motivational orientation of people participating in vocational rehabilitation

12
Motivational Orientation of People Participating in Vocational Rehabilitation Kristiina Ha ¨rka ¨pa ¨a ¨ Aila Ja ¨rvikoski Raija Gould Ó Springer Science+Business Media New York 2014 Abstract Purpose The task of vocational rehabilitation is to support the employee’s chances of continuing in work- ing life. The study aimed to examine the motivational orientation of people participating in vocational rehabili- tation and to find out what characteristics of the clients, their life situation, and their beliefs and perceptions were associated with it. Methods A mail questionnaire was answered by 839 rehabilitation clients who had received an affirmative rehabilitation decision under the earnings- related pension scheme 12 months earlier (response rate 67 %). Two variables depicting motivational orientation were formed, i.e., motivation for continuing in working life and motivation for participating in vocational rehabilita- tion. Logistic regression analyses were applied in exam- ining the factors associated with each motivation variable. Results The results indicate that the two motivational ori- entations can be regarded as partly separate and partly overlapping constructs. The rehabilitation clients’ motiva- tional orientations were associated with their experiences and their perceptions on environmental factors and future possibilities, both those that precipitated the application for rehabilitation and those that are important in their current life situation and their perceived future possibilities. Con- clusions In the planning of individual rehabilitation pro- cesses there is a clear need to sort out what factors may hide behind the client’s weak contextual or situational motivation. In the course of the rehabilitation process, it is important to discuss these factors in order to alleviate the clients’ uncertainty towards change and enhance their motivation to participate in rehabilitation and re-think their future prospects of returning to work. Keywords Vocational rehabilitation Motivation Rehabilitation Questionnaire Return to work Introduction Motivation has been one of the most popular themes in the rehabilitation practice for decades [1]. The concept of rehabilitation motivation has been understood in many different ways, and King and Barrowclough [2] even sug- gested that the whole concept should be removed from active use because of its multiple meanings. However, rehabilitation motivation has a role in determining reha- bilitation outcomes [3], changes in work ability and quality of life [4], and future employment [5, 6]. According to Saeki et al. [7], a lack of motivation is an important pre- dictor of unsuccessful outcomes. Despite this, motivation has relatively rarely been the focus of vocational rehabil- itation studies. Nordt et al. [8] find this scarcity of research surprising. Rehabilitation motivation has often been interpreted as an intrinsic personality trait, and lack of motivation, cor- respondingly, as a relatively stable individual characteristic that creates a barrier to successful rehabilitation. However, the social context also seems to play an important role in motivation [9]. Motivation can be understood at three levels of generality, i.e., global motivational orientation, motivation toward the broad spheres of activities and life contexts (contextual level, such as education, work or family relationships), and motivation toward a given K. Ha ¨rka ¨pa ¨a ¨(&) A. Ja ¨rvikoski Faculty of Social Sciences, University of Lapland, P.O. Box 122, 96101 Rovaniemi, Finland e-mail: kristiina.harkapaa@ulapland.fi R. Gould Finnish Centre for Pensions, 00065 Ela ¨keturvakeskus, Helsinki, Finland 123 J Occup Rehabil DOI 10.1007/s10926-013-9496-z

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Motivational Orientation of People Participating in VocationalRehabilitation

Kristiina Harkapaa • Aila Jarvikoski •

Raija Gould

� Springer Science+Business Media New York 2014

Abstract Purpose The task of vocational rehabilitation is

to support the employee’s chances of continuing in work-

ing life. The study aimed to examine the motivational

orientation of people participating in vocational rehabili-

tation and to find out what characteristics of the clients,

their life situation, and their beliefs and perceptions were

associated with it. Methods A mail questionnaire was

answered by 839 rehabilitation clients who had received an

affirmative rehabilitation decision under the earnings-

related pension scheme 12 months earlier (response rate

67 %). Two variables depicting motivational orientation

were formed, i.e., motivation for continuing in working life

and motivation for participating in vocational rehabilita-

tion. Logistic regression analyses were applied in exam-

ining the factors associated with each motivation variable.

Results The results indicate that the two motivational ori-

entations can be regarded as partly separate and partly

overlapping constructs. The rehabilitation clients’ motiva-

tional orientations were associated with their experiences

and their perceptions on environmental factors and future

possibilities, both those that precipitated the application for

rehabilitation and those that are important in their current

life situation and their perceived future possibilities. Con-

clusions In the planning of individual rehabilitation pro-

cesses there is a clear need to sort out what factors may

hide behind the client’s weak contextual or situational

motivation. In the course of the rehabilitation process, it is

important to discuss these factors in order to alleviate the

clients’ uncertainty towards change and enhance their

motivation to participate in rehabilitation and re-think their

future prospects of returning to work.

Keywords Vocational rehabilitation � Motivation �Rehabilitation � Questionnaire � Return to work

Introduction

Motivation has been one of the most popular themes in the

rehabilitation practice for decades [1]. The concept of

rehabilitation motivation has been understood in many

different ways, and King and Barrowclough [2] even sug-

gested that the whole concept should be removed from

active use because of its multiple meanings. However,

rehabilitation motivation has a role in determining reha-

bilitation outcomes [3], changes in work ability and quality

of life [4], and future employment [5, 6]. According to

Saeki et al. [7], a lack of motivation is an important pre-

dictor of unsuccessful outcomes. Despite this, motivation

has relatively rarely been the focus of vocational rehabil-

itation studies. Nordt et al. [8] find this scarcity of research

surprising.

