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THEORIES ON MOTIVATION: A STUDY OF QUEENS LIBRARY EMPLOYEES By Danielle M. Walsh Submitted as partial fulfillment of the requirements for the Master of Instructional Technology, New York Institute of Technology, Old Westbury, New York Dr. Srilata Bhattacharyya NYIT Old Westbury, New York 2005

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Page 1: Theories on Motivation -   · PDF file10.05.2005 · THEORIES ON MOTIVATION: ... G. Theories of Job Satisfaction ... ERG theory is also very similar to

THEORIES ON MOTIVATION: A STUDY OF QUEENS LIBRARY EMPLOYEES

By Danielle M. Walsh

Submitted as partial fulfillment of the requirements for the Master of Instructional Technology, New York Institute of Technology, Old

Westbury, New York

Dr. Srilata Bhattacharyya NYIT

Old Westbury, New York

2005

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© Copyright 2005 By

Danielle M. Walsh All Rights Reserved

New York Institute of Technology Old Westbury, New York

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ABSTRACT

THEORIES ON MOTIVATION: A STUDY OF QUEENS LIBRARY EMPLOYEES

By Danielle M. Walsh

The study of motivation continues to hold the interest of scholar’s,

businessmen, and theorists. This paper analyzes the motivation

tendencies of employees of the Queens Library. Several variables were

looked at during this study such as the employees tenure, job title, and

location of work (public service and non-public service). The variables at

hand will determine if employees are Intrinsically or Extrinsically

motivated.

This study has looked at motivation from an historical, academic, and

organizational viewpoint. Each area of study has had a significant

relationship to employee motivation. The indented outcome should result

in a higher value of Intrinsically motivators among the employees of the

Queens Library.

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ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

I would like to give special thanks to Emanuel Albu, Training and

Development Manager, and the Queens Library, for without their

assistance this study would not have taken place. I would also like to

thank Dr. Bhattacharyya for her patience and wisdom.

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TABLE OF CONTENTS PAGE ABSTRACT……………………………………………………………………………...iii

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS............................................................................................... iv

LIST OF TABLES……………………………………………………………………….vii

LIST OF FIGURES……………………………………………………………………..viii

LIST OF SCREEN CAPTURES………………………………………………………….x

I. INTRODUCTION ...................................................................................................1

A. Introduction........................................................................................................1

B. Purpose Statement……………………………………………………………..2

C. Hypothesis..........................................................................................................3

D. Research Question .............................................................................................3

II. LITERATURE REVIEW ........................................................................................4

A. Introduction to Motivation.................................................................................4

B. Motivation Defined............................................................................................4

C. Theories on Motivation......................................................................................6

D. Content Theories................................................................................................6

E. Process Theories ................................................................................................9

F. Motivation in Academics…………………………………………………… 11

G. Theories of Job Satisfaction……………………………………………….....13

H. Motivation of Library Staff ………………………………………………….16

I. Problem Statement…………………………………………………………….18

J. Theoretical Framework and Rationale………………………………………..19

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III. METHODS AND PROCEDURES .......................................................................22

A. Population ........................................................................................................22

B. Sample………………………………………………………………………..23

C. Site…………………………………………………………………………... 23

E. Instrument and Constructs……………………………………………………24

F. Procedure……………………………………………………………………..25

G. Data Analysis………………………………………………………………...26

IV. RESULTS AND ANALYSIS................................................................................27

A. Results..............................................................................................................20

V. CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS ................................................35

A. Conclusions......................................................................................................35

B. Recommendations............................................................................................37

REFERENCES………………………………………………………………… 39

APPENDIX A....................................................................................................................44 The Work Preference Survey APPENDIX B. ...................................................................................................................47 Work Preference Inventory APPENDIX C……………………………………………………………………………48 Letter of consent to conduct study APPENDIX D....................................................................................................................49 Project Exemption Letter: IRB APPENDIX E. ...................................................................................................................50 Work Preference Survey Results

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LIST OF TABLES

TABLE TITLE PAGE

1. “Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs” 7

2. “Intrinsic Vs. Extrinsic Motivators” 10

3. “Defining the Challenge” 14

4. “Job Attitude Attributes” 21

5. “Queens Library Staff” 22

6. “Intrinsic Motives and 37 Job Characteristics Defined”

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LIST OF FIGURES

FIGURE TITLE PAGE

1. Job Characteristics Model 15

2. Demographics: Gender 27

3. Demographics: Work Category 28

4. Demographics: Work Location 29

5. Demographics: Tenure 29

6. Scatter Plot: Intrinsic Vs. 31 Extrinsic Motivation 7. T-Test: Motivation according to Tenure 33

8. T-Test: Job Characteristics and 34 Motivation Orientation

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LIST OF SCREEN CAPTURES

CAPTURE TITLE PAGE

1. Survey E-mail sent to Participants 26

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Chapter One Introduction

Introduction

“I don't want to work, I just want to bang on a drum all day” (Bang on the Drum All Day, Rundgren,1983)

Like the song, each of us have things we want to do and things we

don't want to do. As human beings, we have free will to do what we

want. However, in society, each of us has responsibilities to ourselves,

our families, and to each other. Our responsibilities drive us to do the

things individuals dislike, but must do. In the same instance, individuals

do things they like without much hesitation. In the work world,

individuals are motivated by career, money, responsibility, etc. In our

personal life it has been established that people are generally motivated

by love, obligation, and desire. How can these factors affect our overall

work life. Some people are over achievers while others just barely skate

by. What are the contributing factors that allow one group of people to

be motivated above and beyond while the other lies stagnant?

According to Fitz-enz (1997) the average American company, and

or organization loses approximately $1 million with every 10 managerial

and professional employees who leave the organization. Combined with

direct and indirect costs, the total cost of an exempt employee turnover

is a minimum of one year’s pay and benefits, or a maximum of two year’s

pay and benefits. There is significant economic impact with an

organization losing any of its critical employees, especially given the

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knowledge that it lost with the employee’s departure (Bassi, 1997). From

the literature, it is safe to assume, that organizations strive to

understand how to motivate and retain its employees.

The term motivation is derived from the Latin term motivus, (“a

moving cause”), which suggests the activating properties of the processes

involved in psychological motivation (Kretiner, 1998). Theorists known

for studying motivation is Maslow (1943) and his study Hierarchy of

Needs. Hertzberg’s (1959) Two-Factor Theory, all of these theories are

based on a psychological need. Vroom’s (1964) Expectancy Theory and

the study dichotomy of intrinsic-extrinsic motivation are based on a

process theory.

All of these men have made significant contributions to uncovering

the mystery of motivation. This study will seek to examine how both

Intrinsic and Extrinsic motivators can affect employee retention and job

satisfaction.

Purpose Statement

The proposed study seeks to find if the employees of the Queens

Library are intrinsically or extrinsically motivated. The work behavior of

an intrinsically motivated individual will demonstrate behavior that is

performed for its own sake (or motivated by internal “needs”). The work

behavior of an extrinsically individual will demonstrate behavior that is

performed to acquire material or social rewards. This study will also

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seek to find if Job Characteristics influence the intrinsic and extrinsic

motivators of staff.

