Expectancy Theory
The strength of a tendency to act in a certain way depends on the strength of an expectation that the act will be followed by a given outcome and on the attractiveness of that outcome to the individual. The theory focuses on three relationships:
- Effort-performance relationship or the probability perceived by the individual that exerting a given amount of effort will lead to performance.
- Performance-reward relationship or the degree to which the individual believes that performing at a particular level will lead to the attainment of a desired outcome.
- Rewards-personal goals relationship or the degree to which organizational rewards satisfy an individual’s personal goals or needs and the attractiveness of those potential rewards for the individual.