Expectancy theory, introduced by Victor Vroom in 1964, posits that employees are motivated when they anticipate that their efforts will lead to desirable rewards, which are tailored to individual preferences. This theory involves three core elements: expectancy, instrumentality, and valence. Expectancy refers to the belief that effort will lead to better performance, instrumentality is the belief that performance will be rewarded, and valence is the value individuals place on the reward. Managers can implement this theory by understanding employees' motivations, aligning rewards with company policy, setting realistic and attainable goals, and clearly communicating expectations. Despite its popularity, expectancy theory has been criticized for its simplicity and may not account for the varied motivations within diverse teams. Therefore, it requires managers to invest time in understanding each team member's unique motivational drivers. Compared to other motivational theories like Maslow's hierarchy of needs and Herzberg's two-factor theory, expectancy theory offers a framework for improving employee motivation by linking efforts directly to valued outcomes.