Hypothesis

H1: Intrinsic motivation of job performance by library staff is greater

than extrinsic motivation of job performance.

H2: Library employees with tenure less than 3 years are more

intrinsically motivated of job performance than library employees with

more than 10 years of tenure.

H3: Job Characteristics influence the Intrinsic motivation orientation of

staff.

Research Question

Do the characteristics of an individual’s job help to determine if they are

intrinsically or extrinsically motivated, or both?

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Chapter Two Literature Review

Introduction to Motivation

Motivation has been and continues to be a subject that attracts

employers, mothers, fathers, theorists and the researcher. Many

theorists base their knowledge on motivation to a psychological

fulfillment. Classic studies conducted by Pavlov (1927) and. Skinner

(1951), provide a theoretical foundation of extrinsic motivation. Pavlov’s

research on classical conditioning taught that pairing one stimulus with

another can predict behavior. Skinner’s operant conditioning and

behavioral modification are directly linked to a number of the reward-

based concepts of extrinsic motivation. During the early 1970’s, a

movement began to explore the role of personal needs tin relation to

motivation. Maslow (1970) asserted that needs are defined in a

hierarchical model containing five needs, 1) physiological, 2) safety, 3)

belongingness, 4) esteem, and 5) self-actualization, and that they all must

be met in order to have motivation. Maslow also explains that people are

motivated both extrinsically and intrinsically. Many theorists have

studied Maslow and have expanded on his theory of needs.

Motivation Defined

Motivation as defined by the American Heritage Dictionary is “to

provide with an incentive; move to action; impel” (p.53). Many

contemporary authors also have defined the concept of motivation.

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Motivation has been defined as: the psychological process that gives

behavior purpose and direction (Kreitner, 1995); a predisposition to

behave in a purposive manner to achieve specific, unmet needs (Buford,

Bedeian, and Lindner, 1995); an internal drive to satisfy an unsatisfied

need (Higgins, 1994); and the will to achieve (Bedeian, 1993).

The foreground study of motivation can be linked to early

behavioral psychology that focused on intrinsic and extrinsic rewards

and punishment as a way to determine the outcomes of behavior. Classic

theorists like Pavlov (1927) and Skinner (1951), provided the groundwork

for extrinsic motivation. Pavlov’s research on classical conditioning

identified that pairing one stimulus with another can result in predictive

behaviors, while Skinner’s operant conditioning and behavioral

modification are directly linked to a number of the reward-based

concepts of extrinsic motivation (1951).

Today, more recent contributions to the research of motivation,

theorists like Pintrich, Schunk, and Zimmerman search to find the

relationship of motivation on the outcomes of academic achievement.

The literature has shown that the concept of motivation has

sparked the curiosity of not only academic researchers but practitioners

in the workplace. But how is motivation defined when it is applied to

organizational behavior? Many theorists have tried to define how

motivation can be applied in a work environment. Modern theories of

motivation can be classified into two main categories, content theories

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and process theories. To this end a review of some of the leading

theorists and theories of Motivation was undertaken in order to situate

this study. The work of theorists looked at are, Herzberg, Maslow,

Alderfer, McClelland, Adams, Vroom, and the dichotomy of intrinsic and

extrinsic motivation (Deci, 1975).

Theories on Motivation

Motivation theories fall into two main categories, Content Theories

and Process Theories. Theorists known for Content theories are Maslow,

McClelland, Alderfer, and Herzberg just to name a few. Two of the

leading Process theorists are Vroom and Adams.

Content Theories

Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs

Maslow, a humanistic psychologist, believed that people are not

controlled by mechanical forces but rather, human potential (Maslow,

1943). Maslow set up a hierarchical theory of needs. Each level of the

pyramid is dependent on the previous levels fulfillment, starting with the

basic needs at the bottom working up to the top (Maslow, 1943). This

experiment called Maslow’s Hierarchy of needs begins with Physiological

Needs. These needs are biological such as oxygen, food, water. These

needs are vital. The second of the five needs is the need for Safety, such

as job security. Social Needs describes the need to have friendship,

contact and communication, recognition of achievements fulfill the

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Esteem Needs and finally Self-actualization Needs Maslow describes as a

person’s need to be what a person was born to do (Maslow 1943). Maslow

believed that people were motivated (both intrinsically and extrinsically)

by the desire to fulfill these needs (1970).

(Table 1.) Hierarchy of Needs (Maslow, 1943)

Level of Need  General Reward  Organizational Factors 

Self‐Actualization  Growth, Achievement, Advancement, and Creativity 

Challenging Job, Opportunities for Creativity, Achievement at work, and Promotion 

Self‐Esteem  Self‐Respect, Status, and Prestige 

Social Recognition, Job Title, High Status of Job, and Feedback from the job itself 

Social  Love, Friendship, Feeling of Belonging 

Work Groups/Teams, Supervision, Professional Associations 

Safety  Security, Stability, and Protection 

Health & Safety, Job Security, Contract of Employment 

Physiological  Food, Water, Sleep, and Sex  Pay, and Working Conditions 

Erg Theory

Alderfer (1972 ) identifies three categories of human needs that

influence worker’s behavior; existence, relatedness and growth. Existence

needs include things such as hunger, thirst and sex. Relatedness needs

includes some involvement with family, friends, co-workers and

employers. Growth concerns those desires to be creative, productive and

to complete meaningful tasks. ERG theory is also very similar to Maslow’s

Hierarchy of Needs, although it differs in two ways. Different from

Maslow’s requirement to fulfill one need before another, for example a

person would be unable to fulfill esteem needs if they were homeless or

without the ability to feed themselves. Alderfer argues that (1) hierarchy

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is not included and (2) although a need may be satisfied that need may

continue to dominate (1972).

Two-Factory Theory

Frederick Herzberg developed a survey to investigate what people

liked and disliked about their jobs (Herzberg, Mausner,& Snyderman

1959). He classified the results into two categories “Motivators” and

“Hygiene” this experiment was known as Herzberg’s two-factor theory.

Herzberg describes motivators or Intrinsic factors as; recognition of

achievement, meaningful and interesting work, responsibility, and

advancement. Factors like company policy, supervision, pay,

interpersonal relations and working conditions are known as the

(Herzberg, Mausner, & Snyderman 1959). Herzberg’s theory is further

discussed in the theoretical framework.

Each theory describes the physiological, psychological and self-

actualization aspects in near identical terms. Herzberg’s maintenance

factors mirror Maslow’s physiological, security and belongingness needs

and Alderfer’s existence and relatedness needs. Maslow’s esteem and

self-actualization needs are similar to Herzberg’s motivator traits and

Alderfer’s growth requirement. It should be clear that the similarities

vastly outweigh the differences. It should also be clear that Maslow’s

Hierarchy of Needs theory was a remarkable piece of social science, and

very influential to future scholars.

