5 Motivation and Employee Engagement Free Online FlashCards

What does motivation explain at work?

Motivation is the set of forces shaping the direction, effort, and persistence of a person’s work.

Besides motivation, what does effective work performance require?

Motivation is not enough on its own: performance also depends on relevant skills, clear expectations, appropriate resources, and a workable environment.

What characterizes employee engagement?

Employee engagement is an energetic, involved connection to work, often reflected in vigor, dedication, and absorption.

How do autonomous and controlled motivation differ?

Autonomous motivation comes from interest or personal commitment; controlled motivation is driven mainly by pressure or external rewards.

Does autonomy at work mean having no standards?

Autonomy means offering appropriate choice within clear boundaries; it does not mean removing standards.

What are expectancy, instrumentality, and valence?

Expectancy is the belief that effort can lead to adequate performance; instrumentality is the belief that performance will lead to a promised outcome; valence is how much the person values that outcome.

When can specific, challenging goals improve effort?

Specific, challenging goals can direct attention and effort better than vague instructions, especially when people are committed, able, resourced, and given feedback.

Which five job features can make work more motivating?

The job-characteristics model highlights skill variety, task identity, task significance, autonomy, and feedback as features that can make work more motivating.

How does the job demands–resources perspective explain engagement?

Engagement is shaped by the balance between demands, such as workload or emotional strain, and resources, such as support, useful feedback, control, and learning opportunities. More resources do not erase every excessive demand.

What makes feedback useful and actionable?

Give timely, actionable feedback: recognize effective contributions and describe improvements in terms of observable work rather than personal traits.

What makes employee recognition credible?

Credible recognition is tied to specific contributions, uses standards consistently, and reflects which forms of appreciation employees value.

What should managers conclude about engagement interventions?

A meta-analysis found a small positive average effect of engagement interventions, with variation across interventions and settings; managers should evaluate changes rather than assume one approach works everywhere.