module 4 #motivation

Organizational Behavior

Module 4: Motivation

Vinay Kumar, Ph.D

Vidisha Garg, MBA

ICBM-SBE, 2014

Defining motivation

• “a process that accounts for intensity, direction, and

persistence of effort towards attaining a goal”

– What we mean by these words:

• Intensity: how hard an individual tries

• Direction: how channeled are the efforts in the productive ways

• Persistence: how long an individual can sustain the effort

• Goal: not any goal, but an organizational goal

Vinay Kumar; Vidisha Garg 2

Using theories

• Remember:

– Theories are developed in experimental setting which may or may not

mimic real life. So blind reliance on theories can hurt where reality is

different from the experimental setting.

– Application of theories is best done after developing a careful

understanding of the assumptions they carry. Be watchful therefore,

because the most common mistake is to apply a good theory in an

inappropriate situation.



Source: http://www.phdcomics.com/comics.php?f=1518

http://www.phdcomics.com/comics.php?f=1518



Theory 1: X and Y Types


• Why do some individuals take an initiative while others don’t?

– Explanation: Predispositions toward work

– Theory X

• Employees inherently dislike work

• They must be guided or even coerced to perform

– Theory Y

• Employees treat work like others such as rest or play

• They can learn to accept, or seek, responsibility

• Key question:

– If you are a manager, carefully crafting your workplace

dynamics, which theory would you subscribe to, and why?

Douglas McGregor

Theory 2: Two factors


• What do people want from their jobs? In what situations do

people feel good or bad about their jobs?

– Two types of factors exist in how people describe their feelings

about their job:

• Intrinsic factors relate to job satisfaction

• Extrinsic factors relate to job dissatisfaction

– Dual continuum

• What is the opposite of ‘satisfaction’?

– It is an absence of satisfaction, but not dissatisfaction.

• Two scales to be studied together:

– No satisfaction --- Satisfaction

– No dissatisfaction --- Dissatisfaction

Frederick Herzberg

Theory 2: Two factors


Frederick Herzberg

Source: Robbins, S. P., & Judge, T. A. (2013). Organizational Behavior,15th Edition. Pearson: New Jersey.

Theory 3: Hierarchy of needs


Abraham Maslow

Theory 3: Hierarchy of needs

Principles:

– Needs motivate people

– There are types of needs

– Some needs motivate more

than some other needs

– Needs can be arranged in a

hierarchy by their capacity to

motivate

– Even if needs are never fully

satisfied, there may be a level at

which a type of need may cease

to motivate

Failures:

– The hierarchy itself becomes

debatable, because someone

could be oblivious to satiating

lower-level needs and just be

focused on higher level needs.

– Even if the hierarchy is taken as

a given, the order may not hold

in a general case.

• For example, in cultures that

are characterized by

uncertainty avoidance, security

needs could top the hierarchy.


Theory 4: Another hierarchy of needs


• Given any job, when do people perform best?

– Three needs

• Need for affiliation

• Need for power

• Need for achievement

– Need for achievement AND Executive performance

• Three factors seem to influence this relation positively:

– High degree of personal responsibility

– Frequent feedback

– Intermediate degree of risk

– Issues (Or not!!):

• Need for achievement and managerial performance do not

exhibit any relationship. Instead, need for affiliation and power

tend to be related closely to managerial performance

• More effective managers tend to exhibit high need for power

David McClelland

Theory 5: Determination


• What can sustain or fade motivation on the job?

– Extrinsic rewards are likely to reduce intrinsic motivation to perform, if

the original motivation to take up the job was intrinsic

• Consider a volunteer who works for an NGO out of compassion. By

this theory he could like his work as long as he remains

compassionate. But if there is any other extrinsic incentive , say for

example, fixed monthly salary, the chances are that his motivation to

work in the same job may fade.

– Why?

• Original motivation was intrinsic

• There is an introduction of extrinsic reward

• Job does not feel the same anymore

• Read more @ http://www.selfdeterminationtheory.org/

• Key question: How can people feel that ‘being paid’ is not so good in

their job? How would you explain such thinking process?

Edward Deci

http://www.selfdeterminationtheory.org/

Would you take a U-turn?