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Achievement Theory

McClelland’s approach to motivation is based on three needs,

Achievement Need, Affiliation Need, and the need for Power (McClelland,

1961). The need for power as “Personalized power” and “Socialized

power”. Individuals with high personalized power may have little signs

of self control, and they exercise power impulsively. Associated with this

are tendencies to be rude, excessive use of alcohol, and a collection of

symbols of power (expensive cars, big office, big house etc.) Often these

individuals give advice to show or boost their own status. Socialized

power need is most often associated with effective leadership. They seek

power because through power tasks are completed. They are much more

resistant to use power in a manipulative way. These leaders look to use

power to fulfill the organizations vision. High need achievers prefer a job

in which success is determined by their skills and initiate problem

solving rather than succession by chance. Affiliation needs are met when

one has a good relationship with collogues and are accepted by others

(Yukl, 1989).

Process Theories

Equity Theory

Adam's Equity Theory (1965) states that employees strive for

equity between themselves and other workers. Equity is achieved when

the ratio of employees outcomes over inputs is equal to other employee

outcomes over inputs (Adams, 1965).

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Expectancy Theory

Vroom’s Expectancy Theory is based on the belief that employees

effort will lead to performance and performance will lead to rewards

(Vroom, 1964). Rewards may be either positive or negative. The more

positive the reward the more likely the employee will be highly

motivated. To the contrary, the more negative the reward, the less

likeliness the employee will be motivated. Valence, instrumentality and

expectancy (VIE) theory has resulted from Vroom’s (1964) work into

motivation.

Dichotomy of Intrinsic-Extrinsic Motivation

Intrinsically Motivated Work Behavior: Behavior that is performed

for its own sake (or motivated by internal "needs"). Extrinsically

Motivated Work Behavior: Behavior that is performed to acquire material

or social rewards or to avoid punishment (or motivated to obtain or avoid

some "goal") (Deci, 1985a).

(Table 2.) Intrinsic vs. Extrinsic motivators

Intrinsic Motives include: Extrinsic Motives include:

Interesting Work Pay

Challenging Work Promotion

Learning New Things Leadership Style

Making Important Contributions Job Design

Responsibility Culture

Autonomy Status

Being Creative Appreciation

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Intrinsic motivation is also defined as “ the doing of an activity for its

inherent satisfaction rather than for some separable consequence” (Ryan

& Deci, 2000, p56). For example, if a student reads a chapter from the

course textbook in order to increase their knowledge or have a sense of

accomplishment, and not out of fear of failing the class, then they are

intrinsically motivated. Whetten and Cameron (2002) added that intrinsic

motivation is the result when a person successfully performs a task, and

results in increase in skills, self-esteem, and morale.

Extrinsic motivation also defined as, “a construct that pertains

whenever an activity is done in order to attain some separable outcome”

(Ryan & Deci, 2000, P60). For example, if an employee is motivated to

arrive on time for work because she/he fears losing their job then,

according to the definition provided, they are extrinsically motivated.

Whetten and Cameron (2002) also assert that extrinsic motivation can be

an intervention facilitated by someone other than the individual to

increase the person’s desire and commitment to the organization. This

would include items such as pay, promotion, praise, incentives, rewards,

disciplining, and behavioral “shaping”.

Motivation in Academics

Different models and theories of motivation continue to offer

plentiful conceptual basis and empirical evidence which coexist in the

field of motivation: the self-efficacy theory (Bong,1997; Zimmerman,

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2000; Zimmerman & Bandura, 1994; Zimmerman, 1992), expectancy-value

theory (Wigfield & Eccles, 2000), casual attribution theory (Miller,

Ferguson & Byrne, 2000; Montero & Alonso, 1992; Gonzalez-Pienda &

Cols, 2000) or intrinsic-extrinsic theory of motivation (Ryan & Deci, 2000).

From an academic or school perspective, recent motivational

models consider motivation as a hypothetical construct that explains the

start, direction and perseverance of behavior aimed at a given academic

goal focused on learning, achievement, the ego, social value or work

avoidance (Garcia 1998). There are four components involved in this

process (Pintrich & De Groot 1990): the value that students assign to the

goals, perception of their competence, casual attributions and emotional

reactions.

Academic goals refer to motives of an academic nature that

students use for guiding their classroom behavior. These goals can

encourage the student to pursue different objectives in the academic or

school situation: 1) Learning, mastery, task or task- involved goals.

These are referred to variously as task goals (Anderman & Midgley, 1997;

Kaplan & Midgley, 1997); Middleton & Midgley, 1997) or mastery goals

(Ames, 1992). This type of goal orients students toward a learning

approach characterized by satisfaction upon mastery or completion of a

task, with greater levels of efficacy, task value, interest, positive emotion,

positive effort, greater persistence, greater use of cognitive and

metacognitive strategies, and good conduct (Pintrich, 2000b).

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2) Performance goals. These are called ability-focused goals

(Nicholls, 1984,Thorkildsen & Nicholls, 1998). They orient students

toward a greater concern with their ability, and to notice others’

performance, seeming to focus them on goals to tasks better than others.

In general these goals are seen as less adaptive, because of the type of

motivation associated with them, the emotional effects, the lesser use of

strategies, and poorer conduct (Ames, 1992 Pintrich, 2000a, Pintrich &

Schunk, 1996, Urdan 1997).

3) Goals focused on the ego ( work avoidance, ego or ego-involved

goals) (Skaalvick, 1997). These refer ideas, judgments and perceptions of

ability from a normative and comparative reference with respect to

others. Some authors have classified these into dimensions of

performance-approach and performance-avoidance (Elliot &

Harackiewicz, 1996; Skaalvick, 1993).

Theories of Job Satisfaction

Work motivation can be defined as the psychological drive that

determines the direction of a person’s behavior in an organization. The

three factors of work motivation are: (1) Direction of behavior, (2) Level of

effort and (3) Level of persistence. The direction of behavior is measured

by the behavior an individual chooses to perform within an organization,

the level at which a person chooses to work at a chosen task or behavior

is the level of effort. When an individual is faced with a roadblock or

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obstacle does the person continue to overcome these obstacles or give

up? This is how to determine ones level of persistence.

Motivated employees are needed in our rapidly changing

workplaces. Motivated employees are more productive. To be effective,

managers need to understand what motivates employees within the

context of the roles they perform (Bowen & Radhakrishna, 1991). An

example of how employment has revolved is in the conception of the

needs of employer’s and employees, the figure below describes the “Old

Reality and “New Reality” of employee relations.

(Table 3.) “Defining the Challenge” (Michaels, Handfield-Jones, & Axelrod, 2001)

Defining The Challenge The Old Reality The New Reality

People need companies Companies need people

Machines, capital and geography are the competitive advantage

Talented people are the competitive advantage

Better talent makes some difference Better talent makes a huge difference

Jobs are scarce Talented people are scarce

Employees are loyal and jobs are secure People are mobile and their commitment is short term

People accept the standard package they are offered

People demand much more

Specific job characteristics can lead to psychological conditions

that in return lead to increased motivation, performance, and

satisfaction. The job-characteristics model is based on the idea that

people will respond differently to the same job and that it is possible to

alter a job’s character to increase motivation, satisfaction, and

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performance. The initial research on job characteristics was concerned

with the relationship between certain objective attributes of tasks (such

as amount of task variety, level of autonomy, amount of interaction

required to carry out task activities and the number of opportunities for

optional interaction, level of knowledge and skill required, and amount of

responsibility entrusted to the job holders) and employee reactions to the

tasks. Five job characteristics were developed in later research: variety,

task identity, task significance, autonomy, and job-based

feedback(Cunningham & Eberle, 1990).

