Question

For this posting, please use all three components of Expectancy Theory to explain why some employees are motivated to show up for work during inclement weather while other employees make no effort to leave their homes.

Answer 1

Vroom’s expectancy theory has three components. They are expectancy, instrumentality, and valence.

In this particular scenario the expectancy of the employee is that if he undertakes the additional effort/pain to travel in poor weather, then this effort may be awarded. This is the expectancy of the employees who show up for work during inclement weather. On the other hand employees who do not show up does not have this expectation.

The instrumentation part is fulfilled by the sheer believe that the effort made will be appreciated by the boss or the organization. On the other hand, if the employee does not have this instrumentation then he/she will unlikely be motivated to take the additional pain to come to work.

Finally the valence is that the employee values the idea of being appreciated by the organization or the boss. If the employee does not value the organization’s appreciation then too he/she will not make the additional effort as there is no motivation.

Thus there can be multiple scenarios they are

• Employee believes company will appreciate his/her effort, there may be an acknowledgement and it is valued.
• Employee believes company will appreciate his/her effort, there may be an acknowledgement but he/she does not value the acknowledgement.
• Employee believes that company will appreciate his/her effort but there will be no acknowledgement.
• Employee does not believe that the company will appreciate his/her effort.