Critique on Expectancy Theory

Motivation can be defined as a process that starts with a physiological and

psychological deficiency or a need that activates a behavior or a drive that is aimed

at a goal or incentive. (Luthans, 2006).

Motivation is a process which starts with physiological and psychological things

which is accomplish a goal.

Motivation is a theoretical model that is used to explain behavior. It gives reasons

for people’s actions, desires and needs.

The theoretical development of work motivation is of three types of theories.

1. Content theories

2. Process theories

3. Contemporary theories

The “Process theories” explain about changing personal behavior and why

people’s behavior differs from each other. These theories do not emphasize about

the factors of individual satisfaction but they emphasize the means of satisfying

individuals. The theories mentioned below are discussed under the Process

theories.

1. Reinforcement Theories

2. Expectancy Theory

3. Equity Theory

4. Goal Setting Theory

Expectancy theory is a mental process regarding the selection of choices. It’s a

motivation theory first proposed by Victor Vroom of the Yale school of

management.

Expectancy theory is based on four assumptions. First one is the fact that people

join organizations considering about their needs, motivations and past experience.

These factors influence the way how individuals react to the organization. Second

one is the matter that an individual’s behavior is a result of conscious choice. That

is, people are free to choose those behaviors suggested by their own expectancy

calculations. Third one is that people want different things from the organization.

Last one is that people will choose among alternatives so as to optimize outcomes

for them personality.

Vroom’s expectancy

Vroom’s expectancy theory assumes that behavior results from conscious choices

among alternatives whose purpose it is to maximize pleasure and minimize pain.

Vroom realized that an employee’s performance is based on individual factors such

as personality, skills, knowledge, experience and abilities.

For example, when a person takes a job he or she will choose to behave in ways

they believe will lead to getting some type of reward from that type of behavior.

Motivation = Expectancy * Instrumentality * Valence

Expectancy means the person’s belief that more effort will result in success. If you

work harder, it will result in better performance. If any person who doesn’t have

any expectation, he will avoid doing this task or do the things without his effort

because of other people impact.

As an example, if a person think that he is able to that he tries harder. If he tries

harder he has high expectancy. This briefly describe how to effort relates to

performance.

Instrumentality means the person’s belief that there is a connection between

activity and goal. If you perform well, you will get reward. Briefly it describes the

probability of a person’s perception regarding the ability of attaining desired

level of results by successfully performing a task .

As an example if a person expect a certain benefit by reaching an activity level of

3000.

Valence means the degree to which a person values the reward, the results of

success

(1st level outcomes) (2nd level outcomes)

Effort performance Value of outcome

Expectancy Instrumentality

As the critiques on this motivation theory, Porter & Lawler have emerged

weaknesses of expectancy theory. So far they have emerged difficulties of using

this theory practically and they have questioned on accuracy of scientific

measurements which used in expectancy theory.

The relationship of individual satisfaction and performance represents by Porter &

lawler model. Porter & lawler used Vroom’s Expectancy theory as a foundation to

develop their expectancy model. Similar to Vroom’s theory, Porter & Lawler

concluded that an individual’s motivation to complete a task is affected by the

reward they expect to receive for completing the task. However Porter & Lawler

introduced additional aspects to the expectancy theory.

According to porter and lowler, simplicity of the expectancy theory of motivation

is a one of major criticism. Under the expectancy theory, it doesn’t explain

individual’s different levels of efforts which they acted out.

Another default is, in this theory it assumes employees are encouraged by rewards

to expand greater efforts obtaining the reward. But it has neglected reward may

cause for a negative effect for the individual. As an example, by increasing his/her

payment he/she may have to afford a higher tax payment.

The expectancy theory of motivation decision model is effective in managerial

perspective as it expect on the manager to make assumptions on the motivational

force of the reward for the employee.

So, the uses of the rewards need to obey to the law of effect where positively

rewarded behaviors will have a tendency to augment in frequency, negatively or

neutrally rewarded behaviors will have a tendency to diminish in frequency and the

type of reinforcement and its timing will impact the frequency of the behavior.

Porter & Lawler Model

Value of

Rewards

Abilities

and Traits

Intrinsic

rewards

Perceived

equitable

rewards

Effort

Performance

accomplishme

nt

Satisfaction

Extrinsic

rewards

Role

perception

Perceived effort

Reward

probability

The components of Value of rewards, Perceived effort reward probability and

Effort are similar to Vroom’s expectancy theory. A person decides to make some

effort based on the value of expected rewards and the amount of effort he/she

should have to afford. According to that, he/she decides the amount of effort

needed to sacrifice for a task. Individual’s abilities, aptitudes, inherent

characteristics and also individual’s role perception on importance of their task are

affected for this effort. Under the concept of perceived equitable reward, a

comparison is made between the actual intrinsic(satisfaction, sense of

achievement) and extrinsic (bonus, commission, pay increases) rewards which are

acquired by performance accomplishment with expected rewards. Individual’s

satisfaction or dissatisfaction will depend on this comparison.

A person uses his/her actual satisfaction and experiences for making decisions on

the expected optimum future benefits that he/she going to accept in the future. The

line of feedback showed that how to affect future performance for individual’s

behavior.

Conclusion

Finally, the expectancy theory can be concluded using some initial and important

facts. The expectancy theory of Vroom deals with motivation and management.

Vroom’s theory assumes that behavior results from conscious choices among

alternatives whose purpose it is to maximize pleasure and minimize pain. Together

with Edward Lawler and Lyman Porter, Vroom suggested that the relationship

between people’s behavior at work and their goals was not as simple as was first

imagined by other scientists. Vroom realized that an employee’s performance is

based on individual factors such as personality, skills, knowledge, experience and

abilities.

References

Expectancy Theory of Motivation - Victor Vroom http://www.leadership-central.com/expectancy-theory-of-motivation.html#axzz4a2vXLpGs

International Organizational Behavior-2nd Edition

Pages 124-133

Anne Marie Francesco

Barry Allen Gold