The job characteristics model also seeks to structure work so that

it can be performed effectively and is personally rewarding and

satisfying. According to this model, matching people with their jobs will

reduce the need to urge them to perform well. Instead, employees will

try to do well because it is rewarding and satisfying to do so

(Cunningham & Eberle, 1990).

Job Characteristics Model (Fig.1) “Job Characteristics Model”

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The Variance theory is based on a simple concept that if you want x from

your work then you are satisfied to the extent that it provides you with x.

The problem with this theory is defining what people want from their

work.

Motivation of Library Staff

The dominant culture in libraries is that of service, and in public,

private or academic libraries this is interpreted in terms of public service.

As libraries become more sophisticated in their approach to quality, self-

motivation will become a central issue (Rowley, 1996). Libraries must

learn to adapt and respond effectively and efficiently to changing

demands if they want to survive as viable organizations (Rooks,1998). It

is a commonly held belief that having well-motivated staff is a significant

factor in providing an effective library and information service. However,

the task of ensuring a high level of staff motivation requires from library

managers a range of managerial, sociological, and psychological skills for

which they have had little or no training at all (Green, Chivers,& Mynott,

2000).

It is important to recognize the context within which library

managers are operating. The nature of much library work involves a

great deal of administrative repetition, technology is ever increasing and

changes to the working lives of library staff are frequent. Furthermore,

financial resources are usually restricted, and only limited finances are

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available for staff salaries. Staff are a key resource and account for a

significant component of the budget of libraries (Rowley, 1996).

Staff in libraries can be diverse in age, culture and experience and

may have a broad range of expectations from their employment.

Moreover, as libraries are still seen by many staff as safe havens in which

work, staff turnover is generally very low. For those who are ambitious,

rigid organizational structures have resulted in fewer opportunities for

promotion from within the same organization and limited possibilities

for them to further their careers in other sectors of the profession

(Dalton et al., 1999).

There is an even more important reason to motivate library staff:

the frontline staff are the face of the library. Front-line library workers

are the first people customers see when they come through the door, and

the last ones to assist them before they leave. There influence is

enormous in cementing the impression of the library as a welcoming,

enjoyable, and professional place to visit, instead of an unsatisfying,

confusing, and negative one (Patterson, 2004). Employees are valuable, as

the cost of hiring, training, and retaining staff-not just librarians, but all

staff- generally makes up the largest part of a library’s budget. Since

library support staff usually comprise 60-80 percent of the work force, it

makes perfect fiscal sense to motivate this segment of employees to stay

(Patterson, 2004).

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Two studies were conducted one by Kenneth Plate and Elizabeth

Stone during 1974, Plate and Stone gathered data from 162 United States

and 75 Canadian Librarians. They conducted their study within the

framework of Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs and Herzberg’s Hygiene and

Motivation factors. The results of the Plate and Stone study correlated

very closely with studies of professionals in other occupations that have

been used to test the Herzberg model. The results demonstrated that

librarians respond positively to the motivational factors of achievement,

recognition, and work that in intrinsically satisfying. The second study of

job satisfaction among library staff was also conducted in 1974 by

Vaughn and Dunn, two University business professors. Vaughn and

Dunn surveyed 265 employees of six university libraries in the Dallas-

Forth worth section of Texas. The instrument selected to measure job

satisfaction in the areas of pay, promotion, supervision, work, and people

on the job was the Job Descriptive Index (JDI). The results showed that

higher satisfaction of people, supervision, and the work itself ranked

higher than pay and promotion.

Problem Statement

In today’s highly competitive labor market, there is extensive

evidence that organizations regardless of size, technological advances,

market focus and other factors are facing retention challenges (Ramlall,

2004). Prior to the September 11th terrorist attacks, a report by the

Bureau of National Affairs (1998) showed that turnover rates were

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soaring to their highest levels over the last decade at 1.3% per month. In

a more recent report by the U.S. Department of Labor, Total US-

Voluntary Turnover shows that the annual turnover percentage for

September 2003- August 2004 is a high 20.2% (2004). This gives us an

estimate average of 1.86 % per month in the fiscal year 03/04. As

employee turnover rates increase employers seek the answers to

employee retention.

Dainow, (1998) argues that a motivated staff is necessary for the

survival of the organization. The workplace is changing rapidly and

motivated employees are needed to keep the organization going in the

right strategic direction. Employees that are motivated during work

hours tend to be more productive than those who are not motivated

(Dainow, 1998). In order to be effective, managers must understand what

motivates employees within the context of their particular role in the

organization (Lindner, 1998). The reason for this is the fact that what

motivates employees is constantly changing. For example, as a person’s

income increases throughout the years it becomes less of a motivator and

managers must recognize this and come up with alternative motivational

techniques (Lindner, 1998).

Theoretical Framework and Rationale

This study employed the theoretical framework of Herzberg (1966).

Herzberg and his associates began their research into motivation during

the 1950's, examining the models and assumptions of Maslow and others,

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and in 1959 he published a book entitled ‘The Motivation to Work‘ (Allen

& Welch, 2004). To better understand employee attitudes and

motivation, Herzberg performed studies to determine which factors in an

employee’s work environment caused satisfaction or dissatisfaction.

Herzberg’s two-factor theory is one of the most well-known

approaches to job enrichment. He suggested that the factors involved in

producing job satisfaction (and motivation) are separate and distinct

from “hygiene” factors, which lead to job dissatisfaction (Cunningham &

Eberle, 1990). He also believed that in order to better understand

employee attitudes and motivation, you must determine which factors in

an employee’s work environment caused satisfaction or dissatisfaction.

He developed the motivation-hygiene theory to explain these results.

Herzberg’s studies included interviews, employees were asked what

pleased and displeased them about their work. He called the satisfiers

motivators and the dissatisfies hygiene factors. Herzberg found that the

presence of motivators in the workplace caused enduring states of

motivation in employees but their absence did not lead to dissatisfaction.

Hygiene on the other hand produced an acceptable working environment

but did not increase satisfaction- their absence did cause job

dissatisfaction (1959).

