Practice question · Multiple choice
A firm doubles its bonuses and motivation does not move, because nobody believes the ratings are fair. Which motivation theory predicts exactly this?
Hints
- The theory is multiplicative. Ask what happens when one factor is near zero.
- Which link in the chain — effort to performance, performance to reward, reward to value — has broken here?
Show the answer
D. Expectancy theory, which multiplies its three terms
Why
Vroom's model multiplies rather than adds, so a near-zero instrumentality wipes out however large the reward is, doubling a bonus nobody expects to receive changes nothing. Herzberg is close but would predict pay never motivates, where the evidence here is that the linkage failed.
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