Expectancy Theory of Motivation - Assignment Example

Organizational behavior Name Course Date Question 1 Equity theory explains the relational satisfaction perception of people regarding what is fair or unfair distribution of resources within the interpersonal relationships. According to the theory, the employees usually seek to maintain equity between their inputs and the outcome that they receive from the job (Huczynski & Buchanan, 2013). This is based on the belief that employees values fair treatment which leads to motivation. The inputs that the employees bring to the company must therefore be well compensated by the output that they receive from the company. The inputs may include time, education, experience, effort, loyalty, hard work, personal sacrifice, skills, enthusiasm, tolerance and flexibility. The outcome may be negative or positive and they include job security, salary, employee benefit, expenses, recognition, praise, thanks, stimuli, sense of achievement and responsibility. The equity theory also indicates that the individuals maximize their outcomes (Wilson, 2013). The system of equity is usually influenced by the employees who try to encourage the other employees to behave in the same manner. Inequitable relationships usually result to distress among the employees. This may also lead to the development of hunger and humiliation. The individuals who find themselves in an inequitable relationship usually attempt to eliminate the distress through the restoration of the equity. The rewards are also important in terms of motivating the employees according to the equity theory. The rewards form an important part of the output and it is awarded to the employees who provide the favorable input. Motivation of the employees is an important aspect at Diaco pharmaceuticals in Australia. The company is recognized for its activities in terms of the environmental protection as well as the high levels of motivation of the employees. The company provides day care services as well as medical insurance for all the employees including the casuals. According to the equity theory, employee benefit is one of the important aspects of equity (Landis, et al, 2014). This is an indication that the outcome of the company is positive in terms of ensuring that the welfare of the employees is protected. The provision of day care services is likely to motivate the employees as such services can be too costly for the individual employees. The proviso of the medical insurance is also a motivational factor for the employees. This is considering that the employees are fully aware that they will receive healthcare services in case of any injuries or sickness. This is likely to motivate the employees top perform better and it is an indication of a good outcome on the part of the employees. In return for the outcome provided by the company, the employees are supposed to be hard-working and committed to their jobs. According to the equity theory, hard work is considered as one of the main inputs that the participants contribute to a relationship (Wilson, 2013). Equity is therefore maintained in the company as the employees are hard working and they are also provided with benefits which are for the purposes of motivating them. The CEO of the company usually encourages the employees to take a break at the beach when it is hot. However, the employees are required to be hardworking creative and good at teamwork. The input that is required of the employees is therefore equal to the output that is provided to them and it is an indication that there is a high level of equity within the organization. A sense of equity with the organization is responsible for the motivation of the employees (Greenberg & Cohen, 2014). Providing the employees a break to the beach during the hot days is an indication that the CEO is considerate of the welfare of the employees. However, the employees also have to show some levels of commitment through hard work in order to continue working for the company. The employees whose input does not match the outcome of the company cannot retain their jobs for long. This is fair since the company expects a fair return for the outputs that it gives to the employees. According to the equity theory, groups will reward members who treat others equitably and punish those who do not (Kwon & Jang, 2012). This is the situation at the company as it punishes the employees who fail to provide favourable inputs in relation to the outcome. According to the equity theory, the salary is an important outcome that determines the equity within the organization (Landis, et al, 2014). The salary that is paid to the employees of the company is related to the market rates or slightly higher. The company usually receives about 500 applications for every job that it advertises. This is an indication that the employees are comfortable with the salaries that they are earning at the company. Most of the employees are not at the company because of money. However, the benefits as well as the working conditions are quite favourable. The equity at the company therefore plays an important role in terms of ensuring that the employees are attracted and retained at the company. According to the equity theory, the employees expect a fair return for what they contribute to their jobs which is a concept known as equity norm (Huczynski & Buchanan, 2013). Diaco Pharmaceuticals provides a fair return to the employees which plays an essential role in ensuring that equity is maintained and the employees attracted and retained. Since the company receives a high number of applications for every job opening, it is an indication that the company is providing the employees with a fair return for their services. The presence of a fair return is also responsible for attracting the employees to the company despite the salaries being based at the market rate or slightly high than the market rates. Question 2 According to the expectancy theory, individuals decide to behave or act in a certain manner due to motivation to behave in the specific manner which is likely to yield some benefits (Lunenburg, 2011). The desirability of the outcome is an important factor that influences the behavior selection. The cognitive process also plays an important role in the determination of how the individuals process