Victor Vroom, PhD

"Motivation depends on how much we want something and how likely we think we are to get it.”

Influence on SDC Framework Focus

Motivation is central to the Self-Directed ChangeWork® (SDC) Method. The experience of "easier, more fun" is a qualitative function of both motivation factors and thinking skills.

Dr. Victor Vroom’s expectancy theory of motivation is well-known and easy to grasp. Often called “Vroom’s expectancy theory,” his model provides a clear connection between ability, belief, desire, and expectation, which are key components of self-directed achievement.

Within the SDC Frameworks, we introduce “expectation” as a primary factor in learning and freedom within the Stress Cycle. It’s as simple as recognizing:

If I have the ability (Vroom’s instrumentality),
And I aim for an achievable outcome that leads to a desirable reward (Vroom’s valence),
Then, with the right effort, I can accomplish what I set out to do (Vroom’s expectancy).

SDC integrates Vroom’s insights alongside other key influences, including Albert Bandura’s work on self-efficacy and Thich Nhat Hanh’s teachings on mindfulness. Together, these perspectives help establish the right understandings and intentions, thereby reinforcing self-efficacy, shaping useful thoughts and emotions, and leading to successful accomplishment of well-formed, desirable outcomes.

Key Contributions and Concepts

Victor Vroom's model of motivation provides a framework for understanding how people choose among different courses of action based on their expectations of success and the value they place on the outcomes.

The Expectancy Theory of Motivation

Expectancy Theory of Motivation, introduced in 1964, is a cognitive process theory of motivation. The theory posits that motivation is a product of three factors: Expectancy, Instrumentality, and Valence (EIV):

Expectancy: Managers must ensure employees have the necessary resources, skills, and support to perform their jobs effectively.
Instrumentality: Organizations need to establish clear performance-reward relationships and ensure that promises of rewards are fulfilled.
Valence: Management must discover what employees value and align rewards accordingly.

In the expectancy theory of motivation Vroom recognizes a human expectation that there is a positive correlation between efforts and performance, that a favorable performance will result in a desirable reward, the reward will satisfy an important need, and the desire to satisfy the need is strong enough to make the effort worthwhile.

Critics argue that the expectancy theory assumes individuals always make rational decisions, which may not be the case in real-world scenarios. The theory also has a limited scope of behavioral alternatives and doesn't fully account for factors such as organizational culture, job design, and social dynamics in the workplace.

Vroom Yetton Decision-Model

The Vroom-Yetton decision model, developed by Victor Vroom and Phillip Yetton in 1973 was later refined with Arthur Jago. The model is a situational leadership model that helps leaders choose the most appropriate decision-making style based on the specific context. Five decision-making styles are outlined and range from autocratic to fully participative, emphasizing that no single approach is optimal for every situation.

The five decision-making styles are:

Decide (Autocratic I)
Consult Individually (Autocratic II)
Consult Group (Consultative I)
Facilitate (Consultative II)
Delegate (Delegative)

The Vroom-Yetton decision model recognizes that adapting to the unique demands of each situation is necessary in decision-making processes. Considerations such as the adequacy of information, the need for subordinate acceptance, and the likelihood of conflict are factors that are likely to affect outcomes.

Biography

Victor Vroom was born August 9, 1932 in St. Lambert, a suburb of Montreal, Canada. He was a passionate musician, playing the saxophone and clarinet, and started playing in a local dance band called the Blue Knights when he was 15. He practiced music around fifteen hours a day and was ambitious to join a big band in the United States, but his father encouraged him to become a bank teller. Instead Victor began his path to becoming a groundbreaking academic.

He enrolled at Sir George Williams College, now Concordia University and worked as a musician to pay his tuition. Vroom completed his undergraduate studies at McGill University, earning a Bachelor of Arts degree in 1953. He went on to earn a PhD in 1958 at the University of Michigan. His doctoral research focused on decision-making processes and motivational theories, setting the stage for his future contributions.

Vroom’s first job in academia was in 1960 as an assistant professor at the University of Pennsylvania. He and his wife, psychologist Anna Kazen, had their first son in 1961. Victor quickly advanced through the ranks, becoming an associate professor and later a full professor at Penn. In 1963 he started teaching at Carnegie Mellon University and became a father to his second son.

In 1972, Kingman Brewster, the President of Yale, recruited Vroom to help create the Graduate School of Business. He joined the Yale faculty as the chair of Administrative Sciences. He was not passionate about the role, but he dedicated himself to the “administrative travail” as he looked forward to co-creating the business school.

At Yale, Vroom continued to develop and refine his theories on motivation and leadership. His work there solidified his position as a leading figure in organizational psychology. He taught generations of students and was an ambitious researcher.

Vroom served as a leadership consultant to nearly 100 companies from a variety of sectors and industries around the world. He also founded Decision Making for Leaders, which provides training tools grounded in his decades of research. He published 9 books and 75 articles.

Book Store

Work and Motivation (1964; Wiley)

This seminal work introduced the expectancy theory of motivation, providing a quantifiable way to analyze the forces that shape how individuals act in organizations.

Leadership and Decision-Making (1973; University of Pittsburgh Press)