Imagine that you are using expectancy theory to motivate a textbook salesperson who does not believe more "calls" will result in greater sales (performance). Which of the following behaviors would you recommend?
A)Show the salesperson how to distinguish departments with high-probability sales opportunities from those with low-probability sales opportunities.
B)Show the salesperson graphically that a direct relationship exists between greater sales and higher commissions.
C)Attempt to positively influence the importance of commissions or alter the rewards associated with increased sales.
D)None of these

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

According to expectancy theory, motivation is based on the belief that increased effort will lead to better performance, which in turn will lead to desired outcomes or rewards. In this scenario, the salesperson does not believe that more calls will result in greater sales, indicating a lack of expectancy. Therefore, the best course of action would be to show the salesperson a way to distinguish departments with high-probability sales opportunities from those with low-probability sales opportunities, which can increase their belief that more calls will lead to better performance. By doing so, the salesperson will be more motivated to put in the effort to make more calls, as they now believe that doing so will lead to improved performance and desired rewards. Options B and C may also be useful, but they are not the best choice in this scenario since the salesperson does not believe the direct relationship between sales and commissions, and attempting to positively influence rewards may not necessarily address the underlying expectancy issue.

Imagine That You Are Using Expectancy Theory to Motivate a Textbook