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Applying Motivation Theory to Analyze a 'Real World' Scenario: Causes and Solutions
Laura Paglis Dwyer
University of Evansville, USA
Volume 17: 2024, pp. 00-00; ABSTRACT
A foundational topic in every introductory Organizational Behavior (O.B.) course is work
motivation. Textbooks devote one or two chapters to this subject and cover many different theories
that have been developed over the years to explain the presence or absence of consistently high
effort at work. It can be challenging to bring this critical content to life for students to help them
understand its practical implications. Without specific guidance in an experiential direction,
students’ focus understandably turns to keeping straight theory names and their specific components
to do well on a quiz or test: learning that is likely to be quickly forgotten shortly thereafter. To
address this problem, described here is an easy-to-implement assignment with high personal
relevancy for students that revolves around one of the most popular and broadest theories of work
motivation, expectancy theory.
Keywords: work motivation, expectancy theory, experiential exercise.
