Impact and the Art of Motivation Maintenance: The Effects of Contact with Beneficiaries on Persistence Behavior
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| Title: | Impact and the Art of Motivation Maintenance: The Effects of Contact with Beneficiaries on Persistence Behavior |
|---|---|
| Language: | English |
| Authors: | Grant, Adam M., Campbell, Elizabeth M., Chen, Grace |
| Source: | Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes. May 2007 103(1):53-67. |
| Availability: | Elsevier. 6277 Sea Harbor Drive, Orlando, FL 32887-4800. Tel: 877-839-7126; Tel: 407-345-4020; Fax: 407-363-1354; e-mail: usjcs@elsevier.com; Web site: http://www.elsevier.com |
| Peer Reviewed: | Y |
| Physical Description: | |
| Page Count: | 15 |
| Publication Date: | 2007 |
| Document Type: | Journal Articles Reports - Research |
| Descriptors: | Control Groups, Intervention, Persistence, Job Performance, Motivation, Fund Raising, Employee Attitudes, Context Effect, Feedback (Response) |
| DOI: | 10.1016/j.obhdp.2006.05.004 |
| ISSN: | 0749-5978 |
| Abstract: | We tested the hypothesis that employees are willing to maintain their motivation when their work is relationally designed to provide opportunities for respectful contact with the beneficiaries of their efforts. In Experiment 1, a longitudinal field experiment in a fundraising organization, callers in an intervention group briefly interacted with a beneficiary; callers in two control groups read a letter from the beneficiary and discussed it amongst themselves or had no exposure to him. One month later, the intervention group displayed significantly greater persistence and job performance than the control groups. The intervention group increased significantly in persistence (142% more phone time) and job performance (171% more money raised); the control groups did not. Experiments 2 and 3 used a laboratory editing task to examine mediating mechanisms and boundary conditions. In Experiment 2, respectful contact with beneficiaries increased persistence, mediated by perceived impact. In Experiment 3, mere contact with beneficiaries and task significance interacted to increase persistence, mediated by affective commitment to beneficiaries. Implications for job design and work motivation are discussed. (Contains 3 figures and 2 tables.) |
| Abstractor: | Author |
| Entry Date: | 2008 |
| Accession Number: | EJ797032 |
| Database: | ERIC |
| Abstract: | We tested the hypothesis that employees are willing to maintain their motivation when their work is relationally designed to provide opportunities for respectful contact with the beneficiaries of their efforts. In Experiment 1, a longitudinal field experiment in a fundraising organization, callers in an intervention group briefly interacted with a beneficiary; callers in two control groups read a letter from the beneficiary and discussed it amongst themselves or had no exposure to him. One month later, the intervention group displayed significantly greater persistence and job performance than the control groups. The intervention group increased significantly in persistence (142% more phone time) and job performance (171% more money raised); the control groups did not. Experiments 2 and 3 used a laboratory editing task to examine mediating mechanisms and boundary conditions. In Experiment 2, respectful contact with beneficiaries increased persistence, mediated by perceived impact. In Experiment 3, mere contact with beneficiaries and task significance interacted to increase persistence, mediated by affective commitment to beneficiaries. Implications for job design and work motivation are discussed. (Contains 3 figures and 2 tables.) |
|---|---|
| ISSN: | 0749-5978 |
| DOI: | 10.1016/j.obhdp.2006.05.004 |
