Vrooma expectation theory and motivation model. Victor Vroom and his theory
The theory of expectations of Victor Vroom says: the level of motivation of employees of this or that company to work depends on their ideas about their own abilities to fulfill the tasks assigned to them and the reality of achieving the goals. This American researcher made an invaluable contribution to the development of the motivational theory of expectations. According to her postulates, the stimulating effect is produced not by the needs of individuals themselves, but by the thought process, in which an assessment of the reality of the attainment of the goals set and of the reward for it takes place.
Goal calculation
The theory of Vroom expectation includes the assertion that,that the efforts made by a person are directly dependent on the realization that what is desired can really be achieved. As a classic example, in most cases, the following is given: the student of the university is preparing for the exam. Suppose this is the last test. Grades for previous exams are excellent, so if this one is awarded, the student will be awarded a higher stipend for the whole of the next semester. The motivation of this individual is influenced by the following:
- self-confidence, the realization that the exam can really be passed on "perfectly", like all the previous ones;
- the desire to have more money.
According to the theory of expectations of V. Vroom, the student would not have had an incentive for conscientious exam preparation in the absence of faith in himself and the desire to receive a high stipend.
Classification
Vroom's expectation theory deals with two types of individual assumptions related to the effectiveness of his activity:
- The first type is related to the following question: "In order to justify the expectations, a person must have the appropriate abilities, experience in a similar or similar field, as well as the necessary tools, equipment and capabilities to perform the task. In the above example with a student, the expectation of this type is usually very large, if he really is sure that careful preparation will help to get the highest score. If the individual believes that he does not have both the capabilities and the ability to work profoundly with the teaching material, he will, with a low degree of probability, strive for a high evaluation of his knowledge.
- To the second type of expectations, as the theorymotivation Vroom, this question is: "Will effective activity achieve the desired result?" For example, a person wanted to have some benefit related to his work activity. To get the desired reward, he should go to a certain level of execution of tasks. If the desire is great, the individual will have the strongest motivation for hard work. Conversely, with the confidence that work from morning to night will not allow you to get benefits, the incentive will be minimal.
In addition, Victor Vroom noted that, depending on the degree of motivation, there is an attractiveness and value for the individual of the expected results.
Features
Expectations are in most cases consideredas an assessment of the specific personality of the probability of occurrence of a particular event. Let's give an example: the overwhelming majority of students are sure that after graduating they will be able to find a decent job, and if they work hard at the same time, the advancement on the career ladder will not keep you waiting.
Many modern procedural teachings onmotivation, expectation theory Vroom, including, consider motivation as a process of independent choice management. It is asserted that each individual is in a continuous state of motivation.
To the boss for a note
The theory of expectation reads: in order to become a successful leader, it is required to show to subordinates that all their efforts, properly directed to the accomplishment of the organization's tasks, will lead to the speedy achievement of their own goals.
According to the study, the employees carry out the most productive activities if they have the confidence that their hopes will be met in three directions:
- The ratio of "costs - results" ("Z - R"). This step represents the balance between the effort expended and the result of labor.
- "Result is reward" ("Р-В"). Such a calculation is aimed at a certain reward or promotion as a consequence of the achieved level of results.
- The third factor determining the motivation in the theory of expectation is the value of the reward or reward received.
Motivation of employees
Let's consider three directionsmore. As for the first "cost-result" relationship, Vroom's expectation theory provides the following explanation: when a person asks about the extent to which he can expect his own efforts to lead to quantitative and qualitative results required by the leader, the answer is time and is in the plane of this relationship, "З - Р".
The second motivator "Р-В" is activated whenthe employee fully appreciates the reality that he will be able to achieve the goal. In this case, a very specific question appears: "If I do a good job, what reward will I receive, will it meet my expectations?". Uncertainty can arise when the employee has to rely on others in the process of distributing the promised rewards. When determining the level of confidence of a subordinate that the head really will pay off the bonus, several factors are important. First, trust is higher when promises of superiors are not vague, but quite specific. Secondly, an important role is played by the realization that the immediate leader is endowed with the appropriate powers to ensure remuneration.
Value of promotion
The theory of expectations of Victor Vroom includes the postulate ofthat even if employees are confident in their own abilities and will receive the desired bonus, they will still have another question. It sounds like this: "If I get the desired bonus, will it be of value to me, will it help me satisfy basic needs?". According to the study, the answer to this question is the way to measure the value of the reward.
Important point
The value of remuneration is called one of the mainelements of the theory of expectations. However, unfortunately, not all managers take it into account. The most common difficulty associated with the process of determining the value of promotion is due to the fact that a person does not always pay enough attention and time to a detailed assessment of their own needs. Moreover, since the financial resources do allow you to acquire many benefits, the subordinates are often in error, being sure that money is in fact the best reward. Subsequently, such beliefs do not bring anything but disappointment and dissatisfaction. People who try to get satisfaction from their labor only in the form of money often lack self-esteem and feel the lack of demand for intelligence, abilities and skills.
Valence
To determine the overall level of needsindividual, the satisfaction of which will determine its behavior, Maslow applied the term "domination". However, how can a manager determine what is actual at the moment for a particular subordinate reward? Here, the theory of expectations of V. Vroom comes to the rescue. The term "valence" is used to establish the level of preference for a particular promotion. According to Vroom, this concept reflects a measure of priority or value. The maximum positive valence is 1.00, the minimum value is -1.00. And although this concept seems rather vague, it allows people to compare their queries. Thanks to general theoretical postulates, a model of Vroom motivation appeared. It can be represented as follows: waiting for "cost-results" x waiting for "results-reward" x valence (value of reward) = motivation.
How to optimize the activities of employees?
- Ensure a systematic comparison of needs with remuneration.
- Help the process of understanding the connection between efforts,result, promotion and satisfaction of needs. Confidence of subordinates will increase if they see that the leader pays much attention to this relationship.
- Identify the most effective incentives for each subordinate.
- Demonstrate your own ability to effectively guide and achieve your goals.
Conclusion
Above, the theory of Vroom's expectation was discussed, the factors influencing the behavior of subordinates are briefly described, and certain features of the behavior of a successful leader are revealed.