Principles of Management CLEP Practice Exam

Expectancy theory, developed by Victor Vroom, posits that individuals are motivated to act in a certain way based on their expectations that their efforts will lead to desired performance levels and, consequently, to specific rewards. The core idea is that people will put in the effort if they believe that doing so will lead to good performance, which will, in turn, earn them the rewards they desire. Thus, when individuals anticipate that their performance will lead to positive outcomes—such as promotions, bonuses, recognition, or other rewards—they are more likely to engage in behaviors that enhance their performance. This means that performance is closely linked to the expectation of receiving rewards, making the premise that people will work effectively if they expect good performance to be rewarded not just plausible, but fundamental in understanding motivational behavior in organizational settings. In contrast, the other options do not align with the principles of expectancy theory. For instance, the notion that rewards have no impact on performance contradicts the theory's essential premise that individuals are motivated by expected outcomes. The statement suggesting that external rewards outweigh internal motivation ignores the role both types of motivation can play in driving behavior. Lastly, asserting that performance is unrelated to outcome expectancy goes against the foundation of the theory, which stresses the importance of