Rehabilitation motivation has often been interpreted as

an intrinsic personality trait, and lack of motivation, cor-

respondingly, as a relatively stable individual characteristic

that creates a barrier to successful rehabilitation. However,

the social context also seems to play an important role in

motivation [9]. Motivation can be understood at three

levels of generality, i.e., global motivational orientation,

motivation toward the broad spheres of activities and life

contexts (contextual level, such as education, work or

family relationships), and motivation toward a given

K. Harkapaa (&) � A. Jarvikoski

Faculty of Social Sciences, University of Lapland, P.O. Box 122,

96101 Rovaniemi, Finland

e-mail: [email protected]

R. Gould

Finnish Centre for Pensions, 00065 Elaketurvakeskus, Helsinki,

Finland

123

J Occup Rehabil

DOI 10.1007/s10926-013-9496-z

activity at a specific point in time (situational motivation)

[10, 11]. In rehabilitation, motivation can be directed

towards many kinds of goals that represent different levels

of generality or different life contexts. Nair [12] empha-

sizes that the intensity of motivation depends on, among

other things, the concurrence between a person’s life goals

and the immediate goals set in rehabilitation planning. A

person may thus be interpreted as unmotivated if he or she

cannot find the connection between rehabilitation measures

and life goals. As an example, it is possible to be motivated

for recovery, improved functionality or employment, but

not for rehabilitation, if the person does not see the reha-

bilitation offered as the most appropriate means for

reaching the goals [e.g., 13].

In vocational rehabilitation, people often face motiva-

tional problems because of conflicting motives. Work as

such is an important value and a goal for many and it brings

about, in addition to wages, several other positive things,

referred to by Jahoda [14] as the latent functions of work. At

the same time, work goals may also be connected with

insecurity, uncertainty about the future and problems in

finding suitable work, whereas disability retirement may

seem a more secure and stable choice. The Readiness for

Change Model by Proschaska has often been used in the

context of health promotion [15, 16]. The concepts of deci-

sional balance and readiness for change have also been

applied to return-to-work interventions [17]. Exploring and

resolving ambivalence is an important method in enhancing

change or recovery [18, 19]. In vocational rehabilitation, the

clients’ motivation for change can be enhanced by motiva-

tional conversations focusing on future opportunities and the

changes needed in working and living conditions [20].

Motives and expectations are also influenced by earlier

experiences. If rehabilitation clients feel that their work and

the workplace have had a significant role in the weakening of

their work performance, it may make their future work-

related goals open to doubt.

Using the action-theoretical framework, Berglind and

Gerner [21] emphasized that people’s employment motiva-

tion is clearly connected to their estimated possibilities of

getting work. They showed that clients were inclined to

adjust their preferences because of different factors

obstructing their achieving the goal of staying in working life

or weakening their perceived competence. According to

Bandura [22, 23], people motivate themselves and guide

their action through the exercise of forethought. Self-effi-

cacy, which refers to a person’s confidence in his or her

ability to perform specific tasks, has a central role in moti-

vation and in shaping a person’s life course by influencing

which activities one undertakes. Its significance in rehabili-

tation has been shown in several studies, and helping reha-

bilitation clients strengthen their self-efficacy has been

regarded as an important goal of rehabilitation counseling

[24]. Self-efficacy can enhance a person’s career success,

and career success can correspondingly enhance his or her

self-efficacy in relation to occupational tasks [25]. As for-

mulated by Bandura [22], self-efficacy is typically a task or

domain–specific construct. More generalized constructs of

perceived competence or generalized self-efficacy have been

proposed by other researchers [26–28].

The concept of institutional or vertical trust has not been

used in rehabilitation studies. It is, however, known that all

clients do not believe that they get equal treatment in

rehabilitation [29], and lack of trust can be expected to

influence their motivation to participate in measures

arranged by rehabilitation organizations. Vertical or insti-

tutional trust has been defined as the trust of citizens in the

institutions, particularly the public institutions, of society

[30]. Trust is created by both macro and micro level factors

[31] and it is associated with the perception of getting fair

and equal treatment from public organizations [32, 33].

Distrust in the healthcare system was found to be associ-

ated with risky health behaviors [30]. Perception of orga-

nizational justice is regarded as an important motivational

topic with workers [34, 35] and it also seems to be asso-

ciated with the rate of sickness absence [36]. General

distrust in societal institutions may disrupt one’s motiva-

tion to participate in activities that are arranged by orga-

nizations representing strong institutional power.

In this study, our interest was in two constructs: motiva-

tional orientation towards working life on the one hand, and

motivation for vocational rehabilitation on the other. To our

knowledge, there are no studies where both of them have

been used together or compared with each other. They can,

however, represent different levels of the motivational

hierarchy, and factors associated with them can differ from

each other. Motivational orientation towards working life

probably addresses the relatively general aspects of moti-

vation in the context of work. Motivation for vocational

rehabilitation, in turn, represents a more situational moti-

vation, connected with specific rehabilitation services and a

specific time and place. There can be several, even con-

flicting factors behind the pursuit of vocational rehabilita-

tion. For some clients, the motives for participation in

rehabilitation are based on their strong motivation to remain

in working life. With others, a need for security may be a

background factor, which means that they aim to change

their unstable position between work and sickness absence to

a more secure one, either in working life or retirement.

