chap 6 pt 1 Content Theories of Motivation & Job Design – Key Vocabulary

These flashcards cover the principal vocabulary drawn from the lecture notes on content theories of motivation (Herzberg, Hackman & Oldham, McClelland, Pink) and their application to job design and enrichment.

Job Design

The process of arranging tasks, duties, and responsibilities into a productive unit of work to improve motivation and performance.

Herzberg’s Two-Factor Theory

Motivation theory stating that job satisfaction comes from ‘motivators’ (intrinsic content factors) while dissatisfaction comes from ‘hygiene factors’ (extrinsic context factors).

Motivators (Herzberg)

Intrinsic job-content factors such as achievement, recognition, work itself, responsibility, and growth that create job satisfaction.

Hygiene Factors (Herzberg)

Extrinsic job-context factors such as pay, supervision, policies, and working conditions whose absence causes dissatisfaction but whose presence does not motivate.

Vertical Job Loading

Adding higher-level responsibilities to a job (job enrichment) to increase autonomy, responsibility, and growth opportunities.

Job Enrichment

Vertical expansion of a job to provide more meaningful work, responsibility, and growth (opposite of simple job enlargement).

Job Enlargement

Horizontal expansion of a job by adding similar-level tasks to increase variety without increasing responsibility.

Hackman & Oldham Job Characteristics Model

Framework linking five core job characteristics to critical psychological states and desirable work outcomes such as high motivation and satisfaction.

Skill Variety

The extent to which a job requires a range of different skills and talents.

Task Identity

The degree to which a job requires completion of a whole, identifiable piece of work with a visible outcome.

Task Significance

The degree to which a job has a substantial impact on other people inside or outside the organization.

Autonomy

The amount of freedom, independence, and discretion provided to an employee in scheduling work and determining procedures.

Feedback (from the job)

Direct, clear information obtained from the work itself about the effectiveness of performance.

Critical Psychological States

Experienced meaningfulness, experienced responsibility, and knowledge of results—internal states that drive motivation in the Job Characteristics Model.

Motivating Potential Score (MPS)

Numerical index of a job’s motivational capacity calculated as ((Skill Variety + Task Identity + Task Significance)/3) × Autonomy × Feedback.

Job Diagnostic Survey (JDS)

Instrument developed by Hackman & Oldham to measure the presence of core job characteristics and compute the MPS.

Growth-Need Strength

An individual difference moderator describing how strongly a person desires personal development; affects response to enriched jobs.

Context Satisfaction

Employee satisfaction with extrinsic aspects such as pay, coworkers, and job security; a moderator in the Job Characteristics Model.

Need for Achievement (n-Ach)

McClelland motive characterized by a desire to excel, prefer moderate risk, seek feedback, and value accomplishment.

Need for Power (n-Pow)

McClelland motive reflecting a desire to influence or control others; can be personalized (self-serving) or socialized (organizational benefit).

Need for Affiliation (n-Aff)

McClelland motive representing a desire for friendly relationships and acceptance; high n-Aff individuals seek harmony and avoid conflict.

Personalized Power

Self-oriented expression of n-Pow involving control for personal gain, often linked to impulsive or aggressive behavior.

Socialized Power

Other-oriented expression of n-Pow used to influence others for collective or organizational benefit; associated with effective leadership.

Ring-Toss Experiment

McClelland study illustrating that high n-Ach individuals choose moderately challenging goals they can influence through effort.

Autonomy (Pink)

One of Pink’s three intrinsic motivators: the human need to direct one’s own work.

Mastery (Pink)

Pink’s intrinsic motivator: the urge to become better at something that matters.

Purpose (Pink)

Pink’s intrinsic motivator: the desire to contribute to a cause larger than oneself.

Job Redesign

Intentional alteration of job tasks or characteristics to improve motivation, satisfaction, and performance (e.g., Grant et al.’s bank teller study).