Question

1. Expectancy theory holds that people are motivated to behave in ways that produce desired combinations of expected outcomes. 2. Generally, expectancy theory can be used to predict motivation and behavior in any situation in which a choice between two or more alternatives must be made. 3. Victor Vroom’s model of expectancy boils down to the decision of how much effort to exert in a specific task situation. This choice is based on a two-stage sequence of expectations. 4. This exercise requires you to identify the components of expectancy theory and show the proper order of the relationships between them.

Answer 1

Vroom assumes that behavior results from conscious choices between alternatives. It uses the Expectation, Instrumentation, and Valence variables to explain this:

The expectation is the belief that increased effort will lead to increased performance, if I work harder then it will be better. It is the belief that one's effort will result in achieving desired performance goals.

Instrumentality is the belief that a person will receive a reward if the performance expectation is met. That is, if I do a good job, there is something in it for me. This reward may come in the form of a pay raise, promotion, recognition or sense of accomplishment. Instrumentality is low when the reward is the same whatever the performance.

Valencia is the importance an individual attaches to rewards. Individual desires or goals can be classified by their importance (valence), representing how much that desire may or may not influence motivation according to its importance to the person. For example, if someone is primarily motivated by money, they may not value free time offers.