proactive motivation

Question 1

The purpose of this article is to understand…

Answer 1

how proactivity is motivated on an individual-level by collectively reviewing existing perspectives on the topic

Question 2

How is proactivity defined by Parker and team?

Answer 2

a goal-driven process involving both the setting of a proactive goal (proactive goal generation) and striving to achieve that proactive goal (proactive goal striving)

Question 3

Proactivity has three attributes. Name them.

Answer 3

it is self-starting, change-oriented and future-focussed

Question 4

Proactivity is a goal-driven process characterised by what two elements?

Answer 4

goal generation

goal striving

Question 5

What is proactive goal generation?

Answer 5

anticipation of desired future state and development of strategies to reach those states

Question 6

What is proactive goal striving?

Answer 6

mobilisation and monitoring day-to-day behaviours to attain those goals or desired future states

Question 7

Proactive goal generation has to be three things to be activated. Name and explain them.

Answer 7

self-initiated

envisioned - perceiving a current or future problem or
opportunity and then coming up with the different desired future by actively addressing the problem or opportunity

planned - deciding which exact action to take to achieve this future

Question 8

Proactive goal generation of individuals at work always happens for one of three reasons. Name them.

Answer 8

proactive person-environment (PE fit behaviour)

proactive work behaviour

proactive strategic behaviour

Question 9

Proactive person-environment (PE fit behaviour) means what?

Answer 9

When one sets proactive goals to create a better fit between ones own attributes and the internal environment of the firm

Question 10

Proactive work behaviour means what?

Answer 10

setting proactive goals to improve the internal environment focussed on the individual, team or organisation

Question 11

Proactive strategic behaviour means what?

Answer 11

setting proactive goals to improve the organisations strategy and its fit with the external environment

Question 12

What should one do after a goal has been generated?

Answer 12

engage in goal striving - the behavioural mechanism in which individuals attain proactive goals

Question 13

Proactive goal striving can either be ____ or ____.

Answer 13

enacting or reflecting

Question 14

Enacting goal striving means what? How can it be achieved?

Answer 14

actually taking action to achieve a proactive goal

one must be persistent and resilient (self-regulation)

Question 15

Reflecting goal striving means what?

Answer 15

the efforts to understand the success, failure or consequences of proactive behaviour (is it feasible and desirable?)

Question 16

What are the three proactive motivational states that Parker and team discuss?

Answer 16

reasons some people engage in proactive behaviour:
can do
reason to
energised to

Question 17

1. A can-do motivational state is a form of ____ motivation in which the individual asks himself…
2. A reason-to motivational state is a form of ____ motivation in which the individual asks himself…
3. A energised-to motivational state is a form of ____ motivation in which the individual asks himself…

Answer 17

1. cold; ‘can i actually do this?’
2. cold; ‘do i want to do this? why should i act?’
3. hot; nothing, he is just energised to actually go for it

Question 18

Can-do motivational states are highly influenced by three things. What are they?

Answer 18

self-efficacy perceptions - important generally in proactive behaviour

control appraisals and attribution - do you have control?

perceived costs of action - how risky is it?

Question 19

Reason-to motivational states are connected to both the Expectancy and Self-Determination theory in what way?

Answer 19

Reason-to motivational states involves making utility judgements (‘will this lead to my current and future career goals?) which is the key concept of the Expectancy theory.

Being proactive can increase challenge and lead to the experience of flow, thereby fulfilling peoples needs for competence and autonomy (SDT).

Question 20

Under what circumstances are you especially motivated to bring about the desired future?

Which theory is this derived from?

Answer 20

if your envisioned future is central to your identity and values (e.g. sustainability goals)

self-concordance theory

Question 21

When one enters an energised-to motivational state, the positive core affect activates what?

Answer 21

an action tendency (go-getter)

Question 22

Positive affect leads to more ____ and ___ which allows for more creative ways of dealing with problems that arise during ____. One develops a ____ mindset.

