For Work Motivation Scale

Summary

Work motivation refers to the reasons why people put effort into their jobs, capturing their actual (“do”) and intended (“would”) motives to do their job. These reasons energize them, inspire progress, and push them to achieve desired results, determining the form, direction, intensity, and duration of work-related behaviors. As a result, work motivation may take different forms, and what motivates one person may not motivate another.

The present scale, based on the Self-Determination Theory of Human Motivation, examines different reasons why people put effort into their current job.

This measure distinguishes three types of motivation based on the origin of one's work drive:

1. Autonomous - Involves an identification with one's work and a sense of enjoyment and fulfillment in the work itself. When people identify with their work and find it inherently satisfying, they’re more likely motivated by their internal drives and goals, rather than by external rewards or punishments.

2. Controlled - Involves engaging in activities because of the potential rewards or punishments that are associated with them. People with high levels of controlled motivation may be motivated by the potential for praise, recognition, or rewards, or by the fear of punishment, failure, or rejection.

3. Absent - Involves the degree to which one’s work motivation is absent, lacking the intention to put effort into their job. People with high levels of absent motivation may be disinterested in their work or may lack the necessary resources, such as knowledge, skills, or support, to engage in their work effectively.