Question

Note : the Answers should be computerized and in your own words please

Case Study

This is from an old story, back in the ’30s, in the days when an ice cream sundae cost much less. A 10 year-old boy entered a hotel coffee shop and sat at a table. A waitress put a glass of water in front of him.

“How much is an ice cream sundae?” the little boy asked. “Fifty cents,” replied the waitress.

The little boy pulled his hand out of his pocket and studied the coins he had. “Well, how much is a plain dish of ice cream?” he inquired. By now, more people were waiting for a table and the waitress was growing very impatient. “Thirty-five cents,” she brusquely replied. The little boy again counted his coins. “I’ll have the plain ice cream,” he said. The waitress brought the ice cream, put the bill on the table and walked away. The boy finished the ice cream, paid the cashier and left. When the waitress came back, she began to cry. As she wiped down the table, there placed neatly beside the empty dish were two nickels and five pennies. You see, he couldn’t have the sundae because he had to have enough money to leave her a tip.

You are required to write a report on the following:

1.      Compare Vroom’s Expectancy theory against Maslow’s need theory. Interpret from the case the situations where Vroom’s expectancy theory of motivation has been used in this story.

2.      Present your case in the class justifying how communication plays a vital role in keeping employees motivated in your organization. Compare the communication styles.

Answer 1

Vroom and Maslow describe two different approaches to understand human motivation and the thought process that goes into making a decision between alternatives. Maslow's need theory has been based on the assumption that there exists a heirarchy of five needs in human which he/she evaluates before making a decision in any situation. Whereas, Vroom's expectancy theory is based on the assumption that decision making behaviour in humans is a result of conscious choices among alternatives whose purpose it is to maximize pleasure and to minimize pain.

Now, from the waitress's perspective, the other customers waiting for the table would have probably paid her more tip than the small boy who would have probably left her no tip.

And from the boy's perspective, he wanted to make a decision wherein both he and the waitress would have been happy. So as per vroom's expectancy theory he made a decision wherein he made a compromise to make sure that he got the icecream and at the same time there was tip left for the waitress to be happy as well.