Motivation and Performance Scenarios
The
following scenarios present you with different motivation situations that you can
analyze with expectancy theory and equity theory concepts. Each scenario differs in the
concepts it highlights from expectancy theory. Use the check boxes after the scenario
as a quick way of noting which concepts you think apply to the scenario. Some
questions follow each scenario that act as guides for your analysis. Enter your scenario
analysis in the text area below the check boxes. The expectancy theory figure below
shows each concept and the relationships among them.
Estimated Completion Time: 30 minutes
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Scenario 1: John O'Conner, Laboratory Technician
John O'Conner transferred within his company to a newly acquired subsidiary in a
different city. He has fifteen years of experience as a laboratory technician in the
research division of a highly respected pharmaceutical company. The new subsidiary
focuses on ophthalmic research, a research area that John has never worked in before.
He has no concerns about the transfer because he was assured during the recruiting
process that the subsidiary would give him all the needed training for the new position.
John quickly learned after his arrival that the division had unique experimental
procedures. He also quickly learned that the subsidiary did not have a training program
for newly transferred or hired employees. Before the pharmaceutical company's
acquisition of the subsidiary, it had stable employment with little need for training. John's
co-workers gave him some help with the setup of experiments, but did not have the time
to teach him all details about the procedures.
Derrick Taylor, John's supervisor, tells him he will learn the job fast enough while doing
it. He offers John little help other than giving him the laboratory's procedures manual, a
thick volume of 891 pages. Derrick suggests that John study the manual on his own
time. If he has any questions, he should ask his experienced co-workers for clarification.
John is now frustrated about his job performance because he knows that if he does not
do well, he will not get a pay raise at the end of his probationary period. He highly
values the pay increase not so much for its size as its importance on his employment
record. John concludes that he has little chance for future promotion in the subsidiary, if
he does not quickly master the experimental procedures for ophthalmic experiments.
Expectancy Theory Concepts
Effort
Performance
Extrinsic
outcomes
Effort-performance expectancy
Intrinsic
outcomes
Valence
Performance-outcome expectancy
Individual blockages (skills, abilities,
Organizational blockages (lack
task experience, task difficulty)
resources, lack training, high conflict
levels, organizational design)
Equity Theory Concepts
Equity
Negative Inequity
2
Positive Inequity
Questions:
1. What is John's level of motivation?
2. Did Derrick behave in a way that enhances employee motivation? Why or why not?
3. What should Derrick do in this situation?
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Scenario 2: Crystal Martinez, Financial Analyst
Crystal Martinez is well-educated and well-trained for her job as a financial analyst for
the local office of a national stock brokerage firm. She is highly dependable and does all
aspects of her job efficiently and accurately. Her co-workers, who recognize Crystal as
a high performer, often turn to her for suggestions about how to solve various problems.
Crystal reports to Rosemary Du Pont, her section supervisor. Rosemary gives little
regular performance feedback to her subordinates, feeling it is better to give feedback
during annual performance appraisals. She also gives little praise to those like Crystal
who perform at a high level. Rosemary has a simple management philosophy: "That's
what they get paid for."
Rosemary has authority to recommend pay increases following a performance appraisal
where an employee receives a summary evaluation of "Above average" or "Superior."
She can recommend a pay increase of 5 to 10 percent of a person's base pay. Higher
management typically has accepted her recommendations, a fact well understood by all
employees. Rosemary, however, usually recommends the same percentage increase
for all her employees who receive an "Above average" or higher performance
evaluation. She has said that she feels employees will react with jealousy if she
recommends varying pay increases for different employees. She also believes that her
employees will work harder with the belief that a 10 percent pay increase is always
possible in the future.
Crystal can use the money because she wants to replace her aging car. She also
discussed receiving a larger pay increase with Rosemary who simply said she would
think about it.
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Six months pass and Crystal has her annual performance appraisal in which she
receives a "Superior" rating. She learns from co-workers that she was the only one who
received that high an appraisal. Crystal gets a 5 percent pay increase just like everyone
else.
Expectancy Theory Concepts
Effort
Performance
Extrinsic
outcomes
Effort-performance expectancy
Intrinsic
outcomes
Valence
Performance-outcome expectancy
Individual blockages (skills, abilities,
Organizational blockages (lack
task experience, task difficulty)
resources, lack training, high conflict
levels, organizational design)
Equity Theory Concepts
Equity
Negative Inequity
Positive Inequity
Questions:
1. How motivated is Crystal to perform at a high level in the future? Why?
2. Critique Rosemary's management behavior using expectancy theory concepts. What
effect is Rosemary having on Crystal's motivation?
3. What would you do in this situation?
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Scenario 3: Daniel Sosa, Software Development Team Leader
Daniel Sosa received his M.S. in computer science three years ago. He works for a
prestigious software developer who creates digital animation software used by major
animated film studios, worldwide. He now heads a small team of four programmers who
specialize in software that helps film animators create water and water effects.
