Criticism Of Vroom%27s Expectancy Theory Of Motivation

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Criticism Of Vroom%27s Expectancy Theory Of Motivation

Criticisms Of The Expectancy Theory
Expectancy Theory Of Victor Vroom
Criticism Of Vroom 27s Expectancy Theory Of Motivation Factor
What Is Vroom's Expectancy Theory
Victor Vroom Expectancy Theory 1964
Expectancy theory in comparison to the other motivation theories. There is a useful link between Vroom's expectancy theory and Adam's Equity theory of motivation: namely that people will also compare outcomes for themselves with others. Criticism of Vroom's Expectancy theory 1) Edward Lawler claims that the simplicity of expectancy theory is deceptive because it assumes that if an employer. 2) If anyone is transferred to other places due to the promotion and if that place is far away from the resident place.
 Vroom's Expectancy Theory of Employee Motivation - QuizChoose your answer and write the correct one down. Then click HERE for the answers to this quiz.
NOTE: The transcript from the video is listed below the quiz for your reference.
1. This person developed expectancy theory
Victor Vroom
Clayton Alderfer
E.L. Thorndike
Abraham Maslow
David McCelland
 2. Expectancy theory is based on these three components
effort, performance, reward
expectancy, performance, reward
expectancy, performance, result
effort, praise, return
expectancy, praise, return
 3. An employee who has a high level of expectancy for a valuable reward, also tends to have the motivation to increase performance.
TRUE
FALSE
 4. The _________ has to be something the employee finds value in, making the efforts worth the perceived worth of the __________.
expectancy
performance
result
effort
praise
 5. This refers to the level of effort an employee is willing to exert in hopes that the increased effort will result in better performance.
expectancy
performance
result
effort
praise
 6. The level of this component is based on the strength of the relationship between an employee's behaviors and the rewards they can receive from those actions.
expectancy
performance
result
effort
praise
Finding the right equation for motivating employees can be challenging. This lesson explains how expectancy theory is used to motivate employees by increasing the motivation to act based on a set of specific criteria.
Bob ButtkissBob Buttkiss works at a local home improvement store. He's what some might consider a model employee. Bob is always the first one there and the last one to leave. While at work, he puts forth an effort that goes above and beyond his manager's expectations. He is always willing to take on extra projects as well as help his fellow coworkers with their jobs. Bob does not mind working the shifts that everyone else hates, and he does it with a smile. Some of Bob's coworkers think he's just plain crazy to work so hard at a job that pays so little, and others think he's a brown-noser, just trying to make himself look good to the manager. 
 Bob works at a local home improvement store. However, for Bob, his efforts are not in vain. Rather, they are motivating for him. In fact, Bob believes strongly in the motto 'you get out what you put in,' and he expects that his efforts will eventually be recognized and rewarded by his manager. Because Bob dreams of becoming a manager himself one day, he is willing to do whatever it takes to work towards that goal. Expectancy TheoryOne of the most widely accepted theories of employee motivation was developed by Victor Vroom in 1964. Expectancy theory is based on the premise that a person will be motivated to put forth a higher level of effort if they believe their efforts will result in higher performance and thus better rewards. If we break down this definition, we can see three key components, which include expectancy, performance and reward. 
Expectancy refers to the level of effort that an employee is willing to exert in hopes that the increased effort will result in better performance. For an employee whose review is based on how well they perform their jobs (which most job assessments are), the expectation is that the employee who works harder, such as Bob Buttkiss did in the previous example, can expect to reach a higher level of performance. 
 The reward has to be something the employee finds value in. An employee is willing to work towards this higher level of performance because of the perceived correlation between performance and rewards. That is, that the level of performance is based on the strength of the relationship between an employee's behaviors and the rewards that they can receive from those actions. If working five extra hours a week will result in an eventual promotion, the willingness to work those extra hours increases due to the employee's desire to be awarded the promotion. Finally, an assessment must also be made as to how valuable the employee finds the rewards to be. The reward therefore has to be something the employee finds value in, making the efforts worth the perceived worth of the reward. For many employees, the prospect of a promotion is a reward that is highly valuable and worth all of the effort that one would need to make in order to earn it. This is certainly true for our friend Bob Buttkiss. 
