An employee works hard to achieve success and a manager should identify the expectation of an outcome in the employee. If the manager does not realize the effort a team member gives in order to accomplish a task, it is of no use. This article is about Expectancy Theory which links high effort with excellent performance. The theory states the means for motivating team members that lead to successful team management.
An Idea of Expectancy Theory
The Expectancy Theory states that an individual behaves in a specific way in expectation of a certain outcome. The very desire to achieve the outcome acts as a motivation for performance.
Origin of Expectancy Theory
Victor Vroom developed the Expectancy Theory in 1964. This theory was created in adherence to management concepts. He came up with this theory while he was studying about motivation behind making decisions.
An Explanation of Expectancy Theory
According to Vroom, motivation controls the choice made by a professional. When a person makes a choice, he has an estimate of the desired outcome. This is his expectancy. The choices made by an individual increase the desired result and help to decrease the problems faced while putting an effort. He also believed that factors, such as knowledge, personality, abilities, skills and experience are responsible for an employee’s performance. To explain his theory, Vroom has taken the help of variables like Valence, Instrumentality and Expectancy.