The study thus has two main aims. Firstly, we aim to

examine (a) rehabilitation clients’ motivational orientation

towards working life and their motivation to participate in

vocational rehabilitation, and (b) the relationship between

these two orientations. The second aim is to find out what

kind of health-related, psychological, social and work-

related factors are associated with the motivational

J Occup Rehabil

123

orientation towards working life in general and a person’s

motivation for vocational rehabilitation. The underlying

assumption in the study was that the two motivational

orientations represent separate constructs, and there are

differences between their predictors. However, as the study

was mainly explorative, no hypotheses on the directions or

differences between the predictors were formulated.

Method

The data of this study were gathered during the project

‘‘The functioning of vocational rehabilitation within the

earnings-related pension scheme’’, the main results of

which were reported in Finnish in 2012 [37]. The context

of this study is vocational rehabilitation under the earnings-

related pension scheme in Finland. The task of rehabilita-

tion within this scheme is to support the employee’s

chances of continuing to work. A person is entitled to

vocational rehabilitation within this scheme if his/her work

ability is limited due to an illness in such a way that it

poses a threat of the person having to retire on a disability

pension within approximately 5 years. Rehabilitation

within this scheme is considered relevant if it serves to

postpone disability retirement. When evaluating relevance,

the employee’s age, profession, previous jobs, education

and participation in the labor market are all taken into

account. Rehabilitation under this scheme consists of sev-

eral kinds of vocational or work-related measures, e.g.,

counseling, work try-outs, vocational training, work and

study aids, and subsidies for starting up entrepreneurial

activities. If medical rehabilitation is needed, it must be

supplied under other rehabilitation schemes.

Study Group

Between the start of October 2004 and the end of June

2005, 4,453 persons received a rehabilitation decision

under the earnings-related pension scheme. A stratified

random sampling, based on the employer sector (private,

state and municipal-sector employees), resulted in 1,680

persons of which 1,260 had received an affirmative reha-

bilitation decision. The present study group consisted of

839 persons in the latter group, who responded to a mail

questionnaire sent to them approximately 12 months after

the rehabilitation decision (response rate 67 %).

The main characteristics of the rehabilitation partici-

pants are presented in Table 1.

Methods

The following variables or variable groups were used in the

study:

1. Sociodemographic variables were (a) age, (b) gender

(1 = male, 2 = female), c) basic education

(1 = less than 9 years; 2 = 9 to 11 years;

3 = 12 years or more); (d) vocational education

(1 = no/a vocational course; 2 = vocational school;

3 = vocational college, polytechnic or university);

(e) occupation, first classified using the Classification

of Occupations 2010 by Statistics Finland, and then

further classified into three larger groups: 1 = work-

ers in manual occupations (groups 6–9); 2 = clerical

support workers, and service & sales workers (groups

4–5); 3 = managers, professionals, and technicians

(groups 1-3); (f) labor market situation at the time of

the rehabilitation decision made by the pension

provider (0 = on temporary disability pension,

1 = in labor force); (g) household financial situation

(1 = good to 5 = income does not meet consump-

tion needs, financial support needed; 6 = difficult to

say).

2. Factors that contributed to the need and application

for rehabilitation were based on a 14-item scale,

using a question: ‘‘Did some of the following factors

contribute to your subjective need for rehabilitation

and application for rehabilitation’’ (1 = had no

effect, to 4 = had much effect). The scale was a

brief version of a 24-item scale used in an early

rehabilitation study of state employees [38]. A factor

analysis was applied to secure the structure of the

brief scale in this sample, with the primary purpose

of computing composite scores for the factors

underlying the brief scale. The Kaiser-Meyer-Olking

measure of sampling adequacy was acceptable

(0.84), and Bartlett’s test of sphericity significant

(p = 0.000). Principal component analysis was used

as the extraction method. Three components had

eigenvalues higher than 1.0 and they explained 31.5,

13.5 and 9.4 % of the total variance (in total 54 %).

A Varimax rotation was applied. One item was

eliminated because it failed to meet a minimum

criterion of a factor loading of 0.45. On the basis of

the rotated matrix, three composite variables were

formed: (a) physical factors (four items: the physical

strenuousness of work; the hazards of the work

environment; increasing difficulty in coping at work;

disadvantages related to physical disabilities); Coef-

ficient Alpha = 0.57; (b) psychosocial factors (six

items: mental stress at work; problems with the

supervisor and the work community; mental health

problems; problems caused by work arrangements

and responsibilities; stressful life situation; a

decrease in devotion to work), Coefficient Alpha =

0.84; (c) work uncertainty factors (three items: the

J Occup Rehabil

123

uncertainty of the employment contract; changes in

ownership or other significant changes in the work-

place; feelings of not being needed), Coefficient

Alpha = 0.74. The theoretical range of all three

variables was 1–4.

3. Generalized self-efficacy was measured using the

Self-Performance Survey [26, 27]. The original

version includes 8 items (e.g., ‘‘I usually succeed in

tasks that I get up to’’), each assessed using scale 1–6.

The Coefficient Alpha of the 8-item scale was in

Wallston et al. [27] 0.83. A short four-item version,

with a reliability of 0.72, was also recommended by

Wallston. The Coefficient Alpha of the 8-item

Finnish version was, in a sample of rehabilitees,

0.78 [39]. In this study, the four-item version was

used. The theoretical range of this measure varied

between 1 and 6 (stronger self-efficacy) and the

Coefficient Alpha was 0.77.

