Expectancy Theory Essay

992 Words4 Pages
Assignment 2 Explain Expectancy Theory of Motivation by giving a suitable example. By Muhammad Arsalan 01-133101-027 BSCS 3A Expectancy Theory of Motivation The expectancy theory was proposed by Victor Vroom of Yale School of Management in 1964. Vroom stresses and focuses on outcomes, and not on needs unlike Maslow and Herzberg. Expectancy Theory states that, individuals make decisions, which they believe will lead to reward or reduce the likelihood of pain. The ultimate goal does not matter, the important factor is the impact that achieving the goal will have on the individual. An individual’s opinion is formed by a combination of three factors which Vroom categorized as follows: * Expectancy * Valance * Instrumentality Expectancy The first factor is expectancy. This refers to the belief that you have the ability, resources, knowledge, etc. to actually perform the action and achieve the expected outcome. An example of this would be the belief that by working harder or more efficiently, that you would end up producing more. It is the belief that your attempts to take action will be successful. Valance The second factor is Valence. Valance basically refers to how much you value the ultimate outcome that may result from your action. For example, if you highly value money, then the more you get paid for taking a certain action, the higher your motivation. But if money isn't as important to you, then the amount you get paid will have little impact on your motivation. Your level of motivation will be directly influenced by how much you want the outcome. The more you value the outcome, the more motivation you have to make the effort and take the action to achieve the outcome. Instrumentality The last factor in Vroom's theory of motivation is instrumentality. This refers to your level of certainty that performing an action will lead
Open Document