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Chapter 5:
The Nature of Work Motivation
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Chapter Objectives
• Appreciate why motivation is of central
importance in organizations and the
difference between intrinsic and extrinsic
motivation
• Understand what we can learn about
motivation from need theories
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Chapter Objectives
• Describe why expectancy, valence, and
instrumentality are of central importance
for work motivation
• Appreciate the importance of equity and
the dangers of inequity
• Understand why procedural justice is so
important and how to promote it
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What is Work Motivation?
• Psychological forces within a person that
determine
– the direction of a person’s behavior in an
organization,
– a person’s level of effort, and
– a person’s level of persistence in the face of
obstacles
• Table 5.1
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Table 5.1 Elements of
Work Motivation
Direction of Behavior
Which behaviors does a
person choose to perform
In an organization?
Level of Effort
How hard does a person
work to perform a
chosen behavior?
Level of Persistence
When faced with obstacles
how hard does a person keep
trying to perform a
chosen behavior successfully?
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Motivation and Performance
• Performance is an
evaluation of the
results of a person’s
behavior
• Motivation is only one
factor among many
that contributes to an
employee’s job
performance
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Motivation
• Intrinsic
• Extrinsic
– Source of motivation is
actually performing the
behavior
– Behavior performed
for its own sake
– Source of motivation is
acquisition of material
or social rewards or to
avoid punishment
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Theories of Motivation
•
•
•
•
Need Theory
Expectancy Theory
Equity Theory
Procedural Justice Theory
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Figure 5.1 The Motivation Equation
Inputs:
Effort
Time
Education
Experience
Skills
Knowledge
Job behaviors
Performance:
Quantity
Quality
Level of
customer
service
Outcomes:
Pay
Job security
Benefits
Vacation
Satisfaction
Pleasure
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Need Theory
• What outcomes is an individual motivated
to obtain from a job and an organization?
• Employees have needs that they are
motivated to satisfy in the workplace
• Only unsatisfied needs motivate
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Expectancy Theory_1
• Does the individual believe that his or her
inputs will result in a given level of
performance?
• Employees will not be motivated to
contribute their inputs to the organization
unless they believe that their inputs will
result in achieving a given level of
performance, regardless of available
outcomse
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Expectancy Theory_2
• Does the individual believe that
performance at this level will lead to
obtaining desired outcomes?
• Employees will be motivated to obtain
given level of performance only if that level
of performance leads to desired outcomes
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Equity Theory
• Are outcomes perceived as being at an
appropriate level in comparison to inputs?
• From past experience or observation,
employees will have a sense of what level
of inputs should result in a certain level of
outcomes
• Outcomes based upon inputs
• Different employees’ outcome/input ratios
equal
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Procedural Justice Theory
• Are the procedures used to assess inputs
and performance and to distribute outcomes
perceived as fair?
• Employees will not be motivated to
contribute inputs unless they perceive that
fair procedures will be used to distribute
outcomes
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Need Theories
• Maslow’s Hierarchy of • Alderfer’s ERG
Needs
Theory
– 5 universal needs
– Hierarchy of
importance
– Once satisfied, need no
longer motivates
– 3 universal needs
– Hierarchy of
importance
– Flexible movement
amongst levels
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Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs
Self-Actualization
SA
Esteem
Belongingness
Safety
Physiological
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Table 5.3 Alderfer’s ERG
Theory
Need Level
Description
Growth Needs
Needs for selfdevelopment and
productive work
Relatedness Needs
Needs to have good
interpersonal relations
Existence Needs
Basic needs for human
survival
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Expectancy Theory
• Valence
– How desirable is an outcome?
• Instrumentality
– What is the connection between job performance and
an outcome?
• Expectancy
– What is the connection between effort and job
performance?
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Figure 5.3 Expectancy Theory
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Yes or No?
• Will I be able to obtain outcomes I desire?
• Do I need to perform at a high level to
obtain these outcomes?
• If I try hard, will I be able to perform at a
high level?
– Motivation occurs only when the answer is
YES to all three questions!
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Equity Theory
• Inputs
–
–
–
–
–
–
• Outcomes
Special skills
Training
Education
Work experience
Effort on the job
Time
–
–
–
–
–
Pay
Fringe benefits
Job satisfaction
Status
Opportunities for
advancement
– Job security
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Equity Theory_2
• Inputs lead to outcomes
• Objective level of outcomes does not
determine work motivation
• Outcome/input ratio compared to ratio of
referent others leads to work motivation
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Table 5.4 Conditions of Equity and Inequity
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Ways to Restore Equity
•
•
•
•
•
•
Change inputs or outcomes
Change referent inputs or outcomes
Change perceptions of inputs and outcomes
Change the referent
Leave the job
Force referent to leave the job
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Procedural Justice Theory
• Perceived fairness of the procedures used to
make decisions about the distribution of
outcomes
– Not the actual distribution of outcomes
• Procedural decisions
– How performance levels are evaluated
– How grievances are handled
– How outcomes are distributed
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Procedural Justice Theory_2
• Higher motivation occurs when procedures
used to make decisions are perceived as fair
• Factors for determination of fairness
– Interpersonal treatment of employees
– Extent to which managers explain decisions to
employees
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