4. Institutional or vertical trust has previously been

measured by asking the respondent to rate the degree of

their trust in societal institutions (e.g. ‘‘What trust do

you have in the following institutions in society?’’),

such as police, government, and politicians [40], or by

asking the respondents to indicate their degree of

agreement with brief statements (e.g., ‘‘There is one

law for the rich and one law for the poor’’; ‘‘No

political party would benefit me’’) [41]. In some

studies, more specific measures have been used, e.g.

targeting the respondent’s perceptions of two institu-

tions, healthcare and media [30]. In addition, confi-

dence in getting fair and equal treatment has been

shown to be a core element in the forming of trust in

public institutions and organizations. According to a

Swedish study [33], a very strong correlation was

found between the respondents’ experience of how

Table 1 Study participants

Men (n = 416) Women (n = 423) All (n = 839) p

Age: mean (SD) 44.4 (8.05) 46.0 (7.60) 45.2 (7.86) 0.005

Basic education (%)

Less than 9 years 34.9 29.5 32.2 0.000

9–11 years 53.0 42.8 47.8

12 years or more 12.1 27.8 20.0

Vocational education (%)

No/vocational course 25.4 24.9 25.2 0.000

Vocational school 59.4 46.0 52.6

Vocational college/polytechnic or university 15.2 29.1 22.3

Occupational group (%)

Managers, professionals etc. 17.1 25.2 21.2 0.000

Clerical support &, service and sales workers 8.9 39.6 24.3

Workers in manual occupations 74.0 35.3 54.6

Household financial situation (%)

Good 17.5 18.2 17.9 n.s.

Compromising sometimes needed 27.3 22.4 24.8

Compromising often needed/Financial support needed 55.1 59.4 57.3

Health disorders (%)

Back disorders 41.1 26.2 33.6 0.000

Other musculoskeletal disorders 19.7 24.3 22.1 n.s.

Mental disorders 13.0 22.0 17.5 0.001

Work ability: mean (SD) 3.21 (2.46) 3.16 (2.43) 3.18 (2.44) n.s.

Labour market situation (%)

On temporary disability pension 28.4 26.8 27.6 n.s.

In labour force 71.6 73.2 72.4

Perceived possibility to get a suitable job

Does not believe in getting a suitable job 14.9 16.1 15.5 n.s.

Believes to be able to continue at work 70.9 71.1 71.0

No answer 14.2 12.8 13.5

J Occup Rehabil

123

they were treated by the important societal organiza-

tions at their disposal and their simple ratings of trust in

the same. In the present study, four statements were

used, depicting one’s trust in public authorities and

officials in general (‘‘Citizens cannot nowadays trust in

the actions of public authorities’’; ‘‘Public officials and

experts are usually trustworthy and just’’), one’s

conception of the trustworthiness of the service system

(‘‘In the Finnish service system all clients are equal’’)

and one’s experience of being treated fairly or unfairly

in society (‘‘Society has treated me unjustly’’). Items 1

and 4 were reversed before summing. The Coefficient

Alpha was 0.77 and the theoretical range was 1–6

(stronger trust).

5. State of health: (a) Self-assessed state of health

(1 = very good to 5 = very poor); (b) reported main

health disorders (back disorders; other musculoskel-

etal disorders; mental health disorders);

6. Self-rated work ability compared with life time best

(0 = poor, 10 = excellent) is the first item of the

Work Ability Index [42, 43]. This item has been used

as a general measure of work ability in several

studies. It has been regarded as a good alternative for

the whole index [44]. In this study, participants

assessed their work ability at the time of applying for

rehabilitation.

7. Perceived possibility to get a suitable job was

measured with an affirmative answer to the item ‘‘I

believe that I am not able to get a job that is suitable

for me’’.

8. Self-rated motivation for vocational rehabilitation was

operationalized using a simple question ‘‘How moti-

vated or eager were you to take part in earnings-related

vocational rehabilitation?’’ with a 5-point scale

(1 = very motivated to 5 = not at all motivated).

This type of question represents a client’s conscious

motivation for participating in the measures included

in the rehabilitation plan, aiming towards securing

employment. This question was used in a Finnish study

[45] with persons who had got a preliminary affirma-

tive rehabilitation decision but whose rehabilitation

had failed to start. It correlated negatively with the time

out of work and positively with one’s wish to continue

in working life.

9. The items used in assessing the importance of

personal goals were based on a nine-item measure

developed in a study of work evaluation clients [5].

In the present study, four goal variables were used:

(1) staying in or returning to working life (working

life as a goal); (2) getting a disability pension

(disability retirement as a goal); (3) improvement in

the physical condition and decrease of pain and

discomfort (better physical condition as a goal); (4)

improvement in mental health and coping (better

mental health as a goal). The clients were instructed

to assess how important each goal was for them,

using the rating scale from 1 = very important to

4 = not important.