Making Sense of the EquationWhile the theory is not all-inclusive of all individual employee motivational needs, expectancy theory can help managers create motivational programs in the workplace. The key to understanding the process behind expectancy theory is determining the relationship between the effort and performance, between performance and reward and between rewards and employee satisfaction. An employee who has a high level of expectancy for a valuable reward also tends to have the high motivation to increase performance. For managers to take advantage of expectancy theory, they must show their employees the connection between their efforts and expectations of performance, then further demonstrate how meeting or exceeding those performance expectations will result in rewards the employee will find desirable. 
 For Bob, the prospect of a promotion is a valuable reward. If we go back to the example of Bob Buttkiss and pretend to be his manager, you can use expectancy theory to continue to motivate him to work at a high level. As Bob's manager, one would first need to find out what rewards motivate Bob to work harder. If you recall, Bob was hoping for a promotion one day. As Bob's manager, you would want to be sure that that reward is something that can be offered to Bob. Once confirmed, you can meet with Bob to discuss your performance expectations with him and what he needs to do to reach his reward of a promotion. You will also want to confirm with Bob that he finds the reward valuable. By aligning performance expectations with rewards, Bob can quickly see what actions he needs to take to meet or exceed those expectations with the anticipation of being promoted some day. Bob's desire to satisfy the need to be promoted is strong enough to make the effort worthwhile, thus he is motivated to perform at high levels. 
 Expectancy theory can motivate Bob to work at a high level. Lesson Summary Let's review. One of the most widely accepted theories of motivation was developed by Victor Vroom in 1964. It's known as expectancy theory, which is based on the premise that a person will be motivated to put forth a higher level of effort if they believe their efforts will result in higher performance and thus better rewards. 
Expectancy theory is broken down into three components: expectancy, performance and reward. Expectancy refers to the level of effort an employee is willing to exert in hopes that the increased effort will result in better performance. The level of performance is based on the strength of the relationship between an employee's behaviors and the rewards that they receive from those actions. Finally, an assessment must also be made as to how valuable the employee finds the rewards to be. The reward therefore has to be something the employee finds value in, making the efforts worth the perceived worth of the reward. 
While the theory is not all-inclusive of all individual employee motivational needs, expectancy theory can help managers to create motivational programs in the workplace. The key to understanding the process behind expectancy theory is determining the relationship between effort and performance, between performance and reward and between rewards and employee satisfaction. An employee who has a high level of expectancy for a valuable reward also tends to have a high level of motivation to increase performance.
Vroom expectancy motivation theory
Vroom expectancy motivation theoryWhereas Maslow and Herzberg look at the relationship between internal needs and the resulting effort expended to fulfil them, Vroom's expectancy theory separates effort (which arises from motivation), performance, and outcomes. 
Vroom's expectancy theory assumes that behavior results from conscious choices among alternatives whose purpose it is to maximize pleasure and to minimize pain. Vroom realized that an employee's performance is based on individual factors such as personality, skills, knowledge, experience and abilities. He stated that effort, performance and motivation are linked in a person's motivation. He uses the variables Expectancy, Instrumentality and Valence to account for this. 
Expectancy is the belief that increased effort will lead to increased performance i.e. if I work harder then this will be better. This is affected by such things as: 
Having the right resources available (e.g. raw materials, time) 
Having the right skills to do the job 
Having the necessary support to get the job done (e.g. supervisor support, or correct information on the job)
Instrumentality is the belief that if you perform well that a valued outcome will be received. The degree to which a first level outcome will lead to the second level outcome. i.e. if I do a good job, there is something in it for me. This is affected by such things as: 
Clear understanding of the relationship between performance and outcomes – e.g. the rules of the reward 'game' 
Trust in the people who will take the decisions on who gets what outcome 
Transparency of the process that decides who gets what outcome
Valence is the importance that the individual places upon the expected outcome. For the valence to be positive, the person must prefer attaining the outcome to not attaining it. For example, if someone is mainly motivated by money, he or she might not value offers of additional time off. 
