What do process theories focus on?

• A. The link between job design and productivity.
• B. How people decide to act at work by weighing inputs and outcomes.
• C. The role of personality in motivation.
• D. The impact of team dynamics on morale.

Answer: (B)

Process theories focus on how people decide to act at work by weighing inputs and outcomes. They describe the mental steps employees go through when motivated to perform—assessing whether effort will lead to performance, whether performance will be rewarded, and how valuable those rewards are. For example, expectancy theory looks at the perceived likelihood that effort will produce performance and that performance will lead to valued rewards, while equity theory emphasizes how people compare their inputs (like time and skill) and outcomes (like pay and recognition) with those of others. This focus on cognition and decision-making about costs and benefits is why this option best captures what process theories examine. The other choices describe effects of job design, personality, or group dynamics, rather than the internal decision-making processes that drive motivation.