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Factors that Attribute to Job Attitudes (Table 4.) “Job attitude attributes”

Leading to Dissatisfaction Leading to Satisfaction Company Policy Achievement

Supervision Recognition

Relationship with Boss Work Itself

Work Conditions Responsibility

Salary Advancement

Relations with Peers Growth

According to Herzberg, motivating employees is entirely different

from reducing job dissatisfaction. Reducing job dissatisfaction will not

increase motivation but merely reduce the level of employee’s

dissatisfaction (Cunningham & Eberle, 1990). Hertzberg’s theory

suggests how people’s jobs can be redesigned to incorporate more

motivators, he contends that we should focus our attention on the

individuals in jobs, not on the things that we surround them with. He

maintains that we tend to think that growth and development will occur

if we provide good working conditions, status, security, and

administration, whereas in fact what stimulates growth (and motivation

to grow and develop) are opportunities for achievement, recognition,

responsibility and advancement. He felt that a key method for achieving

these was ‘job enrichment’ and ‘vertical job loading’ whereby jobs are

redesigned to make them more interesting and employees are given

increased authority and challenge within their jobs (together with

more feedback) (Allen & Welch, 2004).

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Chapter Three Methods and Procedure

This study will use a quantitative research design. This study will

seek to find if staff at the Queens library system are intrinsically or

extrinsically motivated or both, and will investigate whether the majority

of staff at the Queens Library System’s motivation is influenced by their

job characteristics.

Population

The respondents of this study are staff of the Queens Library

System. Staff are comprised of 1400 plus employees. Some positions

held in the Library are:

(Table 5.) “Queens Library Staff “

Administrative/Clerical Non-Supervisory

Job Title Education Requirements

Office Aide High School Diploma Stenographer I High School Diploma

Custodial Completion of 7th grade Library Maintainer High School Diploma

Community Associate Bachelors Degree

Librarians Non-Supervisory Job Title Education Requirements Librarian trainee Bachelors Degree

Librarian Masters in Library Science Administrative/Clerical Supervisory

Job Title Education Requirements Office Associate High School Diploma Librarians Supervisory

Job Title Education Requirements Branch/Division Library Manager Masters in Library Science

Assistant Branch/Division Library Manager

Masters in Library Science

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Sample

Although the Queens Library System has a staff of 1400 plus

employees, due to extended illness and absenteeism, I expect that not all

employees will take the survey. Based on the return of several surveys

distributed by the Queens Library, the sample is estimated at 200-250

persons. This sample is based on previous survey’s administered by the

Queens Library. Staff are compromised of both male and females ranging

in the age of 19-70+.

Site

The site, in which my research method will be performed, is The

Queens Library. The Queens Library System serves a book-hungry

population of 2.2 million from 63 locations plus 6 Adult Learning

Centers. It has circulated more books and other library materials than

any other library system in the country since 1994, and is the second

largest public library in the U.S. in terms of size of collections. In Fiscal

Year 2003, 16.9 million items were circulated, and in-person attendance

was 15.9 million people. The Queens Library is well known for their free

programs, 478,000 people attended 22,000 programs in the fiscal year

2003. There are more than 1400 individuals employed at the Queens

Library, some of those individuals are responsible for answering 5.1

million reference and directional inquiries, and has more than 9.7 million

items in its collections. Volunteers donated 52,000 hours of valuable

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general service and volunteered to help their neighbors learn to read

better.

Instrument and Constructs

The instrument for this research will be used to collect data about

employees work attitude and job characteristics. The survey will be

comprised of 40 questions. The first 28 questions will give feedback on

the subjects intrinsic and extrinsic motivators, the following 12 questions

will reflect the subjects view about their job characteristics and

demographics, where they work, gender and tenure. The survey

questions and constructs were developed based on the Employee Work

Attitude survey developed by Amabile (1994).

Below you will find sample statements included in the survey that

will determine if the researchers hypothesis’s are in fact true statements.

The table below demonstrates two sample statements used in the survey

to determine if the subject is intrinsically motivated:

• Whatever the results of a project are, I am satisfied if I have gained a new experience.

• Interest is the influential force behind much of what I do.

The list below demonstrates two sample statements used in the survey to

determine if the subject is extrinsically motivated:

• I believe success means doing better than other people.

• I’m not concerned with the task I complete, but what I get for it.

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The following lists below demonstrate two of the five statements used in

the survey to determine the subjects agreeableness with job satisfaction;

categories included are: Job Variety, Job Autonomy, Feedback, Job

Significance and Job Identity:

(Feedback) • Do supervisors and managers let you know how well you are doing

at your job? (Autonomy)

• How much autonomy is there in your job? Meaning to what extent

does your job permit you to decide on your own how to go about

completing tasks?

According to Amabile (1994), the work preference inventory was

designed to asses the individual differences in which adults perceive

themselves to be intrinsically and extrinsically motivated towards the

work they do.

Procedure

The survey will be designed and distributed using a web-based tool

that helps you design, distribute and analyze survey data.

A link to www.surveymonkey.com will be embedded in an all user e-mail

(distribution list to all full-time staff). See copy of e-mail below:

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(Screen Capture 1) E-mail sent to subjects

Staff will be given a sufficient about of time to complete the survey, a

reminder e-mail will be sent to staff one week following the initial

notification.

Data Analysis

Survey results will be interpreted using inferential statistics,

measurement of data will be provided using an Likert scale. Descriptive

data will be translated into quantitative data using a Likert 4 point scale.

The data collected was then exported into Microsoft Excel in order to find

the Mean, Median, and Mode of the data.

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Chapter Four Results and Analysis

The results of this study is applicable to only the sample to which

the data was gathered. Participants are employed at the Queens Library,

out of a total of 1400 plus employees, 408 started the survey and 282

completed the survey. In order to have a true reflection of the motivation

orientation of Queens Library employees only surveys that have been

completed will be part of the data collection. Survey results were

translated from a 4 point likert scale into quantitative data using

Microsoft Excel. Using the “find and replace” tool in Microsoft Excel the

researcher was able to convert choices Strongly Disagree, Disagree, Agree,

Strongly Agree, into a numeric value for further calculations.

Demographics

The following charts display the demographics of employees

participating in this study. Chart one (fig. 2) displays the Participants

gender, 78.20% are female and 21.80%

(fig. 2) “Demographics”: Employee Gender

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male; Chart two (fig. 3) displays the participants work category, work

categories fall into six categories Customer Service Librarian (49.60%),

Support Librarian (7.60%), Customer Service Clerical (15.20%), Support

Clerical (7.90%), Non-Librarian Professional (12%), and other (7.90%);

(fig. 3) Queens Library “Work Category”

Chart three (fig. 4) describes the work location of participants,

participants either work in public service meaning one of the 62 branches

in Queens (53.90%) or the Central Library in Jamaica for one of its 8

divisions (32.40%), if the participant chose department for their work

location, they are working in a non-customer service division (13.70%).

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(fig. 4) Demographics: Work Location

Chart four (Fig. 5) displays the amount of tenure participants acquire

within the organization. From the data most of the participants have

been employed with the library for more than ten years.

(Fig. 5) Demographics: Participants Tenure With The Queens Library

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Hypothesis 1

Intrinsic motivation is divided into two main categories,

enjoyment and challenge. The standard deviation for enjoyment is 0.35

and 0.29 for challenge, the variance between the two is 0.13 and the

overall standard deviation for intrinsically motivated orientation among

participants is 0.26. We can see from the data that employees are

greater influenced by the enjoyment of their assigned tasks. Extrinsic

motivation is also divided into two categories, outward and

compensation. The standard deviation for outward is 0.31 and 0.46 for

compensation, the variance between the two is 0.19, and the overall

standard deviation for extrinsically motivated orientation for

participants is 0.21. Also from the data we can analyze that employees

are greater influenced by compensation over outward (results). The

overall variance between intrinsically and extrinsically motivators

among library employees is 0.07.