10. Motivational orientation towards working life: The

self-assessed importance of staying at or returning to

working life was used in this study in operationaliz-

ing the clients’ motivation towards working life [cf.

also 8, 46]. However, on the basis of an earlier study

[5] it was anticipated that some clients would be

ambivalent in their goals, i.e., they would rate both

employment and retirement as important goals. After

the cross-tabulation of the rated importance of staying

in or returning to working life with the rated

importance of retiring to disability pension, a three-

level categorical variable of motivation towards

working life was formed: (1) Stable motivation to

working life (staying in working life an important or

very important goal and retirement not an important

goal); (2) motivational ambivalence (both staying in

working life and retirement are important goals); and

(3) no motivation to working life (retirement an

important goal and staying in working life not

important; or neither working life nor retirement

important goals).

Data Analysis

In order to take into account the stratification and to

decrease the non-response bias, weight coefficients and

imputation of missing data were used in all data analyses

[47, 48]. The statistical analysis was based on frequency

distributions, cross-tabulations, correlations, analyses of

variance, and logistic regression analyses. All analyses

were computed using SPSS version 17.0 for Windows

(SPSS Inc., Chicago, Illinois, 2008).

Logistic regression analyses were used to identify the

variables associated with both motivation variables.

Logistic regression was chosen because one of the depen-

dent variables, motivation for working life, was categori-

cal, and the other, motivation for vocational rehabilitation,

was strongly skewed. For the analyses, motivation for

working life was dichotomized as follows: 1 = stable

orientation (61 % of the participants), 0 = others. Moti-

vation for vocational rehabilitation was dichotomized as

follows: 1 = very motivated clients (56 %), 0 = others. In

logistic regression analyses, the predictor variables were

seven variables presented in Sects. 1–7 above, the variables

(c) and (d) in Sect. 8, and the three variables depicting the

J Occup Rehabil

123

most common disease groups (back disorders; other mus-

culoskeletal diseases; mental disorders).

In each analysis, the age-adjusted association of each

predictor variable with the dependent variable was first

analyzed separately (Models A). In the second phase, those

predictors which had a statistically significant independent

association with the dependent variable were entered into

the regression model simultaneously (Model B). Age-

adjustment was used in all models. The Wald test was used

in assessing the contribution of the independent variables

to the overall model.

Ethical Considerations

Ethical approval for the study was granted by the Finnish

Centre of Pensions and the ethical committee of the

Rehabilitation Foundation. Information on the study was

given to the participants in the cover letter for the ques-

tionnaire. It emphasized that answering the questionnaire

was voluntary. It also provided the contact details of the

principal investigator of the Finnish Centre for Pensions.

Results

There were several statistically significant differences

between men and women (Table 1). The average age and

the educational level were higher among women than

among men, and men worked more often in manual

occupations. Back disorders were more common among

men and mental health disorders among women.

Almost 90 % of the rehabilitation participants regarded

staying in working life as an important or very important

goal. At the same time, a third of all participants regarded

disability retirement as an important goal. Better physical

condition was an important goal for two thirds, and better

mental health for half of the participants. Among women,

the goals of staying in working life and better mental health

were important more often than among men (Table 2).

Sixty-one percent of the respondents had a stable

motivational orientation for working life. Motivational

ambivalence (both work and disability pension as impor-

tant goals) was found in 28 %, and 11 % reported no

motivation for staying in working life. The share of those

having a stable motivation was greater in the younger age

group. Among those over 45 years, a third showed moti-

vational ambivalence. Motivation ambivalence was also

more common for women than for men, while the share of

those not motivated was greater among men. Motivation

for rehabilitation was strong or fairly strong in 88 % of the

participants. Women felt very motivated more often than

men did, and the younger age group more often than the

older one (Table 2).

The association between the two motivation variables

was statistically significant (Kendall’s tau b = 0.374;

Pearson correlation = 0.420). The cross-tabulation of the

variables showed that a fifth of those not motivated for

participation in working life felt very motivated for reha-

bilitation, and 29 % of those not motivated for rehabilita-

tion perceived staying in working life to be an important

goal for them.

Logistic regression analyses, using motivation towards

working life as the dependent variable, are presented in

Table 3. First, the independent association of each pre-

dictor with the dependent variable was analyzed separately

(adjusted for age; Models A). In the second phase, all

variables with statistically significant independent associ-

ations with the dependent variable were entered in the

regression model simultaneously (Model B).

According to Models A, better education, better work

ability, stronger generalized self-efficacy, and stronger

institutional trust increased the chances of stable orienta-

tion towards working life statistically significantly. Factors

decreasing the chances of stable motivation towards

working life, on the other hand, were older age, being on

disability pension, weak financial status, a greater number

of physical, psychosocial and uncertainty factors at work

contributing to the need for rehabilitation, poor health, lack

of belief in getting a suitable job, and regarding the

improvement of physical condition as an important goal.

Gender, occupational group, regarding better mental health

as an important goal, and reported health disorders (back

disorders, other musculoskeletal disease and mental dis-

orders) did not have statistically significant associations

with the dependent variable.

In the simultaneous Model B, statistically significant

contributions to the final model were provided by age,

labor market situation, psychosocial factors, self-assessed

health, generalized self-efficacy, institutional trust, and

lack of belief in getting a suitable job. The chances of

having stable motivation for working life were statistically

significantly increased by stronger institutional trust

(p = 0.000) and stronger self-efficacy (0.002). On the other

hand, the chances of stable motivation were decreased by a

lack of belief in getting a job (p = 0.000), poor self-

assessed health (0.002), older age (0.003), being on dis-

ability pension (0.018), and a greater number of psycho-

social factors contributing to the need for rehabilitation

(0.038) (Table 3).

