Motivation Theories’ Lacklustre Performance: Identity at Work as Explanation for Expended Effort

Strategies to enhance student motivation: A conceptual analysis

“…More recently, Herzberg appears to have been forgotten, perhaps because doubts had been cast on his theory which I hope to demonstrate as being less than fair. Thus Coates (1994) argues, without any reference to Herzberg, for a more humanistic and less behavioural approach, which in fact appears to be similar to what Herzberg calls 'job enrichment', although it is true that the latter's suggestions for achieving job enrichment appear rather behaviouristic.…”

Motivating Individuals and Groups at Work: A Social Identity Perspective on Leadership and Group Performance

“…This shift from a conception of self in individual terms to a conception of self in collective terms and the resulting redefinition of motivational forces as external or internal to the self are relevant for issues of work motivation, implying that, compared to the motivation to work toward common goals that is derived from perceived interdependence of individuals or from an exchange relationship between the individual and the group, a concern with the collective self provides a much broader and more powerful source of group-based motivation (see also Coates, 1994, andLembke &Wilson, 1998). Indeed, a self-conception in collective terms would energize people to exert themselves on behalf of the group, facilitate the direction of efforts toward collective (instead of individual) outcomes, and help workers sustain their loyalty to the team or organization through times in which this is not individually rewarding.…”

Identity in Work Groups: The Beneficial and Detrimental Consequences of Multiple Identities and Group Norms for Collaboration and Group Performance

“…That is, because the work group can provide them with a distinct social identity, people should be motivated to think and behave in line of work group norms and goals (Lembke & Wilson, 1998). This is in line with criticisms on work motivation theory, arguing that performance goals should not be defined in terms of general attitudes, but should refer to specific behaviors (Coates, 1994), and alternative approaches to work motivation proposing that self-expression may constitute an important motivational force (Shamir, 1991). Evidence for the validity of this line of reasoning has been obtained in a study by Christensen, Rothgerber, Wood and Matz (2004), who showed that greater 25 identification with the group elicited more positive emotions when conforming to rather than violating group norms, indicating that increased identification caused group members to feel better when they displayed a work style that was seen as typical for the group.…”

“…In response to this development, identification has been proposed as the key to commitment to team work, collective motivation, and the internalization of organizational norms and values (Albert & Whetten, 1985;Coates, 1994;Haslam, Postmes & Ellemers, 2003;Van Dick, 2004). Considerable work has been done in this area to define (Albert, Ashforth & Dutton, 2000;Meyer & Allen, 1997; and assess identification as a psychological factor that is distinct from other related constructs (Mael & Tetrick, 1992;Thye, Yoon & Lawler, 2002;Van Dick, Wagner, Stellmacher & Christ, 2004).…”