Attribution Theory and Motivation – Chapter 8

Attribution Theory

A framework that explains how people make causal explanations for events or behaviors; it helps managers understand the cognitive mechanisms driving employee motivation.

Attribution-Emotion-Behavior Process

A sequence in which a workplace outcome leads to an attribution (internal/external, stable/unstable), which triggers an emotional response that in turn fuels behavioral motivation.

Internal Attribution

Explaining an outcome as the result of personal characteristics, abilities, or effort of the individual.

External Attribution

Explaining an outcome as caused by factors outside the individual, such as luck, task difficulty, or other people.

Stable Attribution

A cause that is viewed as consistent over time (e.g., innate ability or an unchanging policy).

Unstable Attribution

A cause that is viewed as temporary or changeable (e.g., effort level, momentary resources).

Optimistic Attribution Style

The tendency to attribute positive outcomes to internal (often stable) factors and negative outcomes to external (often unstable) factors.

Pessimistic Attribution Style

The tendency to attribute negative outcomes to internal (often stable) factors and positive outcomes to external (often unstable) factors.

Hostile Attribution Style

A bias toward making external, stable attributions for negative outcomes, often blaming others or the situation for problems.

Motivational Attribution

An attribution that encourages constructive emotions and expectations, thereby energizing goal-directed behavior.

Screening for Resilience

A managerial technique that selects employees who display the capacity to recover from setbacks, fostering adaptive attribution patterns.

Attributional Training

Interventions that teach employees to make accurate, motivational attributions, such as crediting effort for success and viewing failures as controllable.

Immunization (Against Maladaptive Attributions)

Providing mild, manageable challenges paired with support so employees build resistance to making dysfunctional attributions after future setbacks.

Increasing Psychological Closeness

Managers’ efforts to maintain supportive, frequent interaction with employees in order to shape more accurate and motivational attributions.

Multiple Raters of Performance

Using several evaluators to