Variables associated with motivation for vocational

rehabilitation are presented in Table 4. In Models A, good

basic education (12 years or more) and vocational educa-

tion (vocational college/university), occupational group

other than manual work, stronger generalized self-efficacy,

stronger institutional trust, and better physical condition as

an important goal increased the chances of having strong

J Occup Rehabil

123

motivation for vocational rehabilitation statistically sig-

nificantly. On the other hand, older age, male gender,

weaker than moderate financial situation, a greater number

of factors contributing to the need for rehabilitation, poor

health, and lack of belief in one’s possibilities to get a job

decreased the chances of strong motivation. Labor market

situation, the occurrence of back disorders, other muscu-

loskeletal disorders and mental disorders, self-rated work

ability, and regarding better mental health as an important

goal did not have statistically significant associations with

the motivation for rehabilitation and are not presented in

the table.

Table 2 Goals and motivational orientations by gender and age (%)

Very important Important Not important Together % (n) p

Working life as a goal

Gender

Male 63.5 21.9 14.6 100 (416) 0.000

Female 74.3 18.2 7.5 100 (423)

All 68.9 20.0 11.1 100 (839)

Disability retirement as a goal

Gender

Male 18.3 16.4 65.3 100 (415) n.s.

Female 17.8 17.5 64.7 100 (422)

All 18.0 17.0 65.0 100 (839)

Better physical condition as a goal

Gender

Male 61.5 22.4 16.0 100 (416) n.s.

Female 67.5 16.8 15.6 100 (422)

All 64.6 19.6 15.8 100 (839)

Better mental health as a goal

Gender

Male 42.8 36.1 21.2 100 (416) 0.000

Female 57.0 27.0 16.1 100 (423)

All 49.9 31.5 18.6 100 (839)

Strong and stable Motivational ambivalence No motivation

Motivational orientation towards working life

Gender

Male 61.3 24.0 14.7 100 (416) 0.001

Female 62.0 30.7 7.3 100 (423)

Age

18–44 72.8 18.3 8.9 100 (360) 0.000

45–64 52.9 34.4 12.7 100 (480)

All 61.4 27.5 11.1 100 (839)

Very motivated Motivated Not motivated

Motivation for vocational rehabilitation

Gender

Male 51.6 32.4 16.0 100 (376) 0.004

Female 60.2 31.2 8.6 100 (394)

Age

18–44 64.4 26.8 8.8 100 (340) 0.000

45–64 49.4 35.7 14.9 100 (429)

All 56.1 31.9 12.0 100 (770)

J Occup Rehabil

123

In Model B, age, occupational group, the number of work

uncertainty factors, generalized self-efficacy, institutional

trust, lack of belief in getting a job, and better physical con-

dition as an important goal made statistically significant

contributions to the final model. The chances of strong moti-

vation for vocational rehabilitation were increased by stronger

generalized self-efficacy (p = 0.000), belonging to the

occupational group of clerical, service and sales workers

(0.001), having better physical condition as an important goal

(0.009) and having stronger institutional trust (0.031). On the

other hand, the chances of strong motivation were decreased

by older age (p = 0.005), lack of belief in getting a job (0.024)

and a greater number of work uncertainty factors (0.050)

(Table 4).

Discussion

In this study, two simple indicators of motivation were

used. Motivation for participation in working life was a

Table 3 Logistic regression analysis, using motivational orientation towards working life as a dependent variable (1 = clients with stable

motivation, 61 %; 0 = other clients, 47 %)

Models A: Independent

associations, adjusted for ageaModel B: Simultaneous associations,

adjusted for age and gender (n = 738)b

OR p 95 % C.I. OR p 95 % C.I.

Age 0.940 0.000 0.922–0.958 0.961 0.003 0.937–0.987

Basic education

Less than 9 years 1 1

9–11 years 1.415 0.051 0.998–2.007 0.976 0.910 0.635–1.499

12 years or more 1.831 0.006 1.189–2.819 1.278 0.399 0.722–2.263

Vocational education

No or vocational course 1

Vocational school 1.979 0.000 1.373–2.851

Vocational college or university 2.157 0.001 1.391–3.345

Not available 0.927 0.782 0.544–1.582

Labour market situation

In labour force 1

On disability pension 0.535 0.000 0.391–0.733 0.622 0.018 0.420–0.922

Household financial situation

Good or moderate (1–3) 1 1

Compromising often needed/support needed (4–5) 0.440 0.000 0.323–0.599 1.007 0.971 0.687–1.477

Physical factors 0.585 0.000 0.464–0.739 0.771 0.091 0.570–1.042

Psychosocial factors 0.641 0.000 0.532–0.773 0.738 0.038 0.554–0.983

Work uncertainty factors 0.740 0.005 0.600–0.913 1.039 0.802 0.773–1.396

Work ability (0–10) 1.222 0.000 1.147–1.303

Self–assessed health (1–5)

Good or moderate (1–3) 1 1

Poor (4–5) 0.242 0.000 0.177–0.330 0.532 0.002 0.358–0.791

Generalized self-efficacy 2.006 0.000 1.711–2.353 1.359 0.002 1.114–1.657

Institutional trust 1.600 0.000 1.397–1.833 1.376 0.000 1.159–1.634

Perceived possibility to get a suitable job

Other alternatives 1 1

Does not believe in getting a suitable job 0.145 0.000 0.092–0.227 0.249 0.000 0.148–0.419

