Expectancy Theory of Motivation

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RIT1 Behavioral Influences: The Expectancy Theory of Motivation Expectancy Theory of Motivation Behavioral Influences The Expectancy Theory of Motivation (Porter & Lawler, 1968; Vroom, 1964) is a model of behavioral choice or cognitive process for explaining an individual’s decision-making process. It focuses on how decisions are made to achieve the desired result rather than providing specific suggestions on what motivates individuals. The expectancy theory has some useful implications for motivating employees. It identifies several important things to motivate employees by influencing the person’s effort-to-performance expectancy, performance-to-reward expectancy, and reward value or personal goals valence. The expectancy theory has three key components: expectancy or effort, instrumentality or performance, and valence or reward. A person is motivated when he or she believes their effort will lead to acceptable performance (expectancy), performance will be rewarded (instrumentality), and the value of the reward is highly positive (valence). Expectancy is the perceived likelihood by the individual that one’s effort will result in the desired performance goals. This expectancy to probability belief extends beyond the workforce as illustrated in the following examples: · If I spend most of the night studying, will it improve my grade on tomorrow’s science test? · If I make more sales calls, will I make more sales? · If I work harder than my counterparts, will I produce more? There are certain variables that affect an individual’s expectancy perception. These include: Self-Efficacy: This is a person’s belief about his or her ability to perform a particular behavior successfully. Does the individual believe they possess the required skills and competencies to perform well? Goal Attainment: If a performance goal
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