His present job has all the characteristics he likes: challenge, creativity, and the ability
to deliver a complete subsystem to animators. His team is also a self-managing team,
giving him and his team members high autonomy in deciding how to do their work.
Studios have publicly applauded the software created by his team and the company.
Tony Montana, Daniel's division manager, is highly impressed with Daniel's high
motivation, individual stellar performance, and his team's performance. Tony's
responsibilities include five other teams working on other parts of the animation system.
His management responsibilities offer him little time to give positive recognition and
performance feedback to his team leaders. He privately observes that Daniel's work
performance is high because he loves his work. Tony concludes that any recognition or
reward will have little effect on Daniel's performance. Tony continues his behavior of not
rewarding Daniel, expecting to do so during the annual performance appraisal in six
months.
Expectancy Theory Concepts
Effort
Performance
Extrinsic
outcomes
Effort-performance expectancy
Individual blockages (skills, abilities, task
experience, task difficulty)
Intrinsic
outcomes
Valence
Performance-outcome expectancy
Organizational blockages (lack resources,
lack training, high conflict levels, organizational
design)
Equity Theory Concepts
Equity
Negative Inequity
Positive Inequity
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Questions:
1. What is Daniel's primary source of motivation?
2. Why is he motivated to perform at a high level?
3. Do you expect Daniel to continue his high performance if Tony continues his
management behavior as the scenario describes? What are Daniel's options, if this
situation continues?
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Scenario 4: Linda Nguyen: Vice President, International Marketing
Linda Nguyen is the Vice President of the International Marketing-Asia Division of a
major consumer products company. She is responsible for marketing a full line of
consumer products such as hair care, laundry products, and household cleaning
products throughout Asia. Her territory includes China, Japan, South Korea, The
Philippines, Vietnam, Malaysia, Thailand, Indonesia, Singapore, and India. The
company plans expansion into developing nations in the area such as Cambodia and
Laos. Linda fluently speaks, reads, and writes English, Vietnamese, and French. Her
job requires regular international travel throughout Asia from the company's
headquarters in the Midwest region of the United States.
Linda has organized the division around self-managing teams that are responsible for
individual countries or regions of large countries such as China. She uses a
decentralized management style and delegates major responsibilities to each team.
Each team receives performance goals for the year but can reach them in their own
way. The teams make all major decisions for their responsible areas and are highly
involved in the division's strategic planning activities.
Her duties include strategic planning for the division, responsibility for a 300 person staff
at the U.S. headquarters, picking the team leaders, and traveling throughout Asia. She
has chosen each team leader based on the person's product marketing knowledge and
ability to operate in a team environment.
Linda holds weekly meetings with her team leaders who report their team's activities in
fifteen minutes or less. She has quarterly meetings that focus on larger issues
especially future directions for each team's responsible operating area. She is always
available to her team managers even when traveling. Everyone in the division
extensively uses e-mail for up-to-date communication. All employees travel with lap top
computers that have wireless Internet connection capability. Linda and her team
managers have lap top computers with Web cameras allowing them to hold lap
top/desktop video conferences from almost anywhere in the world.
Linda receives an annual cash bonus based on her division's performance to the goals
set each year during the strategic planning process. The division has reached or
exceeded its goals for the past five years. These goals are feasible targets, not easy
targets to reach. Economic changes beyond her control can affect reaching goals.
Forecasts for the next two years look favorable for most of Asia. Developed nations
such as Taiwan, South Korea, and Japan have favorable forecasts, although Japan's
economic growth is expected to be slower than the area's other developed countries.
The economic forecasts for the developing nations are complicated by political
developments and activities. Instability in these countries can radically change
economic results, introducing planning uncertainty and uncertainty about reaching
targets for those countries.
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Linda regularly reads economic, political, and cultural reports for every country in which
her division operates. She also has built extensive local contacts during her Asian
travels that have resulted in steady flows of local information to her.
The company offers extensive support in economic and technical areas. Internal
forecasts let all division members know about future developments in their responsible
areas. Technical support includes the latest equipment with regular updates in
computing technology to help everyone do their job easier and well.
Expectancy Theory Concepts
Effort
Performance
Extrinsic
outcomes
Effort-performance expectancy
Individual blockages (skills, abilities, task
experience, task difficulty)
Intrinsic
outcomes
Valence
Performance-outcome expectancy
Organizational blockages (lack resources,
lack training, high conflict levels, organizational
design)
Equity Theory Concepts
Equity
Negative Inequity
Positive Inequity
Questions:
1. Does Linda value the intrinsic and extrinsic outcomes from her job and work
performance? Estimate the valence she likely places on each type of outcome.
2. What levels of expectancies do you perceive for Linda? Does she face blockages in
trying to reach her goals and the division's goals?
3. Do you perceive Linda as highly motivated? Why or why not?
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Developed by Joseph E. Champoux, Ph.D. © 2016 Routledge, Taylor and Francis
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