Better physical condition as a goal

Not very important 1 1

Very important 0.719 0.033 0.531–0.973 0.844 0.406 0.566–1.258

a Age-adjusted associations of gender, occupational group, health disorders and ‘‘better mental health as a goal’’ were not statistically significant

and are not presented (Model A)b Goodness of fit of Model B, using the Hosmer & Lemeshow Test: Chi Square = 8.49, df = 8, p = 0.387. To improve the test value vocational

education and work ability were not included in Model B

J Occup Rehabil

123

measure formed on the basis of two items, one concerning

staying in working life as an important goal, and the other,

disability retirement as a goal. Almost two thirds of the

rehabilitation clients expressed a stable motivation for

continuing in working life. The share of those showing

motivational ambivalence in the context of working life

was also noticeable: more than a quarter of all clients and

as many as a third of those over 44 years had conflicting

goals. About nine in ten respondents expressed motivation

for vocational rehabilitation, and more than half reported

themselves to be strongly motivated.

The results show that both orientation towards working

life and motivation for vocational rehabilitation are influ-

enced by several psychological and social as well as health

and work-related factors. Both of them have similar

foundations, but there are also some differences. Starting

Table 4 Logistic regression analysis, using motivation for vocational rehabilitation as a dependent variable (1 = very motivated clients, 56 %;

0 = others)

Models A: Independent

associations, adjusted for ageaModel B: Simultaneous associations,

adjusted for age and gender (n = 690, 82 %)b

OR p 95 % C.I. OR p 95 % C.I.

Age 0.956 0.000 0.938–0.974 0.965 0.005 0.941–0.989

Gender

Men/Women 1.556 0.003 1.160–2.088 0.955 0.810 0.657–1.389

Basic education

Less than 9 years 1 1

9–11 years 1.105 0.591 0.768–1.588 0.846 0.449 0.549–1.304

12 years or more 1.699 0.017 1.097–2.630 1.292 0.432 0.681–2.451

Vocational education

No/vocational course 1 1

Vocational school 1.576 0.018 1.080–2.300 1.181 0.464 0.756–1.845

Vocational college or university 2.170 0.001 1.387–3.395 1.138 0.704 0.582–2.225

Not available 1.189 0.548 0.676–2.092 1.277 0.510 0.617–2.643

Occupational group

Manual occupations 1 1

Clerical support etc. 2.191 0.000 1.520–3.159 2.166 0.001 1.358–3.455

Managers, professionals and technicians 1.750 0.004 1.200–2.552 1.345 0.326 0.745–2.429

Household financial situation

Good or moderate 1 1

Compromising often needed/support needed 0.587 0.001 0.434–0.794 0.919 0.653 0.634–1.331

Physical factors 0.789 0.036 0.632–0.985 0.879 0.396 0.654–1.183

Psychosocial factors 0.649 0.000 0.536–0.785 0.909 0.508 0.685–1.206

Work uncertainty factors 0.610 0.000 0.487–0.764 0.744 0.050 0.554–0.999

Self–assessed health

Good or moderate (1–3) 1 1

Poor (4–5) 0.492 0.000 0.362–0.670 0.962 0.851 0.641–1.443

Generalized self-efficacy 1.881 0.000 1.602–2.208 1.600 0.000 1.308–1.958

Institutional trust 1.433 0.000 1.254–1.636 1.197 0.031 1.017–1.410

Perceived possibility to get a suitable job

Other alternatives 1 1

Does not believe in getting a suitable job 0.383 0.000 0.252–0.581 1.768 0.024 1.077–2.903

Better physical condition as a goal

Not very important 1 1

Very important 1.384 0.035 1.024–1.872 1.655 0.009 1.132–2.420

a Age-adjusted associations of labour market situation, health disorders, work ability and ‘‘better mental health as a goal’’ were not statistically

significant and are not presentedb Goodness of fit using the Hosmer–Lemeshow test: Chi Square = 7.563, df = 8, p = 0.477

J Occup Rehabil

123

with the differences, four factors call for attention. They

are gender, occupational status, labor market status, and

regarding better physical condition as a goal in

rehabilitation.

Gender was not associated with motivation towards

working life, whereas strong motivation for rehabilitation

was more frequent among women than men. Respectively,

occupational status was not associated with a stable moti-

vation towards working life, but it was strongly associated

with motivation for vocational rehabilitation. Motivation

for rehabilitation was the strongest among the predomi-

nantly female group of clerical, service and sales workers

and weakest among the predominantly male group working

in manual occupations. One possible interpretation of this

result lies in the difference of the meaning and anticipated

consequences of vocational rehabilitation in these groups.

For persons in physically or mentally strenuous occupa-

tions, vocational rehabilitation often means a change of

occupation or workplace. For many manual workers, it

may mean lower salaries because of decreased working

hours or fewer responsibilities. Strong occupational com-

mitments in certain occupations may also form a barrier to

accepting possible changes and may lower the inclination

to participate in rehabilitation. Otto et al. [49] emphasize

that if people are worried about meeting the demands of

work, it may be especially difficult for them to meet

additional challenges connected with a change of

occupation.

