IREM Certified Property Manager (CPM) Practice Test

The equation that best summarizes employee performance is rooted in the idea that both ability and motivation play critical roles in determining how well an employee performs. When assessing performance, it is important to recognize that ability represents the skills, knowledge, and competencies that an employee possesses, while motivation reflects their drive to utilize those abilities effectively.

The multiplication in the equation conveys that if either ability or motivation is zero, the overall performance will also be zero. In other words, for optimal performance to occur, both components must be present and active. For example, an employee who possesses high ability but lacks motivation will not perform effectively, and vice versa. This relationship highlights the synergistic effect of both factors, underpinning the idea that performance is not merely the sum of capabilities but a more complex interplay between how skilled someone is and how willing they are to apply those skills.

In contrast, the other equations present less accurate representations of performance dynamics. The addition approach suggests that both factors simply contribute independently to performance, lacking the interaction effect where one can enhance or diminish the impact of the other. The division and subtraction models do not align with how motivation and ability function together in real-world scenarios, as they imply a diminishing or limiting effect rather than a collaborative one. This makes the multiplication