Distorting perceptions: altering our perceptions of our own or the referents inputs and outcomes
Ex) justifying the situation by downplaying our own inputs; valuing our outcomes more highly; distorting the other person's inputs; distorting the other person's outcomes
Increase referent's inputs:
Ex) if other person brings more to the situation, then them getting more out of the situation would be fair; if that person can be made to work harder or work more complicated
tasks, equity would be achieved
Reduce one's inputs:
Ex) if the lower paid person puts forth less effort, the perceived inequity would be reduced; people who perceive inequity reduce their work performance or quality of their inputs
Increasing one's outcomes:
Ex) legitimate means such as negotiating a pay raise
Ex) stealing to balance the scales
Changing the comparison person
Leaving the situation by quitting
Legal action:
Ex) if the main reason behind
the pay gap is gender related, then the person may react to the situation by taking legal action because sex discrimination in pay is illegal in the US
Three main reward problems
1) Failure to produce desired behaviour 2) Product of desired behaviour and undesirable consequences 3) Production of reward dissatisfaction
when employees believe that the rewards they receive are not consistent with the contributions they are making to the organization or when they believe that the reward system is unfair
Three Key Employee Behaviours
Membership behaviour, Task behaviour, Organizational citizenship behaviour
Occurs when employees decide to join and remain with a firm
occurs when employees perform the specific tasks that have been assigned to them
Organizational citizenship behaviour
Occurs when employees voluntarily undertake special behaviours beneficial to the organization that go beyond simple membership and task behaviour
Three Key Employee Attitudes
Job Satisfaction, Work Motivation, Organizational Identification
the attitude one holds towards one's job and work place, either positive or negative
the attitude one holds towards good job performance, either positive or negative
Organizational Identification
has three interrelated elements a sense of shared goals and values with the organization, a sense of membership or belongingness and an intention to remain a member of the organization.
Causes of Reward Dissatisfaction
1) Violation of the psychological contract 2) Perceived inequity 3) Relative deprivation 4) Lack of organizational justice
the perception that overall reward outcomes are fair, which is what equity theory is all about
the perception that the process though which rewards are determined is fair
economic rewards meet employee needs and are considered fair
the perception that the process through which rewards are determined is fair
Satisfaction with supervisors
regards whether supervisors are seen as supportive, helpful, and fair in their treatment of employees
Satisfaction with co-workers
regards the extent to which co-workers are viewed as friendly, sociable, helpful, cooperative, and supportive.
What are the five dimensions of citizenship behavior?
Altruism, General compliance, courtesy, sportsmanship, civic virtue.
suggests that individuals are motivated by a sense of fairness in rewards distribution (distributive justice)
Relative Deprivation Theory Suggests that employees experience dissatisfaction when:
1) There is a discrepancy between
the outcome they want and what they actually receive 2) They see that a comparison " other" receives more than they do 3) Past experience has led them to expect more than they now receive. 4) Expectations for achieving better outcomes are low 5) They feel that they are entitled to more 6) They absolve themselves of personal responsibility for the lack of better outcomes
Content theories of motivation:
theories that focus on understanding motivation by identifying underlying human needs
Process theories of motivation
theories that focus on understanding motivation by determining the processes through which different people choose different courses action in pursuit of the same needs
states that the behavior will be repeated if valued outcomes flow from that behavior, or if performing performing the behavior reduces undesirable outcomes
states that motivation is the product of three perceptions. Expectancy: the perceived likelihood that increased effort will lead to increased performance Instumentality: the perceived likelihood that increased performance will lead to rewards Valence: the perceived value of the rewards Motivation= Expectancy X Instrumentality X Valence (if one is 0, motivation will be 0)
People often act without understanding their motives and afterward attempt to attribute motives for their actions.
Employees will pursue their own interests rather than the interests of their employer unless they are closely monitored or their interests are aligned with the interests of their employer
suggest that above market wages are rational for some firms