What do process theories of motivation explain?

• A. They focus on the amount of effort employees put in based on personal preferences.
• B. They explain motivation in terms of fairness and how perceptions of fairness influence decisions.
• C. They focus on long-term organizational goals only.
• D. They explain how job design determines intrinsic motivation.

Answer: (B)

Process theories of motivation look at the mental steps people take as they decide how to act, with fairness as a central driver. A core idea is that individuals assess the fairness of their treatment by comparing their inputs (effort, time, skill) and outputs (rewards, recognition) to those of others, and these fairness judgments influence their motivational decisions. When the perceived balance is fair, motivation remains strong; when it feels unfair, people may reduce effort, seek different rewards, or even leave the situation. In criminal justice settings, this helps explain how perceptions of equity among colleagues, supervisors, or clients can shape work behavior, persistence, and turnover.

Other choices miss this emphasis on fairness-based cognitive evaluation. For instance, focusing on effort based on personal preferences describes a more individualistic view that doesn’t center on social comparisons and justice perceptions. Long-term organizational goals alone overlook the moment-to-moment decision processes about fairness. And tying motivation purely to job design or intrinsic motivation highlights design features rather than the ongoing fairness judgments that process theories foreground.