The Three Key Components in the Expectancy Theory of Motivation - Essay Example

?Task Behavioral Influences A. The Three Key Components in the Expectancy Theory of Motivation According to the expectancy theory of motivation, the employees should exert greatest effort in the course of their work if they expect best performance that will enable them to harvest best and satisfying outcomes (Griffin & Moorhead, 2009). Motivation leads the employees to think that what they expect will be the results of their efforts. However, sometimes their outcomes do not meet their expectation, so they tend to get discouraged and will not anymore put forth much effort next time. Three key components or the beliefs as what was being popularized by Vroom (as cited in Green, 1992) suggest that what the employees may think will be the consequence if they exert much effort in their work. These are: first belief (B1) signifies the relationship between effort and performance; the second deals with the relationship between performance and outcomes (B2); and third (B3) with the relationship between outcomes and satisfaction. B1 is the perception and belief of the employee whether effort will lead to success or not; a perception of the employee if the work given is hard to perform. B2 deals with employee’s belief whether his performance will result to outcomes. B3 is the employee’s belief as to the satisfaction of his outcomes, and how favorably the outcomes will be. B. Application of the Expectancy Theory of Motivation In scenario, the employees were not motivated to work given the new production process. Some of them do not seem to put forth any effort to master the process, and some just do not exert much effort, though they have mastered it. Some were not motivated to reach the production goals because there is no disparity between the salary of those who can meet the department goals, and those who cannot. In addition, they claim that though they were given bonus for reaching the production goals, their salary amount is so small because of the withholdings, thus, not worth the effort. In application of the expectancy theory of motivation, the company must do every means to make their employees motivated to work on the new production process. Some of their employees were thinking they “cannot just do it,” no motivation is entered in their minds; they were dubious if they can do it. Also, this company should try to make something that will make the employees motivated, so that they will exert more effort towards performance by using Effort-Performance method (like giving additional bonus). The concern about additional hand dexterity to achieve success, the company should, in any way, try to motivate employees that their performance will lead to outcomes. Some of them would think, “Will I get it?” so, the company should make its employees think that they can perform the job; they must believe they will achieve what they expect if they perform well by using Performance-Outcome method (like conducting training). Finally, employees should be made to believe that their overall outcomes will be satisfying, no matter what the situation will be through Outcome-Satisfaction method (like praising them for a job done). Hence, employees are motivated if: they believe that effort leads to performance: performance results to outcomes and outcomes will meet satisfaction. References Green, T. B. (1992). Performance and motivation strategies for today's workforce: A guide to expectancy theory applications. US: Greenwood Publishing Group. Griffin, R. W., & Moorhead, G. (2009). Organizational behavior: Managing people and organizations. US: Cengage Learning. Task 2. Leadership A. Leadership Style Transformational leadership according to Bass (1998), the leader tries to change the values as well as the priorities of the subordinates through motivating them to fulfill more works in their jobs by introducing to and doing things in new ways. In addition, transformational leaders possess an awesome ability to inspire, motivate, and encourage followers or subordinates to come up with outcomes far beyond of what is expected (Bertocci D. I. & Bertocci D. L., 2009). He motivates and helps them (the subordinates) to accomplish a level of performance that, in return, would entitle them to rewards; employees are given rewards based on their performance. Transactional leader is sometimes called as “management by exception,” because the leader tells the employees on what to do in order to achieve desired results (Bertocci D. I. & Bertocci D. L., p. 48). In addition, the transactional leader uses path-goal concepts to introduce the employees on ways how to obtain the rewards; he will let the subordinates do the job through the given concepts and will not intervene unless there is probability of not meeting the goals. While, “level 5” denotes combination of transformational and transactional leadership style focused on long term company performance (Philips & Gully, 2011). The “level 5” leader works for the future of the company; they channel their ambition away from themselves. He or she is not proud, therefore humble and willing to take the blame for failure. However, a “level 5” leader does every means to resolve conflicts and problems, and set high standards to achieve the best long-term results. He or she is willing to give the company to the employees if he desires to. The Leader’s Leadership Style A.1 Executive A uses “level 5” style of leadership because in his tenure though, there was a moment that the company has experienced collapsed in terms of profits and stock share; he was able to find ways to take the company way up. In fact, the employees and other people credit him a major contributor to the company’s success. He is quick in accepting responsibility for failures and poor results, and takes the pride in developing strong leaders within the company. A.2 Leader B belongs to transactional style of leadership because he communicates to the employees on what to be done, delegates task to achieve the goal, and gives them rewards for their success. He establishes clear goals (or path goal concepts) and continues to guide the subordinates towards these goals. A.3 While, leader