Worked example 1
Sales staff at a retail chain are told to 'sell more' but see colleagues who miss targets still receive bonuses because they are friends with the manager. Effort has fallen. Analyse using expectancy and equity theories.
Show solution outline
Vroom — instrumentality collapsed: Staff no longer believe performance → reward because bonuses appear unrelated to sales figures. Even high expectancy (they can sell) and valence (they want the bonus) cannot sustain motivation when instrumentality ≈ 0.
Adams — negative inequity: High performers perceive their input/output ratio as worse than the referent colleague's — more effort for the same or less reward. Responses may include reduced effort, complaints, or seeking fairer employment.
Goal-setting fix: Replace vague targets with specific, challenging but achievable weekly goals plus transparent feedback (Locke & Latham).
Evaluation: Cognitive theories give precise predictions for this scenario but assume rational comparison — emotions, loyalty, or fear of redundancy may keep some staff working despite inequity. They complement Herzberg (fair process as a hygiene factor) rather than replace need theories.