Key Terms
- equity theory
- A theory of motivation that holds that worker satisfaction is influenced by employees’ perceptions about how fairly they are treated compared with their coworkers.
- expectancy theory
- A theory of motivation that holds that the probability of an individual acting in a particular way depends on the strength of that individual’s belief that the act will have a particular outcome and on whether the individual values that outcome.
- goal-setting theory
- A theory of motivation based on the premise that an individual’s intention to work toward a goal is a primary source of motivation.
- Hawthorne effect
- The phenomenon that employees perform better when they feel singled out for attention or feel that management is concerned about their welfare.
- hygiene factors
- Extrinsic elements of the work environment that do not serve as a source of employee satisfaction or motivation.
- job enlargement
- The horizontal expansion of a job by increasing the number and variety of tasks that a person performs.
- job enrichment
- The vertical expansion of a job by increasing the employee’s autonomy, responsibility, and decision-making authority.
- job rotation
- The shifting of workers from one job to another; also called cross-training.
- job sharing
- A scheduling option that allows two individuals to split the tasks, responsibilities, and work hours of one 40-hour-per-week job.
- Maslow’s hierarchy of needs
- A theory of motivation developed by Abraham Maslow; holds that humans have five levels of needs and act to satisfy their unmet needs. At the base of the hierarchy are fundamental physiological needs, followed in order by safety, social, esteem, and self-actualization needs.
- motivating factors
- Intrinsic job elements that lead to worker satisfaction.
- motivation
- Something that prompts a person to release his or her energy in a certain direction.
- need
- The gap between what is and what is required.
- punishment
- Anything that decreases a specific behavior.
- reinforcement theory
- A theory of motivation that holds that people do things because they know that certain consequences will follow.
- reward
- Anything that increases a specific behavior.
- scientific management
- A system of management developed by Frederick W. Taylor and based on four principles: developing a scientific approach for each element of a job, scientifically selecting and training workers, encouraging cooperation between workers and managers, and dividing work and responsibility between management and workers according to who can better perform a particular task.
- Theory X
- A management style, formulated by Douglas McGregor, that is based on a pessimistic view of human nature and assumes that the average person dislikes work, will avoid it if possible, prefers to be directed, avoids responsibility, and wants security above all.
- Theory Y
- A management style, formulated by Douglas McGregor, that is based on a relatively optimistic view of human nature; assumes that the average person wants to work, accepts responsibility, is willing to help solve problems, and can be self-directed and self-controlled.
- Theory Z
- A theory developed by William Ouchi that combines U.S. and Japanese business practices by emphasizing long-term employment, slow career development, moderate specialization, group decision-making, individual responsibility, relatively informal control over the employee, and concern for workers.
- want
- The gap between what is and what is desired.