Lecture on Motivation and Job Performance

Introduction

• Motivation: Set of forces that initiates, directs, and sustains people's efforts to accomplish goals.
• 2016 Gallup Study:
  • 33% of US employees are engaged.
  • 63% are unmotivated and not interested.
  • 16% actively disengaged.

Components of Motivation

• Initiation of Effort: Choices regarding effort put into jobs.
• Direction of Effort: Choices on where to focus efforts.
• Persistence of Effort: Choices on how long to continue efforts.

Job Performance Formula

• Job performance = Motivation x Ability x Situational Constraints
• Performance: How well job requirements are met.
• Motivation: Degree of effort applied.
• Ability: Knowledge, skills, talents required.
• Situational Constraints: External factors affecting performance.

Needs and Motivation

• Needs: Physical or psychological requirements for survival and well-being.
• Unmet Needs: Key driver for motivation.
• Types of Needs:
  • Low-order Needs: Safety and physiological requirements.
  • Higher-order Needs: Relationships, accomplishment, power.

Rewards and Motivation

• Extrinsic Rewards: Tangible, visible rewards controlled by external agents (e.g., pay, promotions).
• Intrinsic Rewards: Natural rewards associated with performing tasks (e.g., enjoyment, interest).
• Employee preferences for intrinsic/extrinsic rewards are stable.

Equity Theory

• People motivated by fairness perception.
• Components:
  • Inputs: Employee contributions (education, effort).
  • Outcomes: Rewards received (pay, job titles).
  • Referents: People to whom employees compare themselves.
• Inequity Forms:
  • Under-reward: Leads to anger and frustration.
  • Over-reward: High tolerance, leads to guilt.
• Management Steps:
  • Correct major inequities.
  • Fair decision-making processes.
  • Reduce employees' inputs when necessary.

Expectancy Theory

• People make conscious choices about motivation.
• Three Factors:
  • Valence: Attractiveness of rewards.
  • Expectancy: Effort-performance relationship.
  • Instrumentality: Performance-reward relationship.
• Practical Steps for Managers:
  • Gather information on employee desires.
  • Link rewards clearly to performance.
  • Empower employees in decision-making.

Reinforcement Theory

• Behavior is influenced by consequences.
• Reinforcement:
  • Positive Reinforcement: Increases behavior frequency.
  • Negative Reinforcement: Avoids negative consequences.
  • Extinction: Weakens behavior by removing positive consequences.
• Reinforcement Schedules:
  • Continuous: Consequences follow every behavior.
  • Intermittent: Consequences follow after time/behavior intervals.
• Steps: Identify, measure, analyze, intervene, evaluate behaviors.

Goal-Setting Theory

• Motivation through goal acceptance and feedback.
• Components:
  • Goal Specificity: Detailed and clear goals.
  • Goal Difficulty: Challenging but achievable goals.
  • Goal Acceptance: Consistent understanding and agreement with goals.
  • Performance Feedback: Information on progress and performance.
• Goals focus attention and energize behavior.