This article presents several studies that replicate and extend previous
research on maximizing. A modified scale for measuring individual maximizing
tendency is introduced. The scale has adequate psychometric properties and
reflects maximizers’ aspirations for high standards and their preference for
extensive alternative search, but not the decision difficulty aspect
included in several previous studies. Based on this scale, maximizing is
positively correlated with optimism, need for cognition, desire for
consistency, risk aversion, intrinsic motivation, self-efficacy and
perceived workload, whereas the association with regret is inconsistent.
Analysis of correlates of the difficulty dimension suggests that decision
difficulty should be conceptualized as a separate dimension rather than as a
sub-dimension of maximizing. Opportunities for future research are
suggested.
Perceived competence mobilization is the degree to which employees perceive that they have adequate opportunities to utilize their competences in their current jobs. The findings of the research reported here suggest that employees' perceived competence mobilization is associated with a number of favourable employee attitudes, including intrinsic motivation, organizational commitment and intention to stay with the organization. Findings based on cross-sectional data from 881 public workers indicate that perceived competence mobilization better predicts relevant employee attitudes than any of the other variables included. The indicated effect of perceived competence mobilization on intrinsic motivation overpowers the effect of self-efficacy (perceived competence), one of the core variables of self-determination theory. Perceived competence mobilization also appears to mediate many relationships involving self-efficacy or perceived training opportunities. Hence, continued research into this construct is of potential value to researchers and organizations.i jtd_376 140..157
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.