Victor Vroom's expectancy theory proposes that individuals are motivated when they have certain expectations. It explains that people make choices based on an assessment of how much effort will lead to performance, how performance will lead to rewards, and whether those rewards are attractive. The theory involves three key relationships: 1) the relationship between effort and performance, 2) the relationship between performance and rewards, and 3) the relationship between rewards and personal goals. Vroom developed this motivation theory while a professor at Yale and it differs from other theories by focusing on outcomes rather than internal needs.

1. Vroom’s Expectancy
Theory
-ANNU MARIYA JOY

2. Meaning
The expectancy theory says that individuals have
different sets of goals and can be motivated if
they have certain expectations. This theory is
about choice, it explains the processes that an
individual undergoes to make choices.

3. In the study of organizational behavior,
expectancy theory is a motivation theory
first proposed by Victor Vroom (1964).
Victor Harold Vroom is a business school
professor at the Yale School of
Management. He holds
a PhD from University of Michigan and
an MS and BS from McGill University.

4. Victor H. Vroom (1964)-The individual makes
choices based on estimates of how well the
expected results of a given behavior are going to
match up with or eventually lead to the desired
results.
Unless there is a positive expectation of a
reward that will satisfy a need ,an individual' will
not take action.

5. factors contribute to an employee’s
expectancy perceptions:
 The level of confidence in the skills required
for the task
 The amount of support that may be expected
from superiors and subordinates
 The quality of the materials and equipment
 The availability of pertinent information.

6. Expectancy Theory
Individual
effort
Individual
performance
Organizational
rewards
Personal goals
1 2 3
1
3
2
Effort-performance relationship (Expectancy)
Performance-reward relationship (Instrumentality)
Reward-personal goals relationship (Valence)

7. Expectancy theory argues that the strength of our tendency to
act a certain way depends on the strength of our expectation of
a given outcome and its attractiveness.
Employees will be motivated to exert a high level of effort when
they believe it will lead to a good performance appraisal; that a
good performance appraisal will lead to organizational rewards

8. 1. Effort-performance relationship: The probability perceived by
the individual that exerting a given amount of effort will lead to
performance
2. Performance-reward relationship: The degree to which the
individual believes performing at a particular level will lead to the
attainment of desired outcome
3. Reward-personal goals relationship: the degree to which
organizational rewards satisfy an individual’s personal goals or
needs and the attractiveness of those potential reward for the
individual

9. How Does it Differ From Other
Motivational Theories?
 The expectancy theory of motivation suggested by
Vroom, unlike Maslow and Herzberg, does not
concentrate on needs, but rather focuses on outcomes.
 Whereas Maslow and Herzberg look at the relationship
between internal needs and the resulting effort
expended to fulfill them, Vroom separates effort, which
arises from motivation, performance, and outcomes.

10. Example
• Thirsty person –action -possibility of obtaining
water.
• Management student-course-promotion

11. Reference
• Organization behavior- Stephen P. Robbins,
Timothy A. Judge, Neharika Vohra