C uses transformational leadership style because he believes that people can achieve great success when they are inspired and passionate about a vision. He is a transformational leader because he encourages the subordinates to transcend or exceed their self interest for the good of the organization. As the Future CEO B. If leader B would be appointed as the next Chief Executive Officer of the company, there would be some changes. With the kind of leadership style he has, the employees would develop a sense of dependency to the leader--tells the subordinates what task to be done. Also, there might be increase of production in the company, as employees would seek to strive more to produce best outcomes to receive rewards prepared by the leader. C. However, if leader C would appointed, he would bring remarkable changes to the employees as well as to the company; as a transformational leader, he would affect changes and improvement through motivating and inspiring the subordinates to achieve the goals and meet the high expectations. Likely, employees would develop a sense of “being part of the team” as the leader treat them like a family. References Bass, B. M. (1998). Transformational leadership: Industrial, military, and educational Impact. US: Routledge. Bertocci, D. I., & Bertocci, D. L. (2009). Leadership in organizations: There is a difference between leaders and managers. US: University Press of America. Philips, J., & Gully, S. M. (2011). Organizational behavior: Tools for success. US: Cengage Learning. Task 3. Dependency and Power (438 words) A. Bases of Power The five bases of power demonstrated in the given scenario are: reward power, coercive power, legitimate power, referent power, and expert power (Augustine et al., 2003). Reward power denotes the giving of reward because something has been achieved or fulfilled; and it is based on the ability to deliver rewards contingent upon compliance to orders or directives (for example in the scenario, employees who earn a superior rating on the yearly performance rating will receive a large bonus at the end of the year). Coercive power connotes an ability of withholding or delivering punishments as strategy in exercising power; a belief of the power recipient that failure to follow rules or directives constitutes punishment (employee 1 works in office for exceeding number of hours even on weekends to ensure that the work is complete and accurate). Moreover, legitimate power means that someone has the right do something because he holds legitimate power; a belief of the power recipient to follow the orders of those who are above them--that holds legal right to impose rules and regulations (Weber, 1947, as cited in Freeman, 1999). For example, employee 2 has made the accounting manager agree to his proposal that he would work for four days a week only, because he is the only CPA in the department, and the one in charge in preparing for company’s financial statements. Other examples would be: the government exercises power of expropriation on a public land by which public amusement park will be built; state legislatures often create state agencies or boards that can exercise legitimate power over colleges and universities; the court being a holder of legitimate power orders someone to bring himself before the court for a hearing on a case. On the other hand, referent power implies an “imitation” of something like status, or desire based on the positive identification of the power recipient with the power holder. For example, Employee 3, despite of his short tenure in the corporation and lack of team lead experience, was selected to lead the team. He is very charismatic and positive because of that people was naturally drawn to his personality. B. Dependency and Power According to Robins (1993), power is much related to dependency; it is a function of dependency (as cited in Freeman, 1999). However, dependency implies a condition wherein one individual has something that another individual needs or wants, therefore, one can have power over another if he has control over something--like things which another individual wants or needs. Mintzberg (1983) stated that dependency exist when a person controls resources which are valuable and of limited availability--something that cannot be replaced (as cited in Freeman, 1999). In the scenario, Employee 2 being the only CPA in the accounting department has control over the department including the accounting manager because of his resource--skills and title that no one can replace him to prepare the company’s financial statement. Another manifestation, Employee 1’s plan for a vacation would be unaffordable without the bonus. References Augustine, C. H., Levy, D. G., Benjamin, R. W., Bikson, T. K., Daley, G.A., Gates, S.M., … Moini, J.S. (2003). Strategic assessment and development of interorganizational influence in the absence of hierarchical authority. Santa Monica, CA: Rand. Freeman, R. M. (1999). Correctional organization and management: Public policy challenges, behavior, and structure. US: Elsevier. Task 4. Performance Evaluation A. Three Points of Concern A.1 What should be evaluated in a performance evaluation are the following: work quality and quantity, leadership, and attendance (Walsh, 2009). The first criterion refers to the number and value or essence of the work finished while second refers to employee’s ability to lead a team or group of employees or, the ability to work with others in a team; and third includes punctuality of the employees--absents, lates, and overbreaks are usually determined. Also, it refers to the employees’ time consciousness in the work. All have its own significance, but differ in value and weight. A.2 Determining the relative value of each of the criterion aforesaid is essential in evaluation process as it determines whether or not employees are doing well in their job. Significantly, it would also provide the evaluators (or the manager) with knowledge as to who among the employees are best and deserve promotion. Further, doing so would help employees realize the value of work and time as they are evaluated according to how they deal with works. Under leadership criterion, evaluators would be able