Have you ever delved into Victor Vroom’s Expectancy Theory and its implications for motivation in the workplace?
This powerful framework, developed by Yale professor Victor Vroom in 1964, deciphers the psychological processes driving our motivational levels and subsequently, our actions.
Often explored in-depth during management training programmes, this theory provides a blueprint for leaders and managers seeking to create a motivated and high-performing team.
Join us as we navigate the intricacies of Vroom’s insights and uncover how they can be harnessed effectively in contemporary management practices.
Victor Vroom, a celebrated Yale professor, is a seminal figure in the fields of organisational behaviour and psychology. He was born in Quebec, Canada, in 1932 and sadly passed away in July 2023.
His work, particularly the Expectancy Theory, has revolutionised the way we understand employee motivation and leadership dynamics. Vroom’s insights are considered foundational in the study of management, helping shape modern organisational strategies.
Vroom’s notable publications include Work and Motivation, Leadership and Decision Making and The New Leadership.
Let’s unpack Vroom’s Expectancy Theory in a little more depth. We’ll begin with the basics.
The Expectancy Theory is built on three critical elements: Expectancy, Instrumentality, and Valence.
Example: “If I make these 100 sales cold calls, I should expect 10 of these leads to progress to prospects.”
Example: “If I achieve a 10% conversion rate from cold leads to serious prospects, my boss will be happy, and I may earn a bonus.”
Example: “I’d rather have the recognition than the bonus, since it makes it likelier I’ll be promoted.”
Understanding these components is essential for managers to motivate their teams effectively.
Victor Vroom’s expectancy theory of motivation explains how people make decisions regarding various behavioural alternatives. Expectancy theory offers the following propositions:
The motivational force is the product of the three perceptions:
Thus, Motivation = Expectancy x Reward x Value
An individual’s assessment of expectancy probability is based on experience, level of self-confidence, and the perceived difficulty of the performance goal. Experienced sales reps, for example, have a fair idea of how much effort translates into effectiveness.
Less experienced employees might not yet know what proportion of leads they can convert. Similarly, reps joining a new company, or moving to a different area of sales (for instance from property to software) might also find it hard to judge expectancy probability to begin with.
The success rate in different sales fields ranges widely. Here are two contrasting statistics:
And you’ll find current opinion pieces online describing the cold calling conversion rate as anything from 1% to 10%. That’s a huge variation.
Clearly, whatever level is offered to reps as a target will strongly affect expectation, as employees compare their performance to this theoretical limit.
Reward is based on the perceived performance-reward relationship. This is the belief that if someone does meet performance expectations, he or she will receive a greater reward.
There are three elements to instrumentality as a motivating factor:
1. Reward promises are made.
2. These promises are fulfilled.
3. The process of reward is publicised.
Fail in any one of these aspects, and instrumentality will have limited power to motivate. The failure modes are easy to understand:
“There isn’t much of an incentive program at this company.”
“We were supposed to get a bonus, then management said we had to tighten our belts this quarter.”
“I had no idea where to read about the incentive program”
Rewards can take many forms, of course:
As we’ve seen, rewards work as motivators once employees see others receiving them and have a reasonable expectation that their own efforts will garner similar benefits.
Value refers to the value the individual personally places on the rewards. This is a function of his or her needs, goals, and values.
What someone will value will depend on several factors:
In other words, people may differ between one another in terms of what they value. However, an individual’s own priorities might also vary from day to day.
A wise manager pays attention to the different value systems of their employees, and knows how best to reward each one, so that the greatest motivation is derived.
Even if it’s impossible to keep track of how each rep in a large sales team is best motivated, by offering a range of possible benefits, managers can increase motivational value overall.
In other words, they can provide a supportive nurturing workplace (value 1), a published financial bonus scheme (value 2), public recognition for successes (value 3) and great training and development opportunities (value 4).
In this way, regardless of the psychological make-up of each team member, there is something to remind them how valuable the work they are doing is.
Unlike other motivational theories that often focus on intrinsic factors, Vroom’s Expectancy Theory introduces a more comprehensive approach.
It considers external influences like the work environment, team dynamics, and leadership styles, highlighting the complex nature of motivation in management.
Here are just some of the external factors that contribute to motivation:
Note how abstract many of these motivating factors are. Some might even seem whimsical – a sense of purpose?
However, for many employees, the work they do needs to have some sense of meaning, or value beyond the pay cheque and having like minded colleagues with whom to hit the pub on a Friday night.
A 2020 McKinsey survey revealed that 82% of workers believe that it’s important their company has a purpose. That’s a startling result.
So even if your business is selling rubber doorstops, you need to locate some purpose to satisfy those office philosophers. Fortunately, studies have also shown that workplace relationships and camaraderie rate highly in employee’s priorities.
A Gallup report found that workers with positive workplace relationships “are driven to take positive actions that benefit the business – actions they may not otherwise even consider.”
In other words, in happy workplaces, workers go the extra mile, whereas they’ll clock-off at their contracted hour in offices where they feel isolated or in conflict with leadership.