Using a Pearson’s Correlation, the Scatter Plot Below (Fig 5) shows

a small difference between the intrinsic and extrinsic motivation

orientation among Queens Library Staff, even though it is a small

difference it is fair to say that after analyzing the data Intrinsic

motivation of library staff is greater than extrinsic motivation

orientation. The more the points are clustered the stronger the

relationship. The Hypothesis is supported by the data.

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3.503.002.502.001.501.00

Extrinsic Motivators

4.00

3.50

3.00

2.50

2.00

1.50

1.00

Intr

insi

c M

otiv

ator

s

Intrinsic motivation among library staff is greater than extrinsic motivation.

(Fig. 6) Scatter Plot: Extrinsic and Extrinsic Motivation Orientation among library Staff

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Hypothesis 2

The findings of the study support the second hypothesis that

library employees with less than three years tenure have a greater

intrinsically motivation orientation than employees with tenure of ten

years or more. Employees tenure range from 0-2 years, 2-5 years, 5-10

years, and 10 years or more. A t-test was used to analyze the

quantitative data and according to the data provided it has been

concluded that library employees with tenure less than three years have

a greater percentage of intrinsically motivated orientations. Employees

with less than three years tenure had a standard deviation of 0.37 and

an extrinsic standard deviation of 0.30 the variance of both is 0.14.

Employees with ten or more years tenure had a standard deviation of

0.30 for intrinsic motivation and 0.20 for extrinsic, with a variance of

0.08. The t-test indicated that there is a significant difference

(t(54)=2.169, p <.05. The sample mean of 3.05 for staff with three years

or less tenure was significantly greater that the sample mean of

employees with more than ten years of tenure, the following t-test

compares both intrinsic and extrinsic motivation of employees with less

than three years tenure and employees with more than ten years tenure.

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(Fig. 7) Motivation Orientation according to tenure

When examining the data according to employees tenure, it was found

that overall employees both with less than three years tenure or

employees with more than ten years tenure still ranked with a higher

percentage of intrinsic rather than extrinsic motivation orientation.

Hypothesis 3

The third and final hypothesis supports that there is a relationship

between Job Characteristics and the intrinsic motivation orientation

among staff. Using the mean (3.70) of responses to Job Variety, Job

Autonomy, Feedback, Job Significance, and Job Identity; (these categories

will further be referred to as Job Characteristics), and the mean (2.95) of

Intrinsic Motivation.

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(Fig.8) Job Characteristics and Motivation Orientation

The ‘t’ test indicated that there is a significant difference (t(280)-

194.945, p<.05, and the sample mean of 2.95 for intrinsic motivation

orientation was significantly greater than the sample mean of 2.71 for

extrinsically motivated orientation.

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Chapter Five Discussion and Conclusion

Discussion

From the data collected the results support that employees at the

Queens Library have a greater tendency to be intrinsically motivated over

extrinsically. Although the difference is not by a landslide, it does in fact

support the hypothesis.

As you can see from fig. 8 in chapter four, most of the participants

have worked for the library for more than ten years. The supported

hypothesis concludes in this study that employees with tenure less than

three years will have a greater intrinsic motivation orientation than those

with more than ten years tenure. From the researchers point of view,

when an individual chooses an area of study it is usually associated with

the career path they have chosen. Most likely this field of study interests

them. Receiving a Masters in Library science usually means that you will

become a Librarian once you have completed your coursework. There are

various types of Librarianship, Law Librarian, School Media Specialist,

Public Librarianship, Collegiate Librarian, Music Librarian etc. Others

may look for a job that has certain hours or just may think that a Library

would be a nice place to work. During the first several years of

employment an individual may internalize the work they do, they are

excited because they can finally apply skills learned to assist their

customers in locating information. They want to make important

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contributions to the work they do, during a probationary period which is

one year for newly hired Librarians and six months for clerical positions

at the Queens Library; an individual wants to learn new things, and take

responsibility for their work. As time goes by employees look to be

appreciated for the work they do, they also may want to be promoted and

compensated for the work they do, fulfilling their internal needs are no

longer a priority, being successful and rewarded becomes the new

priority. The researcher has been employed by the Queens Library for

over eighteen years, and seeks to revitalize her intrinsic motivators by

often examining what job characteristics need to be fulfilled in order to

accomplish that goal.

Intrinsic motives have a strong relationship to the defined job

characteristics. A table was created to display the definition of Intrinsic

Motivation and the definition of Job Characteristics. From the table,

Interesting work and Challenging Work in the Intrinsic Motive column

relates to the employees need for Job Variety and Job Autonomy in the

Job Characteristics column. In the defined column when learning new

tasks and making important contributions an employee needs feedback.

It is so important to give employees positive and corrective feedback,

when an individual is unsure of themselves they will back away from the

task or disassociate themselves from a team. The researcher has

personal experience with the training and development of library staff.

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(Table 6.) Intrinsic Motives and Job Characteristics Defined

Intrinsic Motives include: Job Characteristics Defined

Interesting Work Job Variety Need to utilize many different skills to complete the job.

Challenging Work Job Autonomy Employees have personal say about how to do the work.

Learning New Things Feedback Feedback from their supervisors or co-workers.

Making Important Contributions

Job Significance Importance of the job.

Responsibility Job Identity Employees have much more chance to complete a whole piece of work.

Job characteristics play an important role in the intrinsic

motivation orientation among staff. From the data collected it is

noticeable that employees need to have variety, a voice, and feedback

from supervisors and or management. If these needs are not met, it is

less likely that employees will remain intrinsically motivated. When

placing individuals in particular positions, organizations need to pay

closer attention to potential hires talents, needs, and career path, because

by placing employees in positions that reflect their skills, knowledge, and

desire to be creative they may have a greater chance of remaining

intrinsically motivated.

Further research

The researcher would like to take this study a step further by

including the other two large public library systems in New York City,

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The New York Public and the Brooklyn Public Library systems. It would

be interesting to compare all three library systems and see if there is a

large variance between their Intrinsic and Extrinsic motivation

orientations.

Limitations

The only limitations in this study is honesty, It is hoped that all

participants answered the questions without fear of management. The

data collected is a benefit for staff, so that managers can see what

positions they may be skilled for and to create a sense of what employees

want in their job.

