Motivation

            The process theories focus on how behavior is energized and directed and how it is related to performance and satisfaction. The process theory has three basic theories (1) expectancy theory, (2) reinforcement theory, and (3) equity theory. Expectancy theory focuses on how workers decide which specific behaviors to perform and how much effort to exert. In other words, expectancy theory is concerned with how workers make choices among alternative behaviors and levels of effort. With its emphasis on choices, expectancy theory focuses on workers' perceptions and thoughts or cognitive processes. Sometimes workers are not motivated to perform at a high level because they do not perceive that high performance will lead to extra benefits (such as pay raises, time off, and promotions). When workers think that good performance goes unrecognized, their motivation to perform at a high level tends to be low. When workers do not believe that performance is instrumental to obtaining rewards, management can take steps to rectify the situation and ensure that performance leads to rewards for as many workers as possible. This is the reinforcement comes into play. We as leaders must constantly reinforce and motivated high performance with employees. Equity theory is based on the premise that a worker perceives the relationship between outcomes, what the worker gets from a job and organization, and inputs, what the worker contributes to a job and organization. Outcomes include pay, fringe benefits, job satisfaction, status, and opportunities for advancement, job security, and anything else that workers desire and receive from an organization. Inputs include special skills, training, education, and work experience, effort on the job, time, and anything else that workers perceive that they contribute to an organization. According to equity theory, however, it is not the objective level of outcomes and inputs that is important in determining work motivation.