This is all common sense stuff, of course, but it pays to be reminded from time to time.
Expectancy Theory is worth studying because it digs deep into motivation, and as we’ll see, motivation is hugely significant in the workplace.
Let’s look deeper at how motivation drives performance at work.
Workplace motivation is a critical driver of productivity and employee satisfaction. A well-motivated employee:
Of course, it’s not realistic to expect all workers to be equally motivated each day. Everyone has bad days, whether due to ill-health, personal problems, or simply a run of bad luck.
However, in terms of average levels of motivation, paying attention to all the factors that contribute to worker satisfaction boosts productivity, improves retention, and reduces employee churn. Your HR department will thank you, in other words!
By leveraging Vroom’s Expectancy Theory, managers can create a more engaging and rewarding work environment, leading to higher levels of employee commitment and reduced turnover.
Implementing the principles of Expectancy Theory can significantly impact organisational outcomes. Doing so helps in aligning employee goals with organisational objectives, creating a culture of continuous improvement.
The theory assumes that people act to minimise discomfort and maximise pleasure in all that they do. We are efficient animals, in other wise, which is probably how humanity propelled itself to the top of the food chain, after all.
Managers should therefore create workplaces where it is obviously better to act in a manner that aligns with strategic goals. Better for the company AND better for the individual.
Next, let’s turn to some practical tips and tricks to do just that.
We’ve pulled these lessons from real-world examples of companies maximising motivation for corporate gain, and employee satisfaction.
“I seek out ways to contribute to important projects that provide me with a sense of ownership both in my own work and my overall work environment. Making an impact in this industry and in customer’s lives is motivating.”
“Throughout my tenure at TR I have worked with great colleagues. I can’t stress enough about the culture we have which acts as a catalyst to innovate, try new things, and not to be afraid of failures.”
“The value that embracing flexible working practices brings to the lives of TR employees should not be underestimated. Work is such a big part of everyone’s life but is always balanced with home life.”
Let’s be honest, Google is an extreme example – not all workplaces can be like playgrounds for adults. However, that doesn’t mean that the importance of fun, laughter and entertainment should be overlooked.
Worker morale is a collective concept – it’s how a workforce feels, rather than any individual. However, low morale within a workplace often leads to individual demotivation. It’s unsurprising that productivity dips in an office where the boss is unpopular, or a hostile takeover is imminent.
Next, let’s turn to some practical steps that workplaces can take to improve motivation, with Vroom’s Expectancy Theory in mind.
Here are some practical steps you can take to maximise motivation by appreciating the three elements of Vroom’s theory:
Victor Vroom’s Expectancy Theory of Motivation is not a perfect theory. Indeed, it has received some valid criticism over the intervening almost sixty years since its invention.
Let’s look at some of those criticisms now.
While Expectancy Theory is influential, it’s not without its challenges.
The first criticism is simply that the theory is overly simplistic, neglecting the complexity of accurately assessing individual motivations. It doesn’t, for example, explain akrasia, the human tendency to identify the right course of action, yet do something entirely different.
Secondly, motivation is not a static measure.
Were you to map an average worker’s motivation over their working week, you might notice significant drop-offs in performance, for instance, after lunch or at the end of a long week! This is to be expected, and Vroom’s theory can only account for motivation as an average.
Thirdly, the theory neglects worker education and training level, as well as innate ability. In other words, some workers are simply less capable, either temporarily, or fundamentally, to achieve the same targets as others.
Good training and development opportunities can help to bring employees closer to parity in terms of effort and achievement, but there will always be workers who are innately better at their job than others. Most good workplaces can support some level of variance in performance.
Lastly, the theory cannot readily be applied to workplaces where rewards are assigned based upon factors other than effort and achievement, such as seniority or qualifications.
That said, it can be argued that such workplaces would benefit from taking Vroom’s theory more seriously.
There are a range of ways to overcome the limitations and challenges of Victor Vroom’s motivation theory. Here are some of them:
MTD’s training courses provide valuable insights into overcoming motivational challenges. Training and development remain one of the best ways to maximise employee motivation, by providing the skills that lift performance and engender a sense of achievement.
In summary, Victor Vroom’s Expectancy Theory offers a powerful lens through which to view and influence workplace motivation. While there are competing theories, Vroom’s schema offers a commonsense analysis of what makes workers tick.
By understanding and applying its principles, managers and leaders can cultivate an environment that maximises employee engagement and drives organisational success.
For more insights and practical guidance on applying Expectancy Theory in your workplace, check out MTD Management’s comprehensive online manager training courses.
Alternatively, if you are looking to improve your management and leadership skills, MTD Training has plenty of courses that can get you there. Take a look at our management skills course and management development programme.
And for some alternative theories of employee motivation, why not check out our articles on McClelland’s Motivational Needs or the Hertzberg Motivational Theory.
Thanks again
Sean
Sean McPheat
Managing Director
Updated on: 23 January, 2024
Originally posted: 19 November 2010
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