Safety behavior: Job demands, job resources, and perceived management commitment to safety.

The job demands-resources model posits that job demands and resources influence outcomes through job strain and work engagement processes. We test whether the model can be extended to effort-related “routine” safety violations and “situational” safety violations provoked by the organization. In addition we test more directly the involvement of job strain than previous studies which have used burnout measures. Structural equation modeling provided, for the first time, evidence of predicted relationships between job strain and “routine” violations and work engagement with “routine” and “situational” violations, thereby supporting the extension of the job demands-resources model to safety behaviors. In addition our results showed that a key safety-specific construct 'perceived management commitment to safety' added to the explanatory power of the job demands-resources model. A predicted path from job resources to perceived management commitment to safety was highly significant, supporting the view that job resources can influence safety behavior through both general motivational involvement in work (work engagement) and through safety-specific processes. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Intrinsic motivational drivers in medical networks from a neuroscientific perspective.

The relationship between motivation, performance, and incentives in the context of health care delivery is of high interest for the rising number of networks and other provider groups under pay-for-performance programs. Because recent literature suggests that intrinsic motivation plays a decisive role, this study analyzes the intrinsic motivational factors that drive physicians' behavior and performance by examining various motivational dimensions derived from neuroscientific approaches. The aim was to determine the existence of different motivational groups in a sample of 117 German network physicians. The motivational groups were established based on the individuals' combination of three neuroscientifically based personality traits. The cluster analysis identified four distinct clusters in the sample that allowed for the assumption that different motivational clusters of physicians do exist. Relating to the clusters, there also were clearly differing attitudes toward different forms of incentives. These results should help in finding more appropriate incentives, for example, in pay-for-performance schemes, in order to motivate network physicians and enhance their performance and effectiveness, and they partially explain the weak evidence of recent pay-for-performance evaluations. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2011 APA, all rights reserved)     

Whole Life Performance Assessment: Critical Success Factors

Whole life costing (WLC) has become the best practice in construction procurement and it is likely to be a major issue in predicting whole life costs of a construction project accurately. However, different expectations from different organizations throughout a project’s life and the lack of data, monitoring targets, and long-term interest for many key players are obstacles to be overcome if WLC is to be implemented. A questionnaire survey was undertaken to investigate a set of ten common factors and 188 individual factors. These were grouped into eight critical categories (project scope, time, cost, quality, contract/administration, human resource, risk, and health and safety) by project phase, as perceived by the clients, contractors and subcontractors in order to identify critical success factors for whole life performance assessment (WLPA). Using a relative importance index, the top ten critical factors for each category, from the perspective of project participants, were analyzed and ranked. Their agreement on those categories and factors were analyzed using Spearman’s rank correlation. All participants identify “Type of Project” as the most common critical factor in the eight categories for WLPA. Using the relative index ranking technique and weighted average methods, it was found that the most critical individual factors in each category were: “clarity of contract” (scope); “fixed construction period” (time); “precise project budget estimate” (cost); “material quality” (quality); “mutual/trusting relationships” (contract/administration); “leadership/team management” (human resource); and “management of work safety on site” (health and safety). There was relatively a high agreement on these categories among all participants. Obviously, with 80 critical factors of WLPA, there is a stronger positive relationship between client and contactor rather than contractor and subcontractor, client and subcontractor. Putting these critical factors into a criteria matrix can facilitate an initial framework of WLPA in order to aid decision making in the public sector in South Korea for evaluation/selection process of a construction project at the bid stage.     

Motivation and employee-supervisor discrepancies in a psychiatric vocational rehabilitation setting.

