Week 6: Parker, Bindl & Strauss (2010) Making things happen: A model of proactive motivation Flashcards
The purpose of this article is to understand…
how proactivity is motivated on an individual-level by collectively reviewing existing perspectives on the topic
How is proactivity defined by Parker and team?
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)
Proactivity has three attributes. Name them.
it is self-starting, change-oriented and future-focussed
Proactivity is a goal-driven process characterised by what two elements?
goal generation
goal striving
What is proactive goal generation?
anticipation of desired future state and development of strategies to reach those states
What is proactive goal striving?
mobilisation and monitoring day-to-day behaviours to attain those goals or desired future states
Proactive goal generation has to be three things to be activated. Name and explain them.
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
Proactive goal generation of individuals at work always happens for one of three reasons. Name them.
proactive person-environment (PE fit behaviour)
proactive work behaviour
proactive strategic behaviour
Proactive person-environment (PE fit behaviour) means what?
When one sets proactive goals to create a better fit between ones own attributes and the internal environment of the firm
Proactive work behaviour means what?
setting proactive goals to improve the internal environment focussed on the individual, team or organisation
Proactive strategic behaviour means what?
setting proactive goals to improve the organisations strategy and its fit with the external environment
What should one do after a goal has been generated?
engage in goal striving - the behavioural mechanism in which individuals attain proactive goals
Proactive goal striving can either be ____ or ____.
enacting or reflecting
Enacting goal striving means what? How can it be achieved?
actually taking action to achieve a proactive goal
one must be persistent and resilient (self-regulation)
Reflecting goal striving means what?
the efforts to understand the success, failure or consequences of proactive behaviour (is it feasible and desirable?)
What are the three proactive motivational states that Parker and team discuss?
reasons some people engage in proactive behaviour:
can do
reason to
energised to
- A can-do motivational state is a form of ____ motivation in which the individual asks himself…
- A reason-to motivational state is a form of ____ motivation in which the individual asks himself…
- A energised-to motivational state is a form of ____ motivation in which the individual asks himself…
- cold; ‘can i actually do this?’
- cold; ‘do i want to do this? why should i act?’
- hot; nothing, he is just energised to actually go for it
Can-do motivational states are highly influenced by three things. What are they?
self-efficacy perceptions - important generally in proactive behaviour
control appraisals and attribution - do you have control?
perceived costs of action - how risky is it?
Reason-to motivational states are connected to both the Expectancy and Self-Determination theory in what way?
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).
Under what circumstances are you especially motivated to bring about the desired future?
Which theory is this derived from?
if your envisioned future is central to your identity and values (e.g. sustainability goals)
self-concordance theory
When one enters an energised-to motivational state, the positive core affect activates what?
an action tendency (go-getter)
Positive affect leads to more ____ and ___ which allows for more creative ways of dealing with problems that arise during ____. One develops a ____ mindset.
broadening and flexibility
proactive goal striving
win-win
For what two reasons may someone decide not to engage in proactive behaviour even though they are in a proactive motivational state?
- when there are low levels of job control
- when procedural justice is low, thus no fair procedure, thus less safe to be proactive
Which individual difference in regards to proactive behaviour is most researched?
proactive personality
Proactive personality is the tendency of an individual to…
In other words that means that…
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
What does the set of individual differences in personality and values with regard to proactive behaviour consist of?
Name all 6.
proactive personality conscientiousness desire for control openness to change values positive core self-beliefs high learning goal orientation
Those high on conscientiousness want to achieve…
a good fit within the organisation
Those high on desire for control may use proactivity to…
increase a sense of control and reduce uncertainty
Those with high openness to change values encompass…
For them, proactivity is an…
freedom of thought/change and innovation orientation
expression of own values
Why is a high core self-belief helpful for proactivity?
it enhances the ‘can do’ motivational state
Those with high learning goal orientation find proactivity ____, are generally more ____ and ____.
less risky, persistent, recover faster from setbacks
What two individual differences in knowledge, skill and abilities influence how proactivity is generated and why?
- higher job qualifications/education and cognitive ability –> higher ‘can do’ motivation –> better in proactive goal-setting/-striving
- high positive affect –> stronger belief one can set and strive for goals as well as their reasons to do so
What four contextual variables impact proactivity?
work design
job stressors
leadership
interpersonal climate and social processes
- Work design (enriched jobs) influence perceptions of ___ over the work environment and strengthens ____, which influences the ____ motivational state.
- 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)
- Enriched job also promote _____, hence being good for a ____ motivational state.
- control, self-efficacy, can-do
- enjoyment, flow, intrinsically, reason-to
- energised states, energised-to
For what three reasons does work design impact proactivity?
Enriched jobs influences all three motivational states:
- Work design (enriched jobs) influence perceptions of control over the work environment and strengthens self-efficacy, which influences the reason-to motivational state.
- 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)
- Enriched job also promote energised states, hence being good for a energised-to motivational state.
Job stressors can help proactivity in what way?
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
What two leadership styles/theories have been found to promote employee proactivity?
transformational leadership
LMX
For what reason is transformational leadership beneficial for proactivity?
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
For what reason is LMX beneficial for proactivity?
it provides the safety to take risks in the first place
What interpersonal climate and social process variables were found to positively affect proactivity and why?
cooperative and safe team climates reduce the experienced risk of proactive behaviour
In the Model of proactive process and antecedents, Parker et al. found interaction between what two variables?
individual differences and contextual variables
What two things does the research team recommend for future researchers?
looking into the outcomes of proactive behaviour in individual and organisational levels
a further challenge is how to assess proactivity
