Dear colleagues,
This topic has recently been the object of a very prolific literature - the following article provides a good review pertaining to the work domain:
Gagne, M., & Deci, E. L. (2005). Self-determination theory and work motivation. Journal of Organizational Behavior, 26, 331-362.
Nicole Bérubé
PhD Candidate
Management Dept.
John Molson School of Business
Concordia University
1455 de Maisonneuve Blvd. West
Montreal (Quebec)
H3G 1M8
writes:
>I may be showing my age here, but the intrinsic/extrinsic reward
>debate was alive and vibrant in the late 70's/early 80's when I was
>getting my PhD. One framework I became acquainted with has served me
>well ever since. Here's the slide I use to frame a 15-20 minute
>discussion in my classes:
> •
>Intrinsic motivation stems from needs to feel • competent •
> and • self-determining. • •
>Every extrinsic reward has two components: • feedback • and
> • control • . •
> • F • eedback • doesn't hurt intrinsic motivation derived
> from the task (because feedback enhances feelings of competen) •
> • C • ontrol extinguishes the potential intrinsic motivation
>that can be derived from the task (because it destroys feelings of
>self-determination)
>
>
>Note that all is the perceiver and the context that determines whether
>the control or feedback aspect of the extrinsic reward is salient.
>
>I've observed people (myself included) who experience quite different
>attitudes toward work depending on which part of the extrinsic reward
>is 'in play' at the moment.
>
>Unfortunately, because my business students' eyes glass over when
>discussions include lots of references, I've lost the precise source
>of this framework. I believe it's from a chapter by Bartaw in a book
>he and Jerry Salancik edited called New Directions in Organizational
>Behavior (St. Clair Press, 1977). Deci's Intrinsic Motivation (Plenum
>Press, 1975) and Lepper and Breen's The Hidden Costs of Reward
>(Lawrence Earlbaum, 1978) are both classics and deserving of your
>attention.
>
>This discussion prompted me to pl New Directions in OB from a dusty
>corner of my bookshelf and reminds me of what a great resource and
>historical document it is. Every one of its eight chapters is a real
>gem, written by people we now know as among the most influential
>scholars in OB but who in 1977 were just beginning to make their marks
>on the field (all but Karl Weick were assistant or associate
>professors at the time). The book includes chapters by Jerry Salancik
>(Commitment and Control), Barry Staw (Motivation), Paul Goodman
>(Social comparison processes) Bobby Calder (Attribution Theory of
>Leadership), Jeff Pfeffer (Power and resource allocation), Terry
>Connelly (Information processing and decision making) and Karl Weick
>(enactment).
>[Marker]
>Ken Bettenhausen
>University of Colorado Denver
>phone: 303-556-5816; fax: 303-556-5899
>
>