Describe Attribution Theory of motivation

It is concerned with how we explain our performance after we have invested considerable effort and motivation in a particular task. Four types of explanations may be used to account for either success or failure - ability, effort, task, difficulty or luck. e.g.: if success or failure is explained in terms of efforts, then high motivation may follow. On the other hand, if failure to achieve the level of performance is explained in terms of task difficulty or bad luck, the results may be a loss of motivation. Incorrect attribution may be the result of inadequate feedback, communication, appraisal and guidance. Attribution errors can create many problems in work situation.
This has the relevance to application of perception concept to organizational behaviour. Our per captions of people differ from those of inanimate objects such as machines, buildings, etc. because we are able to make inferences about the actions of people unlike about inanimate objects. It is imperative that, non-living objects are subjected to laws of natures and they do not have beliefs, motives or intentions but people do have. The attribution theory proposes to develop explanation of the ways in which we judge people differently depending upon what meaning we attribute to a given behaviour. The theory suggests that, on observing an individual’s behaviour, we try to determine whether it was internally or externally caused. That determination largely depends upon:
i. Consensus
ii. Consistency and
iii. Distinctiveness
Internally cause behaviours are those that are under the persona control of the individual. Externally caused behaviours are seen as resulting from outside cause. When everyone is faced with a similar situation and responds in the same way, it means the behaviour shows consensus. Consistency of a person lies in the response which is the same way over different times. The more consistent the behaviour as well as the more is the consensus, the more is the observer inclined to attribute both to the internal causes. Distinctiveness means whether an individual displays different behaviours in different situations. Depending upon whether the behaviour is usual or unusual, the observer gives the behaviour an external or internal attribution.
The attributional theory incorporated what are known as errors as biases that distort attributions. The tendency to underestimate the influence of external factors and overestimate the influence of internal factors when making judgments about the behaviour of others results in causing fundamental attribution errors. Similarly, the tendency for individual to attribute their own success to internal factors while casting the blame for failures on external factors results in self-serving bias. This theory was developed in the developing countries of the West and therefore they may not be perhaps accepted in the other parts of the world due to the traditions with which the people are governed in the remaining atmosphere. This theory can perhaps be connected to perceptions. The factors that influence perceptions are of three categories, namely;
i. Factors in the perceiver: These are attitudes, expectations, experience, interest and motives.
ii. Factors in the target: They are proximity, motion, novelty, similarity, size, etc. iii. Factors situationally: Social setting, time and work setting.
All these interlinked have to contribute to the attribution theory positively.

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Titany answered the question on September 7, 2021 at 13:09