Examined both employee and supervisor reports of motivational and work adjustment variables, in the context of a psychiatric rehabilitation program, as correlates of program participation and independent ratings of readiness for competitive employment. Ss were 80 employees (aged 21–75 yrs) in a sheltered workshop and transitional employment program affiliated with a state psychiatric hospital. Program participation and work-readiness were associated with both employee and supervisor ratings of motivation after controlling for employee benefit plan, residential status, and social adjustment. Additionally, the degree of supervisor–employee discrepancy in these ratings was negatively correlated with program participation, work-readiness, and estimates of premorbid social competence. The role of motivational factors in vocational rehabilitation and the dynamics of supervisor and employee perceptions of work motivation and adjustment are discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Model for Predicting Performance of Architects and Engineers

Certain attributes of an architect or engineer (AE) may be used to predict his performance. These attributes may be categorized as “hard” or “soft” attributes. Hard attributes include an AE’s cognitive ability, job knowledge, task proficiency, and job experience. Soft attributes include an AE’s conscientiousness, initiative, social skills, controllability, and commitment. The purpose of this study is to identify those attributes that affect an AE’s performance, and to construct a model to predict his performance in design build (DB) projects. Twenty five attributes were generated using the hierarchy tree. The importance of these attributes was tested with designer/ builders who select and hire AEs, using a standard questionnaire. A statistical test showed that 24 of these attributes are significantly important. Thirty AEs were evaluated by experienced designer/builders (experts) who have worked with them in completed DB projects. Besides giving a global performance score of the AE (dependent variable), each expert also evaluated the AE on the degree to which they exhibited the important attributes (independent variables). Based on these ratings, an optimum multiple regression performance prediction model was obtained. To validate the model, another group of experts used the optimum model to evaluate 18 other AEs. The resulting performance score as calculated by the model was compared to the global performance scores awarded by the designer/builders. This validation process showed the model to be robust. The results of the study reveal that an AE’s performance can be predicted by using just three attributes: AE’s problem solving ability and project approach, AE’s speed in producing design drawings, and the AE’s level of enthusiasm in tackling a difficult assignment.     

A two-process theory of learned helplessness.

160 college students solved button-pushing problems under feedback conditions designed to differ systematically in the amount of information they conveyed and the amount of motivation they produced. During a pretest series of trials, 1 group received response-contingent feedback designed to enhance both information and motivation. A 2nd group was yoked to the contingent group and thus received low information and low motivation. A 3rd group experienced noncontingent success (low information, high motivation), and a 4th group received noncontingent failure feedback (low information, low motivation). A 2-process model that gives equal weight to information and motivational cues correctly predicted that the performance of the noncontingent success group on a transfer task would fall in between that of the contingent group and the failure/yoked groups. As a more stringent test of the model, 4 interventions were factorially combined with the pretreatments. The intervention treatments involved giving either no information, information about the contingencies, praise, or derogation. As predicted by the model, simply giving Ss information about the contingencies removed the debilitating effects of learned helplessness. (10 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

The effects of praise on children's intrinsic motivation: A review and synthesis.

The authors argue against a purely behavioral definition of praise as verbal reinforcement in favor of the view that praise may serve to undermine, enhance, or have no effect on children's intrinsic motivation, depending on a set of conceptual variables. Provided that praise is perceived as sincere, it is particularly beneficial to motivation when it encourages performance attributions to controllable causes, promotes autonomy, enhances competence without an overreliance on social comparisons, and conveys attainable standards and expectations. The motivational consequences of praise also can be moderated by characteristics of the recipient, such as age, gender, and culture. Methodological considerations, such as including appropriate control groups and measuring postfailure outcomes, are stressed, and directions for future research are highlighted. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Work attitudes, motivation, and performance.

Discusses motivational variables both as determinants of performance by the individual in an organization, and as ingredients of work attitudes, such as job satisfaction. Motivation studies have included motivational traits (relatively enduring predispositions), motivating environments, expectancies, and equity theory. Research on job satisfaction and job involvement reveals few consistent relationships to job performance, but they do predict absenteeism and turnover. A few studies of motivational traits suggest possible utility in predicting role performance in managerial or sales positions. Motivating environments seem to have significant relations to job satisfaction and effectiveness. After reviewing several categories of programs aimed at improving motivation, the author expresses a cautiously optimistic view about the success of these programs in improving worker attitudes and/or worker performance. (33 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Major influences on employee attendance: A process model.