The respondent’s labor market status was, in turn,

associated with motivation for working life but not with

motivation for vocational rehabilitation. Stable motivation

for working life was much more probable with those still in

the labor force than among those on a temporary or per-

manent pension, who were more often ambivalent in their

motives. However, those on pension expressed strong

motivation for rehabilitation as often as the employed

group. A possible interpretation for this is that their will-

ingness to participate in vocational rehabilitation may also

arise from values and needs different from, or even oppo-

site to, the work-related ones. They may be security and

safety needs, or needs connected to physical and mental

health. In this study, this kind of relationship was shown by

the result that the goal of achieving better physical con-

dition correlated positively with motivation for vocational

rehabilitation, but negatively with motivational orientation

towards working life.

On a more general level, however, both motivational

orientations seem to have similar psychological and social

foundations. In addition to a person’s socioeconomic sta-

tus, they are based on his or her meta-cognitions and atti-

tudes, addressing both personal competences and

perceptions of the possibilities opened up by society—or

the lack of them.

Education and household financial situation are common

indicators of socioeconomic status. Clients with better

education and a good or sufficient self-rated household

income were more motivated to stay in working life and to

participate in rehabilitation than the average client. In a

Finnish study [50], socioeconomic status was negatively

associated with early retirement intentions among middle-

aged employees. According to Gould [51], better socio-

economic status and other life chances may enable

employees to prefer employment to early retirement [see

also 52, 53], and Kim and Feldman [54] found that lower

salary and expectations of higher pension benefits together

led to early retirement decisions among employees.

The strongest associations of the person’s motivational

orientations were with the person’s meta-cognitions,

beliefs and attitudes, that is, the perceived competence, the

assessment of one’s possibilities at the labor market, and

institutional trust. Considering the first of these, the results

confirmed the importance of perceived competence or

generalized self-efficacy as the basis of both motivational

orientations. Belief in one’s possibilities to accomplish

what one has aimed for strongly enhances both the moti-

vation to stay in working life and the motivation for

vocational rehabilitation. Locus of control beliefs have

been shown to be associated positively with rehabilitation

results [4, 55, 56] and negatively with disability retirement

in back pain patients [57]. A person’s confidence in his or

her capabilities to overcome obstacles is a characteristic

that develops in the course of the life span [22]. It can also

be strengthened by paying attention to successful events

during the rehabilitation process.

Another factor addressing future expectations was one’s

belief in getting work suitable for one’s abilities, which

was also strongly associated with both motivational ori-

entations. Insecurity of employment is the major source of

work-related risks in present societies which influences, in

addition to work motivation [see 34, 58], a person’s general

inclination to continue in working life and the willingness

to participate in rehabilitation interventions. The best way

to strengthen the rehabilitation clients’ motivation towards

working life is probably to show them that a job suitable to

their abilities is available; unfortunately this is not always

possible. The assessment of one’s future possibilities is

always based, in part, on the work history. In this study, a

great number of physical, psychosocial and uncertainty

factors at work were regarded as having contributed to the

problems experienced, and also seemed to decrease moti-

vation for continuing in working life and participating in

rehabilitation [see also 49, 59].

The concept of institutional or vertical trust has not, as

far as we know, been addressed in rehabilitation studies

before. In this study, institutional trust was understood as a

general trust in societal institutions, including perceptions

J Occup Rehabil

123

of receiving just and equal treatment by society, social

institutions and officials. This simple index was associated

with both the motivation for rehabilitation and, especially,

with motivation for working life. Its associations with both

motivation variables were strong and consistent. The con-

struct of institutional trust, as applied in this study, seems

to address the general perception of getting fair treatment

from society when one is in special need for help. As such,

a lack of it also weakens the individual’s inclination to

participate in the labor market when faced with chronic

illness.

There are limitations in this study that warrant attention.

Most of the variables of the study were based on cross-

sectional data collected by means of a questionnaire. It

does not allow for making inferences on causal connections

between different factors. Both of the motivation variables

used were simple, one based on a person’s goals of

continuing in working life and retirement, and the other

based on a single question of a person’s willingness and

eagerness to participate in rehabilitation. On the other

hand, the study has clear advantages. It is based on a rel-

atively large and representative sample of vocational

rehabilitation clients, representing all age, educational and

occupational groups and having a range of physical or

mental disabilities.

To sum up, the results indicate that the two motivational

orientations can be regarded as partly separate and partly

overlapping constructs. It seems necessary to make a dis-

tinction between these constructs especially when it is

apparent that the motivational orientations of quite a few

rehabilitation clients may be ambivalent. The results

clearly show that the rehabilitation clients’ motivational

orientations are associated with their experiences and their

perceptions on environmental factors and future possibili-

ties, both those that precipitated the application for reha-

bilitation and those that are important in their current life

situation and their perceived future possibilities. In the

planning of individual rehabilitation processes, there is a

clear need to sort out what factors may hide behind the

client’s weak contextual or situational motivation. In the

course of the rehabilitation process, it is important to dis-

cuss these factors in order to alleviate the clients’ uncer-

tainty towards change and enhance their motivation to

participate in rehabilitation and re-think their future pros-

pects of returning to work.

Acknowledgements: The data of this study was gathered in the

project ‘‘The functioning of vocational rehabilitation within the

earnings-related pension scheme’’, supported financially by the

Finnish Centre for Pensions. The manuscript of this study was pre-

pared as part of the project ‘‘Shared Agency and Empowerment in

Rehabilitation’’ financed by the Academy of Finland.

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