Expectancy theory The original thinking behind what has come to be known as expectancy theory, or Vroom’s Expectancy-Valence-Instrumentality (VIE) theory (Beck, 1983), can be traced back to the theorizing of Tolman and Levin in 1932 and 1938 respectively (Petri, 1996). Vroom was, however, the first scholar to elaborate on this thinking in a motivational context in 1964 (Gouws, 1995). Since its origins in the psychological theorising of some 60 years ago, the expectancy theory has been presented in many variations. Common to all versions is the basic tenet that people base their behaviour on their beliefs and expectations regarding future events, namely those maximally advantageous to them (Baron et al., 2002). Essentially, the theory explains how rewards lead to behaviour, through focusing on internal cognitive states that lead to motivation. In other words, people are motivated to action if they believe those behaviours will lead to the outcomes they want. The said cognitive states are termed ‘expectancy’, ‘valence’ and ‘instrumentality’ (Spector, 2003). Vroom’s original theory posits that motivation (or ‘force’) is a mathematical …show more content…
It has also been criticised for failing to take adequate account of people’s cognitive limitations (Baron et al., 2002). Consequently, there has been mixed levels of support for the theory’s usefulness in the workplace. According to Hadebe (2012) the theory has limited use, and is more valid for prediction of behaviour where effort–performance–rewards linkages may be clearly perceived by the individual. Support for the theory as an adequate predictor of job performance comes from authors such as Tubbs, Boehne and Dahl (1993), Van Eerde and Thierry (1996), Hackman and Porter (1968) and Fox, Scott and Donohue