Microsoft Word - 1978 4-4 Book Review.doc BOOK REVIEW STEERS, RICHARD M. & PORTER, LYMAN W. MOTIVATION AND WORK BEHAVIOR. NEW YORK: McGraw-Hill, 1975. Pp. Xii - 585 R16,80 REVIEWED BY E.C. THOMAS PORT ELIZABETH MUNICIPALITY This book appears to the present reviewer to be, if not the, at least a definitive volume for students of work motivation, whether organizational behaviourists or practising managers. This field has grown rapidly as the main focus of Organizational Psychology since Vroom's (1964) enunciation of a tenable theory of work motivation and satisfaction. The sixteen-chapter book is organized into four parts. The single chapter of Part One forms the introduction to the broad subject, giving the authors' initial considerations. Parts Two and Three contain the substance of the book, and the two authors are in fact the editors for these. Each chapter contains an excellent editorial overview of the topic treated, providing core references for the student requiring more depth, followed by well-chosen and seminal theoretical and empirical articles by prominent authors. Each chapter is concluded with review questions, making the book useful for say student seminars. Part Four again comprises a single chapter by the authors, editorially summarizing and integrating the various issues in work motivation. Chapter 1 describes the authors' view of the role of motivation in work organizations, and proposes a "Human Resources" model as a framework for subsequent analysis. The theoretical treatment of motivation is somewhat superficial however; Campbell et al.'s (1970) "Process/Content" analysis would give a beginning student more insight, for example. The five chapters of Part Two are each devoted to a major contemporary theory of motivation (in the authors' estimation), namely Need Hierarchy, Achievement Motivation, Motivation-Hygiene, Equity, and Expectancy/Valence Theories respectively. Although the individual treatment is excellent, Part Two appears deficient in omitting to draw these partial theories together to form an eclectic systems theory of work motivation. In the opinion of this reviewer, such a systems approach should be integral to any book of this type, and would need to combine one or more examples of both content and process theories. This reviewer would also take issue with the authors' choice of the Need Hierarchy and Motivation-Hygiene Theories as "contemporary" content theories. The final nail should have Perspectives in Industrial Psychology 1978 4.4 Book Reveiw (E.C. Thomas) 2 been driven into the coffin of M-H theory by Dunnette et al.'s (1967) declaration that "the evidence is now sufficient to lay the two-factor (M-H) theory to rest, and we hope that it maybe buried peaceably" (p.173). Although Lawler and Suttle's review tends to disconfirm the Need Hierarchy theory, no alternative need theory is proposed. Alderfer's (1969, 1972) theory of Existence, Relatedness and Growth needs is referenced as "additional reading" however. The serious student would do well to follow this suggestion if he would find a really contemporary, research-based need theory for inclusion in a systems model. The remaining theories receive excellent treatment in the format described. As might be expected from these authors, who with Lawler and Hackman have researched Expectancy/ Valence theory for years, this theory, as a specifically articulated work motivation theory (c.f. Vroom, 1964), is given well deserved prominence. The nine chapters of Part Three concern central issues in motivation at work. Chapter 7 deals with the most vexed question in Organizational Psychology, the relationship of Job Mo- tivation, Performance, and Satisfaction. The two articles included are quite the best this reviewer has read on this subject and should settle the Satisfaction-Performance controversy for once and all (but probably won't). For this chapter alone the book should be compulsory reading for all students of organizational behaviour. Chapter 8 turns from the decision to perform to the decision to participate, and deals with topics such as job and organizational choice, turnover, and absenteeism. Both Chapters 7 and 8 lean heavily on the Instrumentality component of Expectancy/Valence theory. Chapter 9 briefly deals with the effect of organizational climate on behaviour, particularly of managers, and extracting from the work of Campbell et al. (1970). Chapter 10 and 11 also look at environmental factors, group influence and leadership respectively. One paper on group influences includes a rather hazy analysis of the "Hawthorne Experiments" (Roethlisberger and Dickson, 1939). Students would do well to read this original report, particularly to form their own conclusions as to the role of financial incentives vs. group influences. Leadership is as well treated as a single chapter permits. A number of excellent articles include the seminal treatise on Path-Goal leadership - applied Expec- tancy/Valence theory. Chapter 12 provides an important contribution to the literature on the effects of job design, with balanced views on the actual effects of job enlargement, rotation, and enrichment Perspectives in Industrial Psychology 1978 4.4 Book Reveiw (E.C. Thomas) 3 on both worker and employer. Lawler's paper, again drawing on Expectancy theory, indicates from "hard" data research that where job enlargement is successful, it is quality rather than productivity per se that increases. Hulin in this chapter convincingly argues that the influential proponents of job enlargement are guilty of ethnomorphising. Again a highly re- commended chapter. Chapters 13 and 14 deal with topics that could as well have been included in Part Two, viz. Goal-Setting and Operant Conditioning. As Locke (originator of Goal-Setting theory) and his associates demonstrate, Goal-Setting has important motivational components. Operant Conditioning, based on Learning (Reinforcement) Theory of behaviour, is less well treated; one article barely pro., and another more definitely con., and both heavily oriented to the Skinnerian laboratory approach. This is to ignore the field research of Fred Luthans, whose works are recommended to the student in preference to this chapter (e.g. Luthans and Kreitner, 1975). Chapter 15 deals with "one of the most frequently discussed but most under-researched areas in organizational psychology", Money and Motivation. Three authoritative articles indicate the diversity of current opinions on this topic. In the opinion of this reviewer, Lawler's (1971) book is the definitive work on this subject; after reading this chapter, with an abridged extract from Lawler, students should proceed to read Lawler's book. Part Four, the final Chapter 16, puts work motivation in perspective with the authors' evaluative summary. Steers and Porter draw eight important conclusions; of these the most significant to this reviewer is that managers must actively manage motivational processes at work. If the book is instrumental in getting managers and students to accept this message, it well deserves its reputation with UNISA's Department of Industrial Psychology as the best book on work motivation to have appeared so far. This reviewer would however underwrite the cautionary note in Chapter 1 to the effect that the student of motivation should adopt a contingency approach; the discerning student should also accept the book's few deficiencies, and use it as an introduction to, and guidepost for, the original sources for detailed study of pertinent theories. Perspectives in Industrial Psychology 1978 4.4 Book Reveiw (E.C. Thomas) 4 REFERENCES Alderfer, C.P. A new theory of human needs. Organizational Behavior and Human Performance, 1969, 4, 142-175. Alderfer, C.P. Existence, Relatedness, and Growth. New York: Free Press, 1972. Campbell, J.P.; Dunnette, M.D.; Lawler, E.E. and Weick, K.E. Managerial Behaviour, Performance, and Effectiveness. New York: McGraw-Hill, 1970. Dunnette, M.D.; Campbell, J.P. and Hakel, M.D. Factors contributin to job dissatisfaction in six occupational groups. Organizational Behaviour and Human Performance, 1967, 2, 175-216. Lawler, E.E. Pay and Organizational Effectiveness: A Psychological View. New York: McGraw-Hill, 1971. Luthans, F. and Kreitner, R. Organizational Behaviour Modification. Glenview, III: Scott, Foresman, 1975. Roethlisberger, F.J. and Dickson, W.J. Management and the Worker. Cambridge Mass.: Harvard, 1939. Vroom, V.H. Work and Motivation. New York: Wiley, 1964. _____________________