to determine the skills the employee has in regard to being a leader of a team; if he or she works well with his team, or whether or not the employee fulfills the works and goals of the company in general. Attendance as criterion plays a crucial role in helping the evaluators determine employees’ punctuality, and ability to follow policies concerning time in the company. Under work quantity and quality criterion, evaluators would be able to see as to “how many” and “how well” the employees do their works. Some companies use it to determine as to how much pay the employees get. Criterion work quantity and quality should be weighted the heaviest because it basically keeps the company continue to operate; less and poor production may lead to low income and possible layoffs. Criterion attendance must not given that much weight. It does not mean that it’s not important, but should be the focal measurement. Poor attendance may be elevated through giving employees attendance bonus. B. Advantages and Disadvantages In the evaluation process of most companies, usually the supervisors, peers and subordinates are included. They might act as important agent in determining evaluation ratings. Actually, in that manner, there might be advantages and disadvantages on the part of the person being evaluated. Following are the advantages: ‘peers’ feedback and evaluative judgments may be less threatening than from supervisors; another, supervisor ratings may give recommendation or personal comments that might lead to candidate’s promotion or appraisal; it might be that candidates will be rated only on those skills and behaviors that are important on the job (Priestly, 1982). However, the disadvantages are: biases may arise because the candidates are evaluated by different supervisors; the criteria by which to evaluate candidates are difficult to establish--some are not proven to be job-related and based on opinions, attitudes, and irrelevant characteristics; in addition, peers’ ratings are somehow not expected or considered as reliable and valid because they are not experienced in proper evaluation process; also, their ratings are not expected to be credible because they themselves are being evaluated by the same standards (Priestly, 1982, p. 85), thus, creating both advantages and disadvantages. C. Performance Evaluation Methods and Biases and/or Errors There are three common performance appraisal methods according to Sommerville (2007): Behavioral frequency scale--a form or method that requires the rater or evaluator to identify the job related behaviors, and evaluate the frequency of identified job behaviors, and rate the candidate based upon the set of evaluation criteria present in the evaluation form. On the other hand, Management by Objective (MBO), is a method that allows both the supervisor and employee to review the job responsibilities defined in the company by-laws or guidelines. It is also to conduct a formal performance evaluation in which supervisor and employees identify the processes and results needed, and subsequently figure out performance standards through which the final judgment will be made. Self-Appraisal Method is a method that suggests self-evaluation by the employees. The employee himself or herself does evaluation. It is a method which allows employee obtains higher ratings on the job-related criteria, while 360 evaluation method is designed to gather feedback from an employees’ direct report, coworkers, and other workers that the employee comes into contact with in a working relationship on the job. It is performed by supervisors, three to four co workers, and even customers; this method as compared to “tell and sell” method is less beneficial to employees. “Tell and sell” is a method in which the supervisor does the evaluation of the performance of the employees; supervisors conduct evaluation interview, and reviews the employee’s performance appraisal but allows the employee to provide explanations and defend his or her performance. On the other hand, Confidential Report is a method conducted by the supervisor in which he or she makes the evaluation of the employees’ strengths and weaknesses. It is a traditional way of appraising employees commonly used by Indian business establishments. Errors and biases are likely to arise that affect the accuracy of performance evaluations such as personal biases (common in Self-Appraisal method) and recency--tendency to emphasize recent behaviors rather than the individual’s performance over the entire period or review (Erasmus & Schenk, 2009). Leniency and strictness error is the tendency of some evaluators to assign either mostly favorable ratings or mostly very harsh ratings to all employees. Another is the Central tendency error, the tendency to assign all ratings towards the center of all scales, thus evaluating all workers as “average.” These are both common in 360 evaluation method. D. Improvement Techniques In order to achieve better and valid evaluation results, according to Salvendy (2001) company should choose an evaluation method that is consistent with its job-evaluation objectives, and determine whether evaluation is necessary at all by considering questions like: does management perceive meaningful differences between job? Will job evaluation result in clear distinctions in employee’s eyes?, Or can legitimate criteria for distinguishing between jobs be articulated and operationalized? Also, company should consider a training process for evaluators especially those who come from outside the human resource department to ensure validity and lessen errors; and see to it that evaluators have the authority to do the evaluation. References Erasmus B., & Schenk, H. (2009). South African human resource management: Theory and practice. South Africa: Juta and Company Ltd. Keefe, J., & Sandler C. (2003). Performance appraisal phrase book: The best words, phrases, and techniques for performance. US: Adams Media. Priestly, M. (1982). Performance assessment in education and training: Alternative techniques. US: Educational Technology. Sommerville, K. L. (2007). Hospitality employee management and supervision: Concepts and practical applications. US: John Wiley and Sons. Read More