Motivation Case

Work motivation

The last decades researchers investigated the concept work motivation. According to Pinder (1998) work motivation is a set of energetic forces that invent both inside as well as outside an individual's being, to initiate work-related behavior and to determine its direction, intensity, and duration. Ambrose & Kulik (1999) state that work motivation is invisible, internal and hypothetical. A complement of the researchers above, Pinder (1998) argues that energetic forces have a great influence on the work motivation of employees. Atkinson (1964) agrees with Pinder (1998). Atkinson (1964) argues that work motivation has a lot to do with the psychological process of employees.

Conclusively, there can be said that work motivation has to do with the psychological process of employees. This psychological process of employees is invisible and internal.

Intrinsic motivation

In the previous paragraph work motivation is discussed. Researchers have found a dichotomy of motivation called intrinsic and extrinsic motivation (Porter and Lawler 1968). This study was developed in 1968 but still these two types of motivation are used in the literature (Porter and Lawler, 2009; Pinder, 1998; Steel, 2008). The following paragraph will provide an analysis of the first type of work motivation called intrinsic motivation.

The last decades, researchers investigated the concept of intrinsic motivation. According to Calder and Staw (1975) motivation is intrinsic if an activity is undertaken for someone who needs immediate satisfaction. Van Yperen and Hagendoorn (2003) argue that motivation is intrinsic when people perform an activity for itself which bring them satisfaction. Van Yperen and Hagendoorn (2003) agree with Calder and Staw (1975) but they add that satisfaction is inherent to enjoy. Steele (2008) argues that intrinsic motivation could include involvement in behavioural patterns, thought processes, action and activity or reaction for its own importance.

Deci (1971) argues that there are two 'types' of intrinsic motivation. There can be said that there is a direct and indirect intrinsic motivation. The first type is direct intrinsic motivation. Direct intrinsic motivation can be described as the ''free choice''. The '' free choice'' is motivation that comes from within a person. This ''free choice'' type of intrinsic motivation is hard to measure for managers because this direct motivation has a lot to do with emotional feelings (Van Yperen and Hagendoorn, 2003). The second 'type' of intrinsic motivation is the indirect way. This indirect way of intrinsic motivation is more often used by managers because this 'type' refers to self-reports. Unlike the ''free choice'', self-reports can be used by managers to found differences in intrinsic motivation over a period. An example for the ''self-report'' method is a questionnaire under employees. If managers want to measure the intrinsic motivation of employees, the self-report method is most often used for experimental studies (Ryan, 1982; Loewenstein, 1999).

The paragraph above showed that there is a direct and indirect form of intrinsic motivation. Researchers have found more differences between intrinsic motivation. According to Kraiger, Billings, & Isen (1989) intrinsic motivation effects people's enjoyment and interests in spare time activities positively. Erez & Isen (2002) add that not only the enjoyment and the interests during a specific activity increases, also the desirable rewards will increase. But intrinsic motivation goes further than only spare time. Intrinsic motivation also effects the satisfaction and task performance during working hours (Erez & Isen, 2002; Isen, Daubman, & Nowicki, 1987; Staw & Barsade, 1993). This information is interesting because, managers now can see that there is a positive reaction between intrinsic motivation and task performance.

Concluding there can be said that during the paragraph intrinsic motivation two forms of intrinsic motivation are found. Direct intrinsic motivation comes from within a person. It is difficult for managers to control the direct intrinsic motivation because this motivation is intangible. Instead of the direct intrinsic motivation, indirect intrinsic motivation is tangible. Direct intrinsic motivation is most often used in experimental studies. At last there is found a difference between spare time motivation and work motivation. Researchers found that the intrinsic motivation has a positive effect on the task performance of employees during working hours.

Extrinsic motivation

Where intrinsic motivation is motivation from within a person, extrinsic motivation relates to external values. This is the main difference with intrinsic motivation.