Motivational Problem

Since the beginning of time, organizations have been charged with the task of keeping their employees motivated and deciding what contributes to them being satisfied. Theories of motivation arose and attempted to explain an individual’s motivation to perform at a high level or not perform at all for that matter. Understanding how to motivate an individual is vital information because it holds the solution to motivating them.

The Expectancy Theory, coined by Victor Vroom, “holds that people are motivated to behave in ways that produce valued outcomes.” (Kinicki, & Kreitner, 2009, pg. 210) Vroom, believes that in order for a person to be motivated, performance and motivation must be linked. The theory can be used as an explanation of why an individual choose one option over others. The model itself does not explain what motivates individuals but how individuals make decisions to get the end value they desire. If they believe the work will yield a positive and desirable outcome, they will most likely be motivated to work hard to achieve the task. Vroom’s Theory is based on three concepts: Expectancy, Instrumentality, and Valence. Several factors contribute to an employee’s expectancy perceptions: self-esteem, self-efficacy, and previous success with the task to name a few. Having low self-esteem can decrease an individual’s belief that they are capable of completing the task at hand, or self-efficacy. This is critical in the Expectancy Theory because if a person does not feel like they will be successful at the task then they will think the effort is not worthy of being put forth. If a person has had past success with something then they will be confident that they can succeed at the task and should be motivated to do it. Instrumentality is a performance  outcome perception. (Kinicki, & Kreitner, 2009, pg. 211) This is the belief that performing well will lead to a valued outcome. “Performance is instrumental when it leads to something else. For Example, passing...