The three elements are important behind choosing one element over another because they are clearly defined: effort-performance expectancy (E>P expectancy) and performance-outcome expectancy (P>O expectancy).
E>P expectancy: our assessment of the probability that our efforts will lead to the required performance level.
P>O expectancy: our assessment of the probability that our successful performance will lead to certain outcomes.
Crucially, Vroom's expectancy theory works on perceptions – so even if an employer thinks they have provided everything appropriate for motivation, and even if this works with most people in that organisation, it doesn't mean that someone won't perceive that it doesn't work for them. 
At first glance expectancy theory would seem most applicable to a traditional-attitude work situation where how motivated the employee is depends on whether they want the reward on offer for doing a good job and whether they believe more effort will lead to that reward. 
However, it could equally apply to any situation where someone does something because they expect a certain outcome. For example, I recycle paper because I think it's important to conserve resources and take a stand on environmental issues (valence); I think that the more effort I put into recycling the more paper I will recycle (expectancy); and I think that the more paper I recycle then less resources will be used (instrumentality) 
Thus, Vroom's expectancy theory of motivation is not about self-interest in rewards but about the associations people make towards expected outcomes and the contribution they feel they can make towards those outcomes. 
Expectancy theory in comparison to the other motivation theoriesThere is a useful link between Vroom's expectancy theory and Adam's Equity theory of motivation: namely that people will also compare outcomes for themselves with others. Equity theory suggests that people will alter the level of effort they put in to make it fair compared to others according to their perceptions. So if we got the same raise this year, but I think you put in a lot less effort, this theory suggests that I would scale back the effort I put in. 
Criticisms Of The Expectancy Theory

Other theories don't allow for the same degree of individuality between people. This model takes into account individual perceptions and thus personal histories, allowing a richness of response not obvious in Maslow or McClelland, who assume that people are essentially all the same. 
Vroom's expectancy theory could also be overlaid over another theory (e.g. Maslow). Maslow could be used to describe which outcomes people are motivated by and Vroom to describe whether they will act based upon their experience and expectations.
Expectancy theory in companiesExpectancy theory predicts that employees in an organization will be motivated when they believe that:
Putting in more effort will yield better job performance
Better job performance will lead to organizational rewards, such as an increase in salary or benefits
These predicted organizational rewards are valued by the employee in question
In order to enhance the performance-outcome tie, managers should use systems that tie rewards very closely to performance. Managers also need to ensure that the rewards provided are deserved and wanted by the recipients. In order to improve the effort-performance tie, managers should engage in training to improve their capabilities and improve their belief that added effort will in fact lead to better performance.
Expectancy theory: application to financial bonusesExpectancy Theory Of Victor VroomThe implication of Vroom's expectancy theory is that people change their level of effort according to the value they place on the bonus they receive from the process and on their perception of the strength of the links between effort and outcome. 
So, if someone perceives that any one of these is true:
Criticism Of Vroom 27s Expectancy Theory Of Motivation FactorMy increased effort will not increase my performance 
My increased performance will not increase my rewards 
I don't value the rewards on offer
...then Vroom's expectancy theory suggests that this individual will not be motivated. This means that even if an organisation achieves two out of three, that employees would still not be motivated, all three are required for positive motivation. 
For financial bonuses, it implies that people need to feel that their increased effort will be able to attain the level needed to get the bonus. Or, if no additional effort is needed, none will be added. This means a balance must be created, if a financial bonus is to be given, between making it achievable and not making it too easy to achieve. There need to be clear standards of achievement. 
On top of that, the question is to what extent financial bonuses are really valued by people. If we look at the needs theories and Herzberg's motivation factors, money is just a small part of a much larger picture.
What Is Vroom's Expectancy TheoryEmployee motivation ebookVictor Vroom Expectancy Theory 1964For the first time ever, practice meets theory in a concise report on how people get (de)motivated, and exactly what you can do to get them back on track. More about the employee motivation ebook