Organizational Behavior Terms - GSU - Chapter 6 - Motivation

Instrumentality

The belief that successful performance will result in the attainment of some outcomes

Past accomplishments

The level of success or failure with similar job tasks in the past

Impact

The sense that a person's actions "make a difference"—that progress is being made toward fulfilling some important purpose

Internal comparisons

Comparing oneself to someone in the same company

External comparisons

Comparing oneself to someone in a different company

Expectancy theory

A theory that describes the cognitive process employees go through to make choices among different voluntary responses.

Task complexity

The degree to which the information and actions needed to complete a task are complicated

Equity theory

A theory that suggests that employees create a mental ledger of the outcomes they receive for their job inputs, relative to some comparison other.

Goal setting theory

A theory that views goals as the primary drivers of the intensity and persistence of effort.

Valence

The anticipated value of the outcomes associated with successful performance

Psychological empowerment

An energy rooted in the belief that tasks are contributing to some larger purpose

Meaningfulness of work

A psychological state reflecting one's feelings about work tasks, goals, and purposes, and the degree to which they contribute to society and fulfill one's ideals and passions

Cognitive distortion

A reevaluation of the inputs an employee brings to a job, often occurring in response to equity distress

Self-determination

A sense of choice in the initiation and continuation of work tasks

What is motivation?

A set of energetic forces that determine the direction, intensity, and persistence of an employee's work effort.

Engagement

A term commonly used in the contemporary workplace to summarize motivation levels

What does it mean to be equitably treated according to equity theory, and how do employees respond to inequity?

According to equity theory, rewards are equitable when a person's ratio of outcomes to inputs matches those of some relevant comparison other. A sense of inequity triggers equity distress. Underreward inequity typically results in lower levels of motivation or higher levels of counterproductive behavior. Overreward inequity typically results in cognitive distortion, in which inputs are reevaluated in a more positive light.

What three beliefs help determine work effort, according to expectancy theory?

According to expectancy theory, work effort is directed toward behaviors when work effort is believed to result in performance (expectancy), performance is believed to result in outcomes (instrumentality), and those outcomes are anticipated to be valuable (valence).

What two qualities make goals strong predictors of task performance, according to goal setting theory?

According to goal setting theory, goals become strong drivers of motivation and performance when they are difficult and specific. Specific and difficult goals affect performance by increasing self-set goals and task strategies. Those effects occur more frequently when employees are given feedback, tasks are not too complex, and goal commitment is high.

S.M.A.R.T. goals

Acronym that stands for Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Results-Based, Time-Sensitive goals,

Equity distress

An internal tension that results from being overrewarded or underrewarded relative to some comparison other

Comparison other

Another person who provides a frame of reference for judging equity

Extrinsic motivation

Desire to put forth work effort due to some contingency that depends on task performance

Intrinsic motivation

Desire to put forth work effort due to the sense that task performance serves as its own reward

Specific and difficult goals

Goals that stretch an employee to perform at his or her maximum level while still staying within theboundaries of his or her ability

Needs

Groupings or clusters of outcomes viewed as having critical psychological or physiological consequences

Feedback

In job characteristics theory, it refers to the degree to which the job itself provides information about how well the job holder is doing. In goal setting theory, it refers to progress updates on work goals

Task strategies

Learning plans and problem-solving approaches used to achieve successful performance

How does motivation affect job performance and organizational commitment?

Motivation has a strong positive relationship with job performance and a moderate positive relationship with organizational commitment. Of all the energetic forces subsumed by motivation, self-efficacy/competence has the strongest relationship with performance.

Vicarious experiences

Observations of and discussions with others who have performed some work task

What steps can organizations take to increase employee motivation?

Organizations use compensation practices to increase motivation. Those practices may include individual-focused elements (piece-rate, merit pay, lump-sum bonuses, recognition awards), unit-focused elements (gain sharing), or organization-focused elements (profit sharing).

Verbal persuasion

Pep talks that lead employees to believe that they can "get the job done"

Emotional cues

Positive or negative feelings that can help or hinder task accomplishment

What is psychological empowerment, and what four beliefs determine empowerment levels?

Psychological empowerment reflects an energy rooted in the belief that tasks are contributing to some larger purpose. Psychological empowerment is fostered when work goals appeal to employees' passions (meaningfulness), employees have a sense of choice regarding work tasks (self-determination), employees feel capable of performing successfully (competence), and employees feel they are making progress toward fulfilling their purpose (impact).

Self-efficacy

The belief that a person has the capabilities needed to perform the behaviors required on some task

Expectancy

The belief that exerting a high level of effort will result in successfulperformance on some task

Competence

The capability to perform work tasks successfully

Goal commitment

The degree to which a person accepts a goal and is determined to reach it

Meaning of money

The idea that money can have symbolic value (e.g, achievement, respect, freedom) in addition to economic value

Self-set goals

The internalized goals that people use to monitor their own progress