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Nicholls, J. G. (1984). Achievement motivation: Conceptions of ability, subjective experience, task choice, and performance. Psychology Review, 91, 328-346. Pavlov, I. P. (1927). Lectures on conditioned reflexes (W. H. Gantt, Trans.). New York: International. Pintrich, P. R. (2000b). Multiple Goals, Multiple Pathways: The role of goal orientation in learning and achievement. Journal of Educational Psychology, 92 (3), 544-555. Pintrich, P. R., & De Groot, E. V. (1990). Motivational and self-regulated learning components of classroom academic performance. Journal of Educational Psychology, 82, 33-40. Pintrich, P. R., & Schunk, D. H. (1996). Motivation in education: Theory, research, and applications (cap.6: The role of goals and goal orientation). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Merrill/Prentice hall. Ramlall, S. A Review of Employee Motivation Theories and their Implications for Employee Retention within Organizations. Journal of American Academy of Business, Cambridge. Hollywood: Sep 2004. Vol. 5, Iss. 1/2; p. 52 (12 pages) Rooks, Dana C. (1988). Motivating Today’s Library Staff: A Management Guide. Phoenix New York: Oryx press. Rowley, J. (1996), “Motivation of staff in libraries”, Library Management, Vol.17 No.5. [online]. Available from: http://www.emerald-library.com/brev/01517ed1.htm (accessed October 28 ,2004) Ryan, R. M., & Deci, E. L. (2000). Intrinsic and extrinsic motivations: Classic definitions and new directions. Contemporary Educational Psychology, 25, 57-67. Skaalvik, E. M. (1993). Ego-involvement and self-protection among slow learners: Four case studies. Scandinavian Journal of Educational Research, 37, 305-315. Skaalvik, E. M. (1997). Self-enhancing and self-defeating ego orientation: Relations with task and avoidance orientation, achievement, self-perceptions, and anxiety. Journal of Educational Psychology, 89 (1), 71-81. Skinner, B. F. (1951). How to teach animals. Scientific American, 185, 26-29.

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Swanson, R. (2001). The Theory Challenge Facing Human Resource Development Profession. AHRD Annual Conference. Thorkildsen, T. A. & Nicholls, J. G. (1998). Fifth graders’ achievement orientations and beliefs: individual and classroom differences. Journal of Educational Psychology, 90 (2), 179-201. Urdan, T. C. (1997). Examining the relations among early adolescent students’ goals and friends’ orientation toward effort and achievement in school. Contemporary Educational Psychology, 22 (2), 165-191. Vroom, V. H. (1964). Work and motivation. New York: Wiley. Whetten, D. A., & Camerson, K. S. (2002). Developing management skills (5th ed). Pearson Education, Inc.: Sadle River, New Jersey. Wigfield, A. & Eccles, J. S. (2000). Expectancy-Value Theory of Achievement Motivation. Contemporary Educational Psychology, 25, 68-81. Yukl, G. A. (1989). Leadership in organizations. Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey: Prentice Hall. Zimmerman, B. J. (2000). Self-efficacy: an essential motive to learn. Contemporary Educational Psychology, 25, 82-91 Zimmerman, B. J. & Bandura, A. (1994). Impact of self-regulatory influences on writing course attainment. American Educational Research Journal, 31, 845-862

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APPENDIX A

The Work Preference Survey

1. I am not worried about what others think of my work.

Strongly Disagree Disagree Agree Strongly Agree

2. I’d rather have someone else set clear goals for me in my work tasks.

Strongly Disagree Disagree Agree Strongly Agree

3. The greater the challenge, the more I enjoy trying to complete the task.

Strongly Disagree Disagree Agree Strongly Agree

4. I am strongly aware of income goals I have for myself.

Strongly Disagree Disagree Agree Strongly Agree

5. My work must provide me with opportunities for increasing my knowledge and skills.

Strongly Disagree Disagree Agree Strongly Agree

6. I believe success means doing better than other people.

Strongly Disagree Disagree Agree Strongly Agree

7. I like to figure things out for myself.

Strongly Disagree Disagree Agree Strongly Agree

8. Whatever the results of a project are, I am satisfied if I have gained a new experience.

Strongly Disagree Disagree Agree Strongly Agree

9. I enjoy simple, straightforward tasks.

Strongly Disagree Disagree Agree Strongly Agree

10. I am aware of the career path I have set for myself.

Strongly Disagree Disagree Agree Strongly Agree

11. Interest is the influential force behind much of what I do.

Strongly Disagree Disagree Agree Strongly Agree

12. I’m not concerned with the task I complete, but what I get for it.

Strongly Disagree Disagree Agree Strongly Agree

13. I enjoy new tasks, that are unfamiliar to me.

Strongly Disagree Disagree Agree Strongly Agree

14. I prefer work assignments I know I can do well over work that stretches my abilities.

Strongly Disagree Disagree Agree Strongly Agree

15. I’m concerned about what others think of my ideas.

Strongly Disagree Disagree Agree Strongly Agree

16. I rarely think about promotions and salary.

Strongly Disagree Disagree Agree Strongly Agree

17. I like to set my own goals. Strongly Disagree Disagree Agree Strongly Agree

18. I think that there is no point in Strongly Disagree Disagree Agree Strongly Agree

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doing a good job if nobody else knows about it.

19. I am eagerly motivated by the money I can earn.

Strongly Disagree Disagree Agree Strongly Agree

20. It is crucial for me to be able to do what I most enjoy.

Strongly Disagree Disagree Agree Strongly Agree

21. I most enjoy working on projects that has clearly defined procedures.

Strongly Disagree Disagree Agree Strongly Agree

22. If I can do what I enjoy, I’m not concerned with the salary.

Strongly Disagree Disagree Agree Strongly Agree

23. I enjoy tasks that are so engrossing that I forget about everything else.

Strongly Disagree Disagree Agree Strongly Agree

24. I am strongly motivated by the appreciation I can earn from others.

Strongly Disagree Disagree Agree Strongly Agree

25. I have to feel that I am gaining something for what I do.

Strongly Disagree Disagree Agree Strongly Agree

26. I enjoy trying to complete complex projects.

Strongly Disagree Disagree Agree Strongly Agree

27. It is crucial for me to have an outlet for self-expression.

Strongly Disagree Disagree Agree Strongly Agree

28. I want to see how good I can be at my work.

Strongly Disagree Disagree Agree Strongly Agree

29. To what extent does your job require you to work closely with other people. (either customers, or people working in your department etc.)

Very Little Little Moderately Much Very Much

30. How much autonomy is there in your job? Meaning to what extent does your job permit you to decide on your own how to go about completing tasks?

Very Little Little Moderately Much Very Much

31. To what extent does your job involve doing a “whole” and identifiable piece of work? Meaning, is your job a complete piece of work that has a beginning and end? Or is it only a small part of the overall piece of work, which is finished by others or automation (machines)?

Very Little Little Moderately Much Very Much

32. How much variety is there in your job? Meaning to what extent dose your job require you to do many different things, using different skills and talents?

Very Little Little Moderately Much Very Much

33. Generally speaking, how significant or important is your job?

Very Little Little Moderately Much Very Much

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Meaning, are the results of your job likely to significantly affect the lives or well-being of other people?

34. Do supervisors and managers let you know how well you are doing at your job?

Very Little Little Moderately Much Very Much

35. Does doing the job itself tell you how well you are performing? Meaning does the actual work itself provide immediate results about how well you are doing-aside from any “feedback” from supervisors.

