Page 365 - Fundamentals of Management Myths Debunked (2017)_Flat

364 Part 4 • Leading
them and how they’ll be evaluated? Finally, the
theory is concerned with perceptions. Reality is
irrelevant. An individual’s own perceptions of
performance, reward, and goal outcomes, not the
outcomes themselves, will determine his or her
motivation (level of effort).

How Can We Integrate
Chen Wen/ColorChinaPhoto/Associated Press Contemporary Motivation Theories?

Many of the ideas underlying the contempo-
rary motivation theories are complementary,
and you’ll understand better how to motivate
37
people if you see how the theories fit together.
Exhibit 11–9 presents a model that integrates
much of what we know about motivation. Its
basic foundation is the expectancy model. Let’s
work through the model, starting on the left.
Foxconn chairman and founder Terry Gou • The individual effort box has an arrow leading into it. This arrow flows from the individ-
(center) honored 140 employees in Shenzhen,
China, for their excellent performance at an ual’s goals. Consistent with goal-setting theory, this goals-effort link is meant to illustrate
awards and recognition banquet for them that goals direct behavior.
and their relatives. Recognition programs • Expectancy theory predicts that an employee will exert a high level of effort if he or she per-
that express appreciation for a job well done
play a powerful role in motivating appropriate ceives a strong relationship between effort and performance, performance and rewards, and
employee behavior. rewards and satisfaction of personal goals. Each of these relationships is, in turn, influenced
by certain factors. You can see from the model that the level of individual performance is
determined not only by the level of individual effort but also by the individual’s ability to
perform and by whether the organization has a fair and objective performance evaluation
system. The performance-reward relationship will be strong if the individual perceives that
it is performance (rather than seniority, personal favorites, or some other criterion) that is
rewarded. The final link in expectancy theory is the rewards-goal relationship.
• The traditional need theories come into play at this point. Motivation would be high to the
degree that the rewards an individual received for his or her high performance satisfied the
dominant needs consistent with his or her individual goals.

A closer look at the model also shows that it considers other theories.
• Achievement-need is seen, in that the high achiever isn’t motivated by the organization’s
assessment of his or her performance or organizational rewards, hence the jump from effort
to individual goals for those with a high nAch. Remember that high achievers are internally
driven as long as the jobs they’re doing provide them with personal responsibility, feed-
back, and moderate risks. They’re not concerned with the effort-performance, performance-
reward, or rewards-goals linkages.
• Reinforcement theory is seen in the model by recognizing that the organization’s rewards
reinforce the individual’s performance. If managers have designed a reward system that is
seen by employees as “paying off” for good performance, the rewards will reinforce and
encourage continued good performance.
• Rewards also play a key part in equity theory. Individuals will compare the rewards (out-
comes) they have received from the inputs or efforts they made with the inputs-outcomes
ratio of relevant others. If inequities exist, the effort expended may be influenced.
• Finally, the JCM is seen in this integrative model. Task characteristics (job design) influence
job motivation at two places. First, jobs that are designed around the five job dimensions
are likely to lead to higher actual job performance because the individual’s motivation will
be stimulated by the job itself—that is, they will increase the linkage between effort and
performance. Second, jobs that are designed around the five job dimensions also increase
an employee’s control over key elements in his or her work. Therefore, jobs that offer
autonomy, feedback, and similar task characteristics help to satisfy the individual goals of
employees who desire greater control over their work.