Thirty Second Theories: Expectancy Theory
September 24, 2008
Professor Vroom
Theory Designer: Victor Vroom
Theory Summary: People base actions on perceptions and beliefs.
In an organizational setting employees tend to believe that putting in more effort will yield better job performance, better job performance will lead to a desired outcome or rewards, such as an increase in salary or promotion, the reward will satisfy an important need and the desire to satisfy the need will make the effort worthwhile.
Two points central to expectancy theory:
Effort exerted is a function of
1. Expectation or subjective probability estimate that certain outcomes will occur as a result of performance
2. The valence of outcomes. The greater the valence of any outcome, the more likely the person is to choose to exert some effort to take action
Key words:
Valence: The emotional orientations that people hold with respect to outcome
Instrumentality: The perception the employees will get what they expect even if management gives them assurances
Expectancy: Employees have different expectations and levels of confidence based upon their belief in their ability to accomplish a task
Interesting Fact: Vroom has had a love for music and initially desired to play saxophone with a touring band. At Sir George University, Vroom completed several psychological tests that determined vocational preference. It was through these tests the Professor Vroom decided to pursue psychology as an alternative to music.
Publications: Work and Motivation, Leadership and Decision Making, and The New Leadership
Affiliation: Yale School of Management
Related Links:
Expectancy Theory
Value Based Management Site
There is a great downloadable autobiographical article on Vroom on the Yale School of Management webpage, you can access it here
Profile on Leadership: Daniel Goleman
September 24, 2008
Daniel Goleman Profile:
Profession: Science Journalist, Author, co-founded the Collaborative for Academic, Social and Emotional Learning at Yale University Child Studies Center
Books: Emotional Intelligence, Social Intelligence: The new science of human relationships, Working with Emotional Intelligence
Philosophy: Life success is based upon more than traditional measures of intelligence. Goleman has investigated the nature of social intelligence and its role in the ability to: establish relationships, lead and influence people and situations and achieve successful outcomes. Social intelligence involves the ability to adeptly navigate the nuances of interpersonal communication, social interaction, picking up on social cues and so on…
Links:
Check out this work EQ quiz and find out what your EQ at work is!
Thirty Second Theories: ERG Motivation Theory
September 24, 2008
Theory Designer: Clayton Alderfer
Theory Summary:
Humans have three levels of need which break down into Existence, Relatedness and Growth. Unlike Maslow’s Hierarchy, ERG promotes the idea that employees have numerous needs that are occurring simultaneously
Key words:
(1) Existence and survival: refers to physiological or basic material existence motivators (i.e. food, shelter, safety)
(2) Relatedness: refers to the motivation we have for maintaining interpersonal relationships (especially as it regards to social interaction and esteem issues).
(3) Growth: refers to an intrinsic desire for personal development (the desire to achieve, create, produce and be involved in activities that provide meaning to life).
Frustration-Regression Principle: If a person is frustrated in achieving a higher goal they will revert back to a lower level goal that may be easier to attain
Publications:
Initial article published in Psychological Review entitled “An Empirical Test of a New Theory of Human Need”
Book: Existence, Relatedness and Growth; Human Needs in Organizational Settings
Affiliation: Yale University, Cornell, Rutgers, Alderfer and Associates
Related Links:
Envision
Values Based Management
University of West Virginia ERG Lecture Notes
