Chapter 10: Managing Employee Motivation and Performance

content perspectives

Approach to motivation that tries to answer the question, What factor or factors motivate people?

motivation

the set of forces that cause people to behave in certain ways

maslow’s hierarchy of needs

suggests that people must satisfy five groups of needs in order- physiological, security, belongingness, self-esteem, and self-actualization

erg theory of motivation

suggests that people’s needs are grouped into three possibly overlapping categories-existence, relatedness, and growth

two-factor theory of motivation

suggests that people’s satisfaction and dissatisfaction are influenced by two independent set of factors-motivation factors and hygiene factors

process perspectives

approaches to motivation that focus on why people choose certain behavioral options to fulfill their needs and how they evaluate their satisfaction after they have attained these goals

need for power

the desire to be influential in a group and to control one’s environment

need for achievement

the desire to accomplish a goal or task more effectively than in the past

expectancy theory

suggests that motivation depends on two things- how much we want something and how likely we think we are to get it

need for affiliation

the desire for human companionship and acceptance

performance-to-outcome expectancy

the individual’s perception that performance will lead to a specific outcome

effort-to-performance expectancy

the individual’s perception of the probability that effort will lead to high performance

outcomes

consequences of behaviors in an organizational setting, usually rewards

reinforcement theory

approach to motivation that argues that behavior that results in rewarding consequences is likely to be repeated, whereas behavior that results in punishing consequences is less likely to be repeated

positive reinforcement

a method of strengthening behavior with rewards or positive outcomes after a desired behavior is performed

valence

an index of how much a person wants a particular outcome; the attractiveness of the outcomes to the individual

equity theory

suggests that people are motivated to seek social equity in the rewards they receive for performance

avoidance

used to strengthen behavior by avoiding unpleasant consequences that would result if the behavior were not performed

extinction

used to weaken undesired behaviors by simply ignoring or not reinforcing them

variable-interval schedule

provides reinforcement at varying intervals of time, such as occasional visits by supervisors

punishment

used to weaken undesired behaviors by using negative outcomes or unpleasant consequences when the behavior is performed

fixed-interval schedule

provides reinforcement at fixed intervals, such as regular weekly paychecks

fixed-ratio schedule

provides reinforcement after a fixed number of behaviors regardless of the time interval, such as a bonus for every fifth scale

variable-ratio schedule

provides reinforcement after varying numbers of behaviors are performed, such as the use of compliments by a supervisor on an irregular basis

flexible work schedule

work schedule in which employees have some control over the hours they choose to work; also called flextime

participation

the process of giving employee a voice in making decisions about their own work

empowerment

the process of enabling workers to set their own work goals, make decisions, and solve problems within their sphere of responsibility and authority

compressed work schedule

working full 40-hour week in fewer than the traditional five days

behavior modification

method for applying the basic elements of reinforcement theory in an organizational setting

job sharing

when two part-time employees share one full-time job

piece-rate incentive plan

reward system wherein the organization pays an employee a certain amount of money for every unit he or she produces

telecommuting

allowing employees to spend part of their time working offiste, usually at home

merit pay

pay awarded to employees on the basis of the relative value of their contributions to the organization

merit pay plan

compensation plan that formally bases at least some meaningful portion of compensation on meirt

reward system

the formal and informal mechanisms by which employe performance is define, evaluated, and rewarded

gainsharing programs

designed to share the cost of savings from productivity improvements with employees

scanlon plan

similar to gainsharing, but the distribution of gains is tilted much more heavily towards employees

stock option plan

established to give senior managers the option to buy company stock in the future at a predetermined fixed price