Presents a model of employee attendance in work organizations based on a review of 104 empirical studies. It is suggested, based on the literature, that attendance is directly influenced by 2 primary factors: (a) attendance motivation and (b) ability to come to work. Attendance motivation, in turn, is largely influenced by satisfaction with the job situation and various internal and external pressures to attend. The model attempts to account for both voluntary and involuntary absenteeism. Moreover, the model argues against earlier assertions that absenteeism is principally caused by job dissatisfaction and that absenteeism and turnover share common roots. Available literature is largely consistent with the model but not sufficient to validate it. (3 p ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Motivation, comportements organisationnels discrétionnaires et bien-être en milieu Africain: Quand le devoir oblige?

This study tested an organizational citizenship behaviour (OCB) model based on the motivational model of job burnout (MMJB) with Gabonese employees (N = 146). It was hypothesized that to the degree that employees perceive their supervisors as promoting their autonomy, competence and relatedness, their motivation at work will be more self-determined. Supervisory style and motivation would then predict job satisfaction, which in turn influences life satisfaction. Work motivation and job satisfaction should also determine OCB and the latter should then influence life satisfaction. Structural equation modeling analyses overall support the model. However, altruism OCB was negatively related to self-determined motivations, which then negatively predicted life satisfaction. These results support SDT's prediction that a behaviour regulated by non-self-determined motivations will negatively affect well-being. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

New quinazolinones-4. Antiinflammatory and anticonvulsant agents. New classes of pharmacologically active compounds

Significant factors implicated in staff turnover include: variables in organizational structure; employee characteristics; needs and values, and the nature of tasks performed. This article will present the causative factors related to turnover and the conceptual models of the motivational theorists Maslow, Herzberg, Adams, and Mobley. No quantitative or qualitative research could be found on the potential causes of turnover in freestanding dialysis clinics. The staff turnover of a for-profit dialysis company for a 12 month period will be reported by job title, tenure, and level of job satisfaction.     

Relational Contracting and Teambuilding: Assessing Potential Contractual and Noncontractual Incentives

Integration in construction projects implies alignment of both structural arrangements and operational mechanisms, in order to effectively coordinate and streamline the combined efforts of various interacting parties, for improved project outcomes. Appropriate use of relational contracting (RC) principles may help achieve such integration. As such, the aims of the reported study are to examine the relative usefulness of various potential strategies and factors, to provide suitable contractual and noncontractual incentives, for building a RC culture, and nurturing effective teamwork in construction. Results from statistical analyses of 83 questionnaire responses from Hong Kong are presented. These results attribute various degrees of importance to different factors and strategies, both for RC and teamworking. The outcomes also suggest the need for a highly interactive and consolidated approach, both for propagating RC and building integrated project teams. It is observed that trust and trust based operational and contractual arrangements can effectively provide the required incentives, for implementing various RC-based working arrangements in construction. These should extend to assessing “relational” attributes during team selection, under cliental initiative and top management support. Outcomes of this study are expected to benefit both industry practitioners and researchers, in exploring, designing, and implementing suitable RC-based working arrangements.     

Influence of extrinsic and ego incentive value on persistence after failure and continuing motivation.

We examined the hypotheses that (a) extrinsic rewards avert attention from ego threat, enhancing persistence after failure; (b) performance impairment after failure is greater when tasks have high ego value; and (c) extrinsic rewards reduce ego concern and thereby enhance continuing motivation on high ego-involving tasks, but undermine continuing motivation on other tasks. 131 college students completed 15 solvable or unsolvable (failure) matching tasks followed by 15 anagrams. Students gave up more frequently after failure except when they received rewards or were told the anagram task was very difficult. The extrinsic rewards reduced continuing motivation in the low ego-value condition and enhanced it in the high ego-value condition. Findings suggest that extrinsic incentives reduced ego involvement and threat, thereby minimizing performance impairment and increasing continuing motivation after failure on ego-relevant tasks. More generally, it is argued that exogenous incentives may be used to negate maladaptive motivational states. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

A study of entrepreneurial motivation: Comparison of fast- and slow-progressing small-scale industrial entrepreneurs in Punjab, India.

