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Expectancy theory -

In 1964, Canadian psychologist Victor Vroom developed expectancy theory while at the Yale School of Management. Expectancy theory has endured all these years because of its explanation of human motivation.

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Workplace motivation -

Vroom’s theory emerged from his study on motivation in the workplace setting. His observation was that a person’s behavior was rooted in the results or consequences they anticipated.

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Intensity of performance -

Therefore, how hard they worked, or rather, the intensity of their performance at work, was driven by what they perceived that effort would lead to.

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Behavioral theories -

Vroom’s theory is certainly similar to other behavioral theories that tie the relationship between consequences and motivation together.

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Rewards and recognition -

Vroom argues that the more we believe our performance at work will be rewarded and recognized, the more driven we will be to perform more, or with more intensity.

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VIE theory -

Expectancy theory is also sometimes referred to as VIE theory, referring to its three core components: expectancy, instrumentality, and valence.

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Expectancy -

Expectancy refers to the strength of the link between a person’s effort and performance. An example of such: If I respond to 10 emails per hour, I will likely complete most of my work by 6 pm.

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Instrumentality -

Instrumentality refers to the relationship that is perceived between behavior and the outcome that is being sought. An example of such is: If I work two extra hours per week, I will likely be promoted by the end of the year.

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Valence -

Valence refers to how much an individual pursues a particular outcome. An example of such is: It is of the utmost importance for me to receive a promotion by the end of the year.

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Three factors -

These three factors—valence, instrumentality, and expectancy—can be understood as measurable probabilities when examined in the "real world."

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Extra effort -

This means that a person who would be willing to work extra hours and put in extra effort to move toward a desired outcome may also perceive that achieving their desired outcome is unlikely.

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Demotivating -

This realization of a low probability of a desired outcome can be very demotivating. In contrast, those who perceive their desired outcome to be very likely may have strong motivation.

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Belief and hope -

Ultimately, expectancy is the person’s belief and, importantly, hope, that giving increased effort to a given task will produce the outcome they desire.

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More than outcomes -

Since Vroom first published the theory, there have also been additions to the theory. One is that a worker’s behavior is driven by more than just particular outcomes.

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Other factors come into play -

Factors such as job satisfaction, promotion (or potential demotion), reprimands, and other negative consequences, such as being fired, play significant roles.

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Complexity of motivation -

Of course, motivation is a complex science. Multiple dynamic factors in different environments may impact how it is affected.

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Understand and increase motivation -

Although expectancy theory is often utilized to both understand and increase motivation in work contexts, there are several limitations that have been observed.

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No rationality baseline -

One such critique is that there is no baseline for rationality. Meaning that humans “vary in the degree of rationality,” often acting irrationally.

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Information processing -

There is a great variance in how people process information. Therefore, there is a wide range of perceptions, even when behaving rationally.

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Different factors -

Humans do not have constant awareness of themselves, their environments, or the different factors that may be encouraging or demotivating them.

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Intuitively correct -

The belief that increased effort on a particular task will necessarily yield a desired outcome is “intuitively correct,” but human behavior is far more complex.

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Applying the theory -

So, how can we apply the theory in pursuing our own personal or professional goals? How can we better understand the motivations that drive our behavior?

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Boosting expectancy -

According to Positive Psychology, we can “boost” expectancy through skill-building. To this end, we identify the gaps that are keeping us from achieving our goals.

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Increase expectancy of success -

Once we identify the gaps, we can come up with a series of strategies that develop these skills to increase the expectancy of success.

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Relationship between efforts and achievements -

In considering instrumentality, we have to identify the relationship between our efforts and our achievements. To this end, we can harbor greater certainty in the instrumentality of our behavior.

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Goals to motivate -

In terms of valence, we have to identify goals that are more likely to motivate us and sustain the efforts necessary to move toward our desired outcome.

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Desirable and clear -

To this end, goals must be both highly desirable and clear. We have to be able to anticipate and value the outcomes we seek.

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Developing the framework -

There are a number of tools one can use to work toward developing this framework. Working with an experienced career coach is one of those options.

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SMART worksheets -

We can also use tools like SMART (specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound) worksheets on our own.

Sources: (Positive Psychology) (The Decision Lab)

See also: Why you have no motivation to work (and what to do about it)

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