• Simple questions:

– Is motivation related to earning? Yes / No

– Is performance related to motivation? Yes / No

– Does earning therefore affect performance? Yes / No

• Yerkes-Dodson Law (Demo Video)

– Performance changes with motivation

– But there is a non-linear relationship

Image Source:

http://ceirepsych.wordpress.com/2012/10/24/

assignment-6-eye-witness-testimony/

../../../Instructional Videos/Khatron Ke Khiladi- Darr Ka Blockbuster - 20th April 2014 - Full Episode (HD).mp4

http://ceirepsych.wordpress.com/2012/10/24/assignment-6-eye-witness-testimony/












(Dramatized) Yerkes-Dodson Curve


Source: http://www.positivehealth.com/article/breathing/mindfulness-and-the-breath

http://www.positivehealth.com/article/breathing/mindfulness-and-the-breath








Theory 6: Job characteristics


• What aspects of job motivate individuals to perform?

– Autonomy

– Task identity

– Variety

– Feedback

– Task significance

• Key question: Can you recall where you have earlier

seen a very similar explanation to managing people?

Richard Hackman

Theory 6: Job characteristics


Source: Miner, J. B. (2005). Organizational Behavior 1. ME Sharpe, New York.

Theory 7: Goal-setting


• Can goal specificity improve performance?

– Yes; because intentions to work towards a goal is a source of motivation

– Assumptions

• Commitment to goal

• Disincentive to abandon

• Capacity and desire to achieve the goal

– Goal clarity

• Signals how much effort is needed and in what direction

• Feedback plays a critical role in mediating performance

– Self-generated feedback (more powerful)

– External feedback (less powerful)

– Works well for (Demo Video)

• Independent tasks more than interdependent tasks

• Self-set more than assigned

• Learned goals rather than novel goals

Edwin Locke

../../../Instructional Videos/Chance Pe Dance - Sameer Gets Cheated - HQ.mp4

Theory 8: Efficacy


• Does confidence improve performance?

– Greater confidence, greater likeliness to persist

– Improvements in performance transform to greater confidence, and

hence greater likeliness to persist

– Greater confidence does not necessarily imply greater competence

• How do we improve confidence (self-efficacy)?

– Enactive mastery (confidence from gaining relevant experience)

– Vicarious modeling (confidence from others’ performance)

– Verbal persuasion (confidence because others believe in you)

– Arousal (confidence from psyching up; this can hurt sometimes)

Albert Bandura

Theory 9: Reinforcement


• Is performance repeatable, reproduce-able?

– Behavior is driven by social environment

– Reinforcement conditions behavior

– Individual learn to behave in those ways, where

• They get what they want (desired stuff)

• They avoid what they do not want (avoidable stuff)

– Underlying principle (what influences individual behavior):

• Attention – Retention

• Reproduction – Reinforcement

– Problems:

• Ignores feelings

• Ignores expectations

• Ignores capacity to think and alter choices

B F Skinner

Theory 10: Equity


• What comparisons do individuals make before they

choose to calibrate their performance on the job?

John Stacey Adams

Self Others

Inside

Outside

Other position in the same firm

Others in similar position in the same firm

Others in similar position in other firms

Similar position in other firm

Theory 10: Equity


• What comparisons do individuals make before they

choose to calibrate their performance on the job?

– Individuals experiencing inequity make choices:

• Change inputs

• Change outcomes

• Distort perceptions of self

• Distort perceptions of others

• Choose a different referent

• Leave the field

• Exercise

– Think about the comparisons you often make

– Reflect on your choices

John Stacey Adams

Theory 11: Expectancy


• Why do people perform at all?

– They expect to fulfill their personal goals

– Therefore, they are motivated to put in effort to that extent to

which it helps them in realizing their goals

Victor Vroom

Source: Robbins, S. P., & Judge, T. A. (2013). Organizational Behavior,15th Edition. Pearson: New Jersey.

Exercise

– Read any one of the two recommended texts to find out more explanation and

examples for all these motivation theories.

– From the examples, compile a list of things that they refer to:

• Sample example here:

– The work has proved to be as challenging and satisfying as Jane had hoped. Her employer

is extremely pleased with her performance; in fact, Jane recently received a $200-per-

month raise. However, her motivational level has dropped dramatically in the past few

weeks.

– Things that the example refers to:

» Nature of work (as challenging and satisfying)

» Employer satisfaction (pleased)

» Performance

» Pay Raise

– After compiling a list of things, try to map the relation described in example.

– You should do this for at least three examples. You may also think about forming

into groups to do this exercise.


Exercise

– Think about the things you like to do and why?

– Think about the things you want to avoid and why?

– In situations where you had to perform an act, or do a job, you would

have felt either one or both of these kinds of feelings. Recall a couple of

experiences you have, which you think were important to you, and

reflect on the first two question again. Make a note of your experiences

and bring them along to the class for discussion.


End of module 4.

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Upcoming

Activity: Applying motivation theories at workplace

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module 4 #motivation

Education