Expectancy Theory of Motivation

In the given scenario in which the employees of an audio product company are either not putting forth efforts to master a new production process or meet production standards, the various components of the expectancy theory can be applied to their motivation, or lack thereof. For instance, in the given scenario, it states that some employees feel they lack the hand dexterity to complete the task in a timely manner, thus being unable to meet production goals. This falls in line with the expectancy component, indicating that these people lack the self-confidence required for motivation. These individuals do not believe that working harder will produce better results, based on their lack of confidence. In another example, some employees felt that it was not worth putting forth extra efforts, for reasons such as the fact that there were no variations in salary between individuals who produce and individuals who do not produce, and that performance had to be far below standards for any negative consequences to be applied. This reflects the Instrumentality component. The perception of receiving greater reward for performing well is not indicated in this scenario, so the employee will not be motivated to produce more than one who is not meeting goals. Finally, the scenario also indicated a perception that even if the employee met the production goal and received a reward, the bonus given would be unworthy of the extra effort made. According to the definition of the Valence component, the reward value isn’t enough to motivate the employee into making the extra effort to meet the production goal or efficiently learn the process. In this scenario, none of the various components are being met in a positive manner and therefore the employees are extremely likely to remain unmotivated unless those factors change. The expectancy theory of motivation is a great way to analyze why performance standards aren’t being met in a workplace. If any one of the components