A SELF-CONCEPT MODEL OF WORK MOTIVATION: A CASE STUDY OF KNOWLEDGE WORKERS IN THE INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY INDUSTRY
Open Access
- Author:
- Xu, Peng
- Graduate Program:
- Industrial Relations and Human Resources
- Degree:
- Master of Science
- Document Type:
- Master Thesis
- Date of Defense:
- November 08, 2010
- Committee Members:
- Dr Mark Wardell, Thesis Advisor/Co-Advisor
Mark Wardell, Thesis Advisor/Co-Advisor - Keywords:
- work
motivation
IT - Abstract:
- Traditional theories of work motivation such as hierarchical needs, goal setting, job characteristics, and reinforcement models are constructed with the premise that people attempt to realize maximum individual values within organizations. However, those models cannot fully explain non-calculative behaviors nor account for variance in dispositional and situational factors. Shamir (1991) and Leonard et al. (1995a, 1999) proposed an alternative and supplemental explanation based on a self-concept theory to explain a wider range of behaviors and thereby overcome some of the weaknesses and limitations found in traditional motivation models. Derived from previous socio-psychological literature (e.g., theories on social identity and cognition, self-presentation, and self-efficacy), the self-concept theory states that people are fundamentally motivated to behave in ways that conform to their perceptions of “phenomenal self”(Leonard, et al., 1999; Snyder, 1982). This thesis investigated this supplemental model of work motivation and how self-concept influences work motivation in different social contexts. By applying the self-concept work motivation theory to two Information Technology (IT) organizational settings, I explored the validity of the self-concept theory with qualitative research methods and investigated if self-concept helps account for general sources of work motivation and supplements traditional models. The self-concept model appears to indicate that organizational social contexts (situational factors) play an important role in determining employee motivations.