choose ONE theory of employee motivation from Chapter 8 of your textbook:
• Needs Theory
• Expectancy Theory
• Self-Efficacy Theory
• Justice Theories
• Goal-Setting Theory
• Control Theory
• Action Theory.
apply the theory creatively, show that you understand it, and make it personal — either by connecting it to your own experiences, to organizations you know, or to an imagined scenario.
• Demonstrate understanding of one motivational theory.
• Apply the theory to a practical, real-world, or personal scenario.
• Think critically about the strengths and weaknesses of the theory.
• Engage creatively, using a format other than a traditional paper.
What You’ll Do
1. Choose a Theory: Pick ONE
• Needs Theory
• Expectancy Theory
• Self-Efficacy Theory
• Justice Theories
• Goal-Setting Theory
• Control Theory
• Action Theory.
1. Explain the Theory (Briefly)
o Provide a clear, accessible explanation of your chosen theory in your own words. Keep this concise — imagine you’re explaining it to someone who has never heard of it. Additionally, make sure you use terminology from the textbook/ video lecture (paraphrase)
1. Apply the Theory
o Apply the theory in a way that feels meaningful and creative to you. Some options include:
1. Connecting it to your personal experiences (school, sports, volunteer work, jobs, or even family roles).
2. Designing a program or strategy an organization could use (a company, sports team, nonprofit, or even a club you imagine).
3. Showing how the theory could guide someone’s personal goal-setting or self-improvement.
o Your application should include practical examples, not just theory.
Physiological & Emotional States: Our emotional and physical reactions to a task (e.g., nervousness, excitement).
2. Application: Learning to Play the Piano as an Adult
I've always wanted to learn to play the piano, but for years, I had low self-efficacy about it. I believed it was something you had to learn as a child, and my adult brain was too slow to pick up a new instrument. Here's how the theory applied to my journey:
Low Self-Efficacy: When I first sat down at a friend's piano, I was filled with doubt. My hands felt clumsy, and I couldn't seem to coordinate them. My internal dialogue was negative: "This is too hard. I'll never be able to play a real song." I viewed the complex sheet music as a threat, not a challenge.
The Power of Vicarious Experience: One day, I watched a YouTube video of a man my age who had taught himself to play a beautiful piece. He wasn't a professional; he was an amateur musician. Seeing someone who was just like me—an adult, not a prodigy—succeed motivated me. His success became a vicarious experience that boosted my self-efficacy. I thought, "If he can do it, maybe I can too."
Mastery Experiences & Goal-Setting: I decided to try again, but this time, I set a very small, manageable goal: learn to play the first line of a simple song. When I finally succeeded after a few days of practice, it was a small but powerful mastery experience. That tiny success built my confidence. I then set a new, slightly more challenging goal: learn the next line. Each time I mastered a new section, my self-efficacy grew.
Social Persuasion: I told a few friends I was learning, and their encouragement was a form of social persuasion. One friend, who is a musician, told me, "Don't worry about being perfect. Just enjoy the process. Anyone can learn with enough practice." This simple statement helped me overcome my self-doubt and focus on the joy of learning.
Physiological State: When I first started, my hands would get sweaty and my heart would race with frustration. Over time, as my self-efficacy grew, I began to view that same nervousness not as a sign of failure, but as a normal part of the learning process.
3. Strengths and Weaknesses of the Theory
Strengths:
Action-Oriented: This theory is incredibly practical. It doesn't just explain why people are motivated; it gives a clear roadmap for how to increase motivation (e.g., by creating small wins, finding good role models, and offering encouragement).
Personalized: Self-efficacy is specific to a particular task, which makes it a more accurate predictor of behavior than a general sense of confidence. You can have high self-efficacy for cooking but low self-efficacy for public speaking, which makes perfect sense in the real world.
Positive Focus: It emphasizes the power of belief and resilience, which is a motivational and empowering perspective.
Sample Answer
The Chosen Theory: Self-Efficacy Theory
Self-Efficacy Theory, championed by psychologist Albert Bandura, is all about your personal belief in your ability to succeed in a specific situation. It’s not about your actual skills, but your confidence in using those skills to accomplish a task. This theory suggests that our self-efficacy, or belief in our capabilities, is a key driver of our motivation. People with high self-efficacy are more likely to set challenging goals, persist through obstacles, and recover quickly from setbacks. Conversely, those with low self-efficacy may avoid difficult tasks, give up easily, and dwell on their personal shortcomings.
Our self-efficacy is influenced by four main sources:
Mastery Experiences: Our past successes and failures. The most powerful source.
Vicarious Experiences: Observing others, especially those similar to us, succeed.
Social Persuasion: Encouragement or discouragement from others.