Expectancy Theory: This theory has been proposed by Victor Vroom. Vroom hypothesized that an individual would be more motivated to perform a particular act if he/she predicts a reward at the end. According to this theory, motivation is a combination of three things: valence, instrumentality, expectancy.
Valence is a person’s preference or desire to accomplish a particular outcome. It refers to how much an individual values a particular outcome.
Instrumentality refers to how much hard work an individual puts into it to accomplish the outcome. It’s a belief system that builds on what will be accomplished if hard work is put into it. This part of the model combines performance with outcome.
Expectancy takes into account the capability of the person to accomplish the results. The person must have the right skills as well as resources to complete the job to be able to achieve the expected results.
This motivation model can be applied to increase a person’s motivation by showing them what benefits they may be able to accomplish if they work towards it. Also increased capabilities and skills will lead to greater rewards.Victor Vroom, of Carnegie-Mellon in Pittsburgh, has challenged the assertion of the human relationists that job satisfaction leads to increased productivity. (This theory has been called the contented cow approach to management.) The assumption is that if management keeps employees happy, they will respond by increasing productivity. Herzberg, in a delightful film of motivation, highlights the fallacy of this assumption with an interview between a manager and a secretary. The secretary is complaining about the job, and the manager lists all the things that have been done for the secretary - increases salary, n ...