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Emp401 Lecture 6

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9 views

Emp401 Lecture 6

Uploaded by

stanleykakai001
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© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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LECTURE 6

A. Process Theories of Work Motivation

While the content theories are concerned with identifying what is within the individual or the
work environment that energizes and sustains behavior, process theories try to describe the
steps taken to energize, direct, sustain and finally stop behavior.

They attempt to define the major variables necessary for explaining a choice and how these
variables influence decision to make effort. (Should I work hard, calls for effort, how hard calls
for persistence, how long, availability of time).

1) Reinforcement Theory of Motivation

-Considers the use of positive and negative reinforcements to create an environment of


motivation.

-It is not concerned with the needs or why people make choices but focuses on the
environment and its consequences for the person.

-One works hard because their behavior is reinforced therefore behavior resulting in pleasant
outcomes is likely to be repeated &VV.

-Reinforcement can either be positive or negative but both aimed at encouraging or


discouraging behavior.

-Positive reinforcement include praise, recognition, promotion, pay bonus etc

-Negative reinforcement includes punishment, stagnation.

2) Expectancy Theory by Kurt Lewin and Edward Tolman and shaped by Victor Vroom

The theory believes that motivation is a conscious process in which decisions lawfully relates to
psychological events that occur contemporaneously with behavior.

This Theory rests on two assumption that:


-Individuals make decisions about their own behavior in organizations using their ability to think
reason and anticipate future events, hence motivation is seen as a conscious process governed
by law.

-Forces in the individual and the environment combine to determine behavior. Individual’s
values and attitudes interact with environmental components such as role expectations and
organizational climate to influence behavior.

-Motivation is seen as a product of Valence, expectancy and instrumentality.

Valence

-Refers to the perceived positive or negative value, worth or attractiveness that an individual
ascribes to potential outcomes, rewards or incentives for working in an organization.

-An outcome can be positive valence, zero valence or negative valence

-An outcome is considered to have a negative valence when a person is indifferent towards
attaining the associated goal. Example, a young teacher may not consider retirement benefits
as very essential

-The kind of valence that workers attach to outcomes (rewards) is influenced by factors such as
age, education and type of work.

-Some workers may develop positive valence in the work itself if they are competent, they
therefore complete their tasks effectively and efficiently.

Expectancy

-Refers to the subjective probability that a given effort will yield specified performance level.

-The specific outcomes attained by a person are dependent not only on the choices but also
events beyond his/her control.

-It is therefore an effort or performance probability.

Instrumentality

-This is the probability that performance will lead to desired reward.


-It represents the belief by the employee that reward will be received once the task has been
accomplished.

-The core of the expectancy theory relates to how a person perceives the relationships between
effort, performance and reward.

-The employee has to perform some kind of cost – benefit analysis for their own behavior at
work.

Applicability

-The theory helps to clarify the relationship between individual and organizational goals.

-It provides educational managers with a strong conceptual framework for understanding
motivation and how it can be improved.

-The teachers’ belief that their efforts will lead to performance can be enhanced through
Training, supervision, guidance and participation in decision making.

-Management should design reward systems which are based on actual performance.

-Workers should be matched to their relevant skills, the management should be cognizant of
abilities and traits.

-Management should clarify job objectives/ expectations to minimize wastage of efforts.

3) Goal Theory of Motivation

-Developed by Edwin Locke (1968).

-A goal is what an individual consciously tries to achieve.

-Interventions to achieve a goal constitute the primary motivating forces behind work behavior.

Eg; We rest to gain strength, eat to satisfy hunger, study to gain knowledge etc

-The need to achieve a goal drives the concerned individual to behave in a certain manner.

-Goal setting helps the employee:

-Focus his attention on a particular task


-They regulate or increase employee’s efforts

-They constantly remind workers where they are moving to and their pace of movement

-Enables workers to become more creative in charting out new strategies and action
plans

to achieve the agreed upon results.

Job Satisfaction: A contingency Approach

-Consistent research indicate that married employees have fewer absence, undergo less
turnover as they are more satisfied with their job.

-They put more value on job security due to the various responsibilities they are trusted with.

-Research also has it that the older one gets the less likely they may wish to quit a job as they
have fewer alternative job opportunities and have accrued better salaries and more attractive
pension benefit.

-Workers in their middle 20s and late 30s are the least satisfied group. Young people come to
the work place with high expectations that may not be fulfilled.

-Employees tend to prefer work which is mentally challenging and gives them the opportunity
to use their skills and abilities and has variety of tasks.

-Pay systems and promotion policies that are just and in line with workers’ expectations
contributes towards job satisfaction.

-Research show that workers in higher levels of occupation are more satisfied than those in
lower levels.

-There is also an increase in job satisfaction when workers have friendly and supportive co-
workers and a supervisor who understands.

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