Abstract
This paper discusses how managers motivate employees to perform their roles better in order to be effective in their work and give high-quality output. Managers ensure that everybody in the organization is satisfied in the role assigned to them and there are rewards given depending on the level of productivity. Managers should use good leadership styles by emphasizing empowerment and delegating their duties to their subordinates. In electronic management, networks of communication are used to ensure that there is immediate feedback of information that is communicated and limit nonverbal cues in order to know the reaction of the person who receives information and provide a degree of interaction that is acceptable.
Introduction
In Victor Vroom’s management theory, there is the assumption that behavior comes as a result of conscious choices among many alternatives with the purpose of minimizing pain and maximizing pleasure. Vroom suggested that there is a relationship between the behaviors of people at work where the goal is not simple. Vroom came to realize that performance of employees must be based on individual factors like skills, knowledge, personality, abilities and experience. There are different goals set by individuals who are motivated by the belief that a positive correlation exists between efforts and performance. Any favorable effort made results in a desirable reward and the reward satisfies a need. If there is a desire to satisfy any need, the effort made is worthwhile. (Oliver, 2002 pp34-35)
Describing the management theory of Victor Vroom
Victor Vroom was more concerned with the relationship that exists between motivation and work. He carried out a study of variables that would motivate a person’s behavior in the work role and the effects of the work role on motivational variables. There are three occurrences that are a function of the relationship between motives and the work roles such as choices that people make in work roles, the satisfaction derived in the chosen work roles and level of performance and effectiveness in their current work role.
Valence is the satisfaction an employee anticipates receiving after making a decision between two choices. Bias or preexisting preference influences the choice made by a person and whether they want to achieve an outcome. Vroom stated that the value received by an employee from the decision made and the outcome that results is different from the valence a person strived to be able to receive. For valence to become a relevant factor in motivation, employees must be both subjective and responsive to one outcome. If the employee is indifferent, valence becomes a non-factor with no effect on motivating the employee and will look for a level of satisfaction. The main goal of management is to be able to determine rewards that are sought by employees and how to attain these rewards.
The concept of expectancy is the probability of realizing a specific outcome after carrying out a specific action. If you expect to realize a specific outcome, the employee will feel motivated and attempt the action. Likewise, if there is no likelihood of an outcome occurring, employees will not be motivated to take risks in carrying out the action. The confidence of an employee is tied directly to inherent motives and skills. If the employees believe that they have the necessary skills for doing a task, they will be motivated to attempt it. For the employees who believe they are inferior with no required skills, doubting themselves leads to restrictions that are self-imposed on their potential and capabilities. Management has the main goal of determining the training needs of employees and ensuring there are the desired outcomes that are realized without taking any chance.
The instrumentality concept is the final outcome or experience realized by an employee after consummating a particular action. This is assumed to be high when an expected and perceived reward is actually received by the employee. There are specific actions leading to the realization of reward which is related directly and responsible for attaining it. Management has a goal of making employees know the desired actions which are imperative to the functionality of the business. After completing the actions, management communicates about the yielding of the rewards to respective employees to maintain a high level of motivation. (Lawler, 2004 pp10-14)
Vrooms work is a valuable contribution to management. His extended and tested models are important landmarks. Managers have been able to understand behavior and mold those behaviors to get favorable outcomes to be able to manage effectively. The Vroom leadership decision-making model was very famous and has changed the thinking of management. Today, there is more emphasis on empowerment, matrix management, flatter structures and delegation which have implications on how managers choose their leadership style. According to critics, different business environment influences the managers differently and Vroom can not be oblivious to development and change and justifies how relevant his work is.
Management theory relates to governments and non-profits such as educational and public management. Management programs related to organizations in civil society have spawned nonprofit management programs. Democracy in the workplace is very common where management functions are distributed among the workers who take a portion of their work. Management embraces principles of democracy where workers in the long run give support to management. Management is becoming less basing it on command and control and support and facilitation of collaborative activities where human interaction management principles are utilized in dealing with complex human interaction. (Steers, 2004 pp12-16)
How the Theory apply to Electronic Management
In electronic management, a decentralized network for communication deals with complex problems or information. A decentralized network is where there is less structure and interpersonal contact among group members is more. Complex information requires psychological propinquity to be effective in solving problems that bring about communicative satisfaction. Perceived propinquity is a function of the complexity of information transmitted. “The more complex the information to be transmitted, the more senses that will be involved and a picture is worth more than a thousand words” Victor Vroom, 1969.
Electronic management approaches the Complexity of information needs in a phenomenological manner and it is important to know the way a person perceives a message than to rate internal consistency or elements found in a message. If the channel is more mutually directional, it becomes more propinquity because people may be found saying they are together when they are far apart. When people are together, feedback is required for the existence of perceived propinquity. Across different media, there is variation in the way feedback is perceived to be less or more complete. When conversing through telephone, nonverbal cues are not in large number to be able to evaluate performance in terms of how the receiver reacts when he receives the communication. (Vroom, 1986 pp12-16)
When the spontaneous discussion is flowing freely, intricate coordination is involved and there is a meshing of individual speech to form one conversation. Striking evidence is provided by a recent film that analyzes communication by providing striking evidence of body movements and gestures as speakers begin to speak, pause, resume talking and are interrupted.
Mutual directionality is the degree to of people perceive a channel in order to provide feedback in varying amounts. The way we feel close to other people is a function of resemblance to traditional interpersonal encounters which relates directly to mutual directionality. Propinquity is necessary and sufficient according to interacted communication skills. If probing skill is mastered, for example; making up narrow bandwidth of the channel, propinquity is enough for interaction purposes. The way a person masters communication skills for a certain media, the more that media is likely to provide an acceptable degree of interaction. (Vroom, 2000 pp23-26)
Conclusion
Management theory shows how the organization benefits from participation by offering its participants development opportunities. The position of a manager influences organizational hierarchy on problem handling style. Vroom is concerned with maintaining simplicity which is seen as the utility of a working tool and Leadership decision-making has a popular practical value whose validity has been tested.
Communication media that is chosen should rehearse predetermined behavior patterns and should require less effort to be anticipated when the information transmitted is highly complex. A large number of choices is necessary so that perceived propinquity can be judged to be the required one. A healthy degree of organizational conflict is allowed and is resolved through various forms of communication. (Oliver, 2002 pp36-37)
References
Steers R. (2004): Great minds in management; the process of theory development: Williamson, pp12-16.
Vroom V. (2000): Leaders and leadership process: Collectivism, pp23-26.
Vroom V. (1986): Annual editions management: Management classic, pp12-16.
Lawler K. (2004): Work motivation; history, research, theory and practice: Chronological review, pp10-14.
Oliver E. (2002): Management theory and the process of development: John Wiley, pp34-37.