the elements of motivation. The expectancy theory plays an important role in terms of influencing the choices of the individuals as well as their decision making process. The expectancy theory is applicable in the business as well as the organizational environment. According to the expectancy theory, an organization has to ensure that it relates the rewards to the performance of the employees. The organization should also ensure that it is the deserving employees who are rewarded. The choices of the employees are usually influenced by the expected behavior. It is through the expectancy theory that the individuals choose a certain behavior over the other. Three variables are associated with expectancy theory and it includes valence, expectancy and instrumentality. Expectancy is usually responsible for driving the effort to perform (Liao, et al, 2011). Instrumentality is related to the outcome of the performance. Valence is the reward that the individuals obtain as a result of the outcome of the performance. Self efficacy determines the ability of the individuals to perform and this is dependent on their passion of the required skills. The expectancy is usually lowered when the goals are too high. Perceived control is also influential as it determines the degree of control over the outcome by the individuals. The motivational approach being used by Diaco is consistent with the expectancy theory and this has influenced the attraction as well as the retention of the employees. According to the expectancy theory, the efforts must result into some levels of performance (Griffin & Moorhead, 2011). The employees usually work hard if they know that they will attain high performances. The employees of Diaco are usually encouraged to work hard and be innovative. The resource that is required by the employees to perform the specific tasks is usually provided. In terms of instrumentality, the workers are only motivated if they think their performance is leads to an outcome. This is applicable in the case of the company as their performance usually leads to a positive outcome. The goal of the organization is to produce the highest quality products with minimum negative impacts on the environment. This has always been an inspiration to the employees and it motivates them to perform better. The company is considered as the protector of the environment as a result of the efforts that has is usually put by the employees. The performance of the employees can therefore be linked to the outcomes. In terms of valence, certain outcomes are valued by the company. This includes innovations teamwork and hard work. The employees are therefore required to work in accordance with the values that have been put in place. The values of the company are consistent with the expectancy theory. According to the expectancy theory, the level of motivation among the employees is high when expectancy, instrumentality and valence are high (Lunenburg, 2011). The employees of the company value the rewards that they receive and hence the better performance that the company has been experiencing over the years. The company has a strong reputation in the market as a result of its performance and consistency in terms of environmental protection. All the employees of the company are covered by an insurance policy which plays an important role in motivating them. As a result of the medical insurance cover, the employees expect to receive treatment in case of any injuries or ill health. This can act as a motivation of the employees to perform their tasks better. The existence of such expectations is in line with the expectancy theory and it is an indication that the expectancy theory. According to the expectancy theory, an organization has to ensure that it provides rewards to the employees according to their performance (Griffin & Moorhead, 2011). This is the case at the organization and any employee who fails to perform well is usually dismissed from the company. The employees who meet the requirements of the company in terms of the performance is retained and rewarded and hence consistency with the expectancy theory. The choices of the employees are influenced by the expected behaviours. The employees of the company usually perform well as they are aware that any failures on their part may lead to their dismissal. This is considering that the company provides favourable environment for the employees to perform their duties. The CEO of the company allows the employees to take some time off to the beach during the hot days. The company offers the employees with non-monetary rewards which mainly involve flexible working arrangements. The company also pays 50% of the tuition fees of the employees in case they decide to go for further studies. The employees are therefore aware of the rewards that they are likely to receive incase of performing well and hence the consistency with the expectancy theory. The employees of the company are therefore motivated to perform their duties in a certain manner as they are fully aware of the rewards that they are likely to receive. According to the expectancy theory, the desirability of the outcome influences the behavior selection (Liao, et al, 2011). The application of the expectancy theory therefore plays an important role in terms of determining the behavior of the employees in an organization. References Huczynski, A, & Buchanan, D, 2013, Organizational behavior, Pearson. Wilson, F, M, 2013, Organizational behaviour and work: a critical introduction, Oxford University Press. Landis, E, et al, 2014, A Synthesis of Leadership Theories and Styles, Journal of Management, 15(2), 97. Greenberg, J, & Cohen, R, L, 2014, Equity and justice in social behavior, Academic press. Kwon, S, & Jang, S, S, 2012, Effects of compensation for service recovery: From the equity theory perspective, International Journal of Hospitality Management, 31(4), 1235-1243. Lunenburg, F, C, 2011, Expectancy theory of motivation: motivating by altering expectations, International Journal of management, business, and administration, 15(1), 1-6. Liao, H, et al, 2011, Modeling motivations for blogging: An expectancy theory analysis, Social Behavior and Personality: an international journal, 39(2), 251-264. Griffin, R, & Moorhead, G, 2011, Organizational behavior, Cengage Learning. Read More