Determined the level of achievement motivation and other motivational factors associated with the differential rate of industrial growth of fast- and slow-progressing entrepreneurs. 184 small scale industrial entrepreneurs completed (a) tests of achievement motivation, attitude toward money, and attitude toward labor unions; and (b) interviews assessing job satisfaction, job prestige, value patterns, aspirations, and interests. Analyses show that aspirations, achievement motivation, and investment were associated with a fast rate of industrial growth, whereas, hoarding and optimism seemed to be related to the slow rate. (18 ref.) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Cultural values and employee attitudes: United States and Japan.

Often overlooked in industrial motivation studies is the influence of cultural orientation upon employee attitudes. This is particularly true with respect to the way workers feel about reciprocal obligations in employee-employer relations. Attitudes concerning a broad range of such obligations are influenced strongly by the cultural values indigenous to a given society. For example, such values have been shown to influence worker perception of such matters as employment continuity, economic involvement and personal involvement of management, identification with organization, status transfer, sources of motivation, and other aspects of the work situation. Mutual satisfaction in human relations in industry depends partially upon management understanding of and willingness to work through cultural values and the employee attitudes they engender. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Group remembering: Does social loafing underlie collaborative inhibition?

When people collaborate to recall information, they experience collaborative inhibition, a deficit in recall relative to nominal groups (the pooled, nonredundant recall of individuals working alone). That is, people recalling in groups do not perform up to their potential. Collaborative inhibition may be due to retrieval interference (e.g., B. H. Basden, D. R. Basden, S. Bryner, & R. L. Thomas, 1997) or to motivational factors such as social loafing in the group situation. Five experiments examined the role of motivational factors by varying monetary incentives, recall criterion, personal accountability, group cohesion, and group gender. Increasing motivation sometimes increased the overall level of recall but failed to eliminate the collaborative inhibition effect. The results suggest that collaboration interferes with an individual's ability to reconstruct his or her knowledge. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Comparison of sources of personal satisfaction and of work motivation: Erratum.

Reports an error in the original article by P. F. Wernimont et al (Journal of Applied Psychology, 1970, Vol 54[1, Pt 1], 95-102). Figure 1 on page 99 is corrected. (The following abstract of this article originally appeared in record 1970-05766-001). Determines what differences technical employees see in various job factors, as they affect job effort and job satisfaction. About 775 scientists and technicians ranked personal accomplishment, praise for good work, getting along with co-workers, company location, and receiving credit for ideas as having a greater impact on personal satisfaction. Knowing what is expected of one, having a capable supervisor, having challenging work and responsibility, being kept informed, and participating in decisions, were all given more importance for their effects on motivation or job effort. These results indicate that it is incorrect to use the terms "motivator" and "satisfier" interchangeably. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Latent constructs of proximal and distal motivation predicting performance under maximum test conditions.

The concept of a maximum-typical performance dimension has received theoretical and empirical support in research on the construct of job performance. The critical distinction between maximum and typical performance resides in the postulate that under maximum test conditions motivational factors will be constant and maximal. The present study challenges the notion of the maximum performance paradigm by testing the effects of proximal (self-efficacy) and distal (need for achievement) motivation on performance under maximum test conditions. The authors used a walk-through performance test to evaluate the performance of 90 employees. The structural model demonstrates significant pathways between latent measures of motivation and performance ratings. The findings confirm the explanatory power of the motivation construct under maximum test conditions. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)