Answer 22

broadening and flexibility

proactive goal striving

win-win

Question 23

For what two reasons may someone decide not to engage in proactive behaviour even though they are in a proactive motivational state?

Answer 23

• when there are low levels of job control

- when procedural justice is low, thus no fair procedure, thus less safe to be proactive

Question 24

Which individual difference in regards to proactive behaviour is most researched?

Answer 24

proactive personality

Question 25

Proactive personality is the tendency of an individual to…

In other words that means that…

Answer 25

be relatively unconstrained by situational forces in effecting environmental change

when you have a proactive personality, regardless of the situation, you are likely to show proactive behaviour

Question 26

What does the set of individual differences in personality and values with regard to proactive behaviour consist of?

Name all 6.

Answer 26

proactive personality 
conscientiousness 
desire for control
openness to change values
positive core self-beliefs
high learning goal orientation

Question 27

Those high on conscientiousness want to achieve…

Answer 27

a good fit within the organisation

Question 28

Those high on desire for control may use proactivity to…

Answer 28

increase a sense of control and reduce uncertainty

Question 29

Those with high openness to change values encompass…

For them, proactivity is an…

Answer 29

freedom of thought/change and innovation orientation

expression of own values

Question 30

Why is a high core self-belief helpful for proactivity?

Answer 30

it enhances the ‘can do’ motivational state

Question 31

Those with high learning goal orientation find proactivity ____, are generally more ____ and ____.

Answer 31

less risky, persistent, recover faster from setbacks

Question 32

What two individual differences in knowledge, skill and abilities influence how proactivity is generated and why?

Answer 32

1. higher job qualifications/education and cognitive ability –> higher ‘can do’ motivation –> better in proactive goal-setting/-striving
2. high positive affect –> stronger belief one can set and strive for goals as well as their reasons to do so

Question 33

What four contextual variables impact proactivity?

Answer 33

work design
job stressors
leadership
interpersonal climate and social processes

Question 34

1. Work design (enriched jobs) influence perceptions of ___ over the work environment and strengthens ____, which influences the ____ motivational state.
2. Enriched jobs influence the work conditions as to where employees experience ____ and ____, which influences how ____ motivated they are to be more proactive in their work (____ motivational state)
3. Enriched job also promote _____, hence being good for a ____ motivational state.

Answer 34

1. control, self-efficacy, can-do
2. enjoyment, flow, intrinsically, reason-to
3. energised states, energised-to

Question 35

For what three reasons does work design impact proactivity?

Answer 35

Enriched jobs influences all three motivational states:

1. Work design (enriched jobs) influence perceptions of control over the work environment and strengthens self-efficacy, which influences the reason-to motivational state.
2. Enriched jobs influence the work conditions as to where employees experience enjoyment and flow, which influences how intrinsically motivated they are to be more proactive in their work (reason-to motivational state)
3. Enriched job also promote energised states, hence being good for a energised-to motivational state.

Question 36

Job stressors can help proactivity in what way?

Answer 36

employees may engage in proactive behaviour to alleviate stressors at the job

e.g. when there is role ambiguity, they may actively seek feedback to reduce it

Question 37

What two leadership styles/theories have been found to promote employee proactivity?

Answer 37

transformational leadership

LMX

Question 38

For what reason is transformational leadership beneficial for proactivity?

Answer 38

its positively related to followers IWB

the vision provides a discrepancy between the ideal and current situations, therefore providing a motivational force for proactive action

Question 39

For what reason is LMX beneficial for proactivity?

Answer 39

it provides the safety to take risks in the first place

Question 40

What interpersonal climate and social process variables were found to positively affect proactivity and why?

Answer 40

cooperative and safe team climates reduce the experienced risk of proactive behaviour

Question 41

In the Model of proactive process and antecedents, Parker et al. found interaction between what two variables?

Answer 41

individual differences and contextual variables

Question 42

What two things does the research team recommend for future researchers?

Answer 42

looking into the outcomes of proactive behaviour in individual and organisational levels

a further challenge is how to assess proactivity