Very Little Little Moderately Much Very Much

36. I could do a better job if… Fill In:

37. Your place of work is? Central Library Branch Other Departments

38. Your Gender Female Male

39. Tenure with QBPL 0 – 2 years 2 – 5 years 5 – 10 years More than 10 yrs

40. You are: Customer Customer Support Support

Service Service Librarian Clerical Librarian Clerical

Non-Professional Other

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APPENDIX B Work Preference Inventory

Section Corresponding

Question Scale Meaning of Score Range

5,7,8,11,17,20,23,27,28 3,9*,13,14*,26

Intrinsic Motivation Orientation -enjoyment -challenge

The high score indicates that the respondent works hard for the enjoyment from the job itself. The high score indicates that the respondent works hard for the challenge in the job.

7-28 7-28

Section One Work Preference Inventory (two factors, 28 questions, and from Amiable, 1994)

1*,2,6,12,15,18,21,24, 25 4,10,16*,19,22*

Extrinsic Motivation Orientation -outward -compensation

The high score indicates that the respondent works hard in order to get some actual benefits, such as fame or position. The high score indicates that the respondent works hard in order to earn more money.

9-36 5-20

Section Two Job Descriptive Survey (5 factors, 7 questions) (From Hackman & Oldham, 1980)

1,2,3,4,5,6,7 Job Variety Job Autonomy Feedback Job significance Job Identity

The higher the score indicates higher need to utilize many different skills to complete the job. The higher the score indicates higher autonomy in the job. Employees have personal say about how to do the work. The higher score indicates higher degree of feedback from their supervisors or co-workers. The score is positively related to the importance of the job. The higher the score indicates that employees have much more chance to complete a whole piece of work.

1-7 1-7 1-7 1-7 1-7

The * symbol indicates reverse coding i.e. the highest score will become the lowest score.

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APPENDIX C Letter of consent to conduct study

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APPENDIX D Project Exemption Letter: IRB

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APPENDIX E

Work Preference Survey Results Participants: Started 408 completed 340

Strongly Disagree Disagree Agree Strongly

Agree

* Reverse coding – i.e. the highest score will become lowest score A. Intrinsic Motivation

A.1 Intrinsic Motivation - Enjoyment

5. My work must provide me with opportunities for increasing my knowledge and skills

3.2% 43.8% 53.0%

7. I like to figure things out for myself.

1.5% 12.5% 66.8% 19.2%

8. Whatever the results of a project are, I am satisfied if I have gained a new experience.

3.0% 20.9% 59.4% 16.7%

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11. Interest is the driving force behind much of what I do.

1.3%10.9% 58.7% 29.1%

17. I like to set my own goals.

1.4% 4.6% 71.1% 23.0%

20. It is crucial for me to be able to do what I most enjoy.

1.3% 16.6% 52.8% 29.2%

23. I enjoy tasks that are so engrossing that I forget about everything else.

4.6% 36.9% 43.4% 15.2%

27. It is crucial for me to have an outlet for self-expression

1.1% 14.1% 57.8% 27.0%

28. I want to see how good I can be at my work.

0.9% 3.2% 57.9% 38.0%

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A.2 Intrinsic Motivation - Challenge 3. The greater the challenge, the more I enjoy trying to complete the task.

2.0%12.4% 56.0% 29.6%

9. I enjoy simple, straightforward tasks.*

4.1% 30.3% 60.6% 4.9%

13. I enjoy new tasks that are unfamiliar to me.

0.5%11.1% 70.2% 18.1%

14. I prefer work assignments I know I can do well over work that stretches my abilities.*

9.1% 51.4% 31.3% 8.1%

21. I most enjoy working on projects that have clearly defined procedures.

2.2% 29.5% 57.6% 10.8%

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26. I enjoy trying to complete complex projects.

1.1%10.6% 66.7% 21.6%

B. Extrinsic Motivation

B.1 Extrinsic Motivation – Outward Orientation

1. I am not worried about what others think of my work.*

26.5% 45.6% 22.5% 5.4%

2. I’d rather have someone else set clear goals for me in my work tasks.

20.2% 52.2% 26.0% 1.5%

6. I believe success means doing better than other people.

12.0% 52.9% 27.9% 7.2%

12. I’m not concerned with the task I complete, but what I get for it.

23.1% 65.8% 9.0%2.1%

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15. I’m concerned about what others think of my ideas.

1.8% 26.8% 62.1% 9.4%

18. I think that there is no point in doing a good job if nobody else knows about it.

27.70% 58.50% 9.60% 4.30%

24. I am strongly motivated by the appreciation I can earn from others.

3.20% 22% 60.60% 14.20%

25. I have to feel that I am gaining something for what I do.

2.9% 30.0% 55.4% 11.7%

B.2 Extrinsic Motivation – Compensation

4. I am strongly aware of income goals I have for myself.

2.3%11.8% 56.3% 29.6%

10. I am aware of the career path I have set for myself.

1.3% 9.8% 66.5% 22.4%

16. I rarely think about promotions and salary.*

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28.2% 48.2% 20.5%3.1%

19. I am eagerly motivated by the money I can earn.

7.20% 43.70% 39.70% 9.40%

22. If I can do what I enjoy, I’m not concerned with the salary.*

10.2% 49.6% 33.2% 7.0%

C. Job Characteristics Model

Very little Little Moderately Much Very much

C.1 Skills Variety

32. How much variety is there in your job? Meaning to what extent your job require you to do many different things, using different skills and talents?

3.4% 8.0% 26.8% 30.2% 31.6%

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C.2 Task Identity 31. To what extent does your job involve doing a “whole” and identifiable piece of work? Meaning, is your job a complete piece of work that has a beginning and end? Or is it only a small part of the overall piece of work, which is finished by others or automation (machines)?

4.3% 11.2% 34.2% 31.0% 19.3%

C.3 Task Significance

29. To what extent does your job requires you to work closely with other people. (either customers, or people working in your department etc.)

0.9% 0.3%9.1%

21.6% 68.2%

33. Generally speaking, how significant or important is your job? Meaning, are the results of your job likely to significantly affect the lives or well-being of other people?

2.9% 5.9% 28.2% 31.5% 31.5%

C.4 Autonomy

30. How much autonomy in there in your job? Meaning to what extent does your job permit you to decide on your own how to go about completing tasks?

6.3% 6.0% 35.2% 33.0% 19.6%

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C.5 Feedback 34. Do supervisors and managers let you know how well you are doing at your job?

10.9% 14.4% 34.9% 23.5% 16.4%

35. Does doing the job itself tell you how well you are performing? Meaning does the actual work itself provide immediate results about how well you are doing-aside from any “feedback” from supervisors.

3.8% 7.1% 34.0% 35.8% 19.2%

D. Personal Information

37. Your place of work is?

CEL, 32.40%

Branch, 53.90%

Dept., 13.70%

38. Your gender

F, 78.20% M, 21.80%

40. You are:

CS Lib, 49.60%

Sup Lib, 7.60%

CS Cler, 15.20%

Sup Cler, 7.90%

NL Prof, 12%Others, 7.90%