Skip to main content

Work Motivation and Job Satisfaction as Antecedents of Research Performance: Investigation of Different Mediation Models

  • Chapter
Performance Management im Hochschulbereich

Part of the book series: ZfB-Special Issues ((ZFB,volume 3/2013))

Abstract

Knowledge of the factors that influence the quality and quantity of research productivity is vital for governments, universities, departments, and research groups. Using a data set of 995 young scholars in academia from the fields of business and economics, we investigate the influence of job satisfaction, two different types of work motivation, and their interrelations on research performance. Our cross-sectional data reveal that intrinsic work motivation, extrinsic work motivation and job satisfaction have a direct influence on research performance without control variables in the model. Our data support models that suggest job satisfaction as a mediator of the relationship between intrinsic work motivation and research performance. The findings also support models that demonstrate that intrinsic work motivation mediates the relationship between job satisfaction and research performance. Our findings empirically support conceptual arguments on the crucial role of intrinsic and extrinsic work motivation and job satis faction in an academic context and thus should be considered for the tailoring of appropriate incentive systems at universities. The paper provides a discussion of these findings.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this chapter

Chapter
USD 29.95
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
eBook
USD 49.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Softcover Book
USD 59.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Compact, lightweight edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Purchases are for personal use only

Institutional subscriptions

Preview

Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.

Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.

References

  • Abe le A E, Hagmaier T (2011) Berufliche Laufbahnentwicklung von Akademikerinnen und Akademikern der Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg (BELA-E). Projektbericht

    Google Scholar 

  • Abele A E, Spurk D (2009) How do objective and subjective career success interrelate over time? Journal of Occupational and Organizational Psychology 82:803–824

    Google Scholar 

  • Aguin is H, Suárez-González I, Lannelongue G et al (2012) Scholarly impact revisited. Academy of Management Perspectives 26:105–132

    Google Scholar 

  • Amabile T M (1997) Motivating creativity in organizations: On doing what you love and loving what you do. California Management Review 40:39–58

    Google Scholar 

  • Amabile T M (1998) How to kill creativity. Harvard Business Review 76:76–87

    Google Scholar 

  • Amabile T M, Hil K G, Hennessey B A et al (1995) ‚The Work Preference Inventory: Assessing intrinsic and extrinsic motivational orientations‘: Correction. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology 68:580–580

    Google Scholar 

  • Amabile T M, Hill K G, Hennessey B A et al (1994) The Work Preference Inventory: Assessing intrinsic and extrinsic motivational orientations. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology 66:950–967

    Google Scholar 

  • Amabile T M, Kramer S J (2011) The power of small wins. Harvard Business Review 89:70-80

    Google Scholar 

  • Arvey R D, Dewhirst H D, Boling J C (1976) Relationships between goal clarity, participation in goal setting, and personality characteristics on job satisfaction in a scientific organization. Journal of Applied Psychology 61:103–105

    Google Scholar 

  • Atkinso n J W (1957) Motivational determinants of risk-taking behavior. Psychological Review 64:359–372

    Google Scholar 

  • Aydin O T (2012) The impact of motivation and hygiene factors on research performance: An empirical study from a Turkish university. International Review of Management and Marketing 2:106–111

    Google Scholar 

  • Backes-G ellner U, Sadowski D (1990) Organizational implementation of bibliometric indicators. Scientometrics 19:385–395

    Google Scholar 

  • Baum J A C (2011) Free-riding on power laws: Questioning the validity of the Impact Factor as a measure of research quality in organization studies. Organization 18:449–466

    Google Scholar 

  • Bentea C -C, Anghelache V (2012) Teachers‘ motivation and satisfaction for professional activity. Procedia - Social and Behavioral Sciences 22:563–567

    Google Scholar 

  • Berning E, Falk S (2006) Promovieren an den Universitäten in Bayern. Praxis–Modelle–Perspektiven. Bayerisches Staatsinstitut für Hochschulforschung und Hochschulplanung, München

    Google Scholar 

  • Bland C J, Center B A, Finstad D A et al (2005) A theoretical, practical, predictive model of faculty and department research productivity. Academic Medicine 80:225–237

    Google Scholar 

  • Bortz J (20 05) Statistik für Human- und Sozialwissenschaftler. Springer, Heidelberg Bowling N A (2007) Is the job satisfaction–job performance relationship spurious? A meta-analytic examination. Journal of Vocational Behavior 71:167–185

    Google Scholar 

  • Brewer G A, Douglas J W, Facer R L et al (1999) Determinants of graduate research productivity in doctoral programs of public administration. Public Administration Review 59:373–382

    Google Scholar 

  • Card D, Mas A, Moretti E et al (2010) Inequality at work: The effect of peer salaries on job satisfaction. National Bureau of Economic Research. Chalofsky N, Krishna V (2009) Meaningfulness, commitment, and engagement: The intersection of a deeper level of intrinsic motivation. Advances in Developing Human Resources 11:189–203

    Google Scholar 

  • Chlosta K, P ull K, Fiedler M et al (2010) Should I stay or should I go? Warum Nachwuchswissenschaftler in der Betriebswirtschaftslehre das Universitätssystem verlassen. Zeitschrift für Betriebswirtschaft 80:1207–1229

    Google Scholar 

  • Clark A, Oswal d A, Warr P (1996) Is job satisfaction U-shaped in age? Journal of Occupational and Organizational Psychology 69:57–81

    Google Scholar 

  • Cohen J, Cohen P, West S G et al (2003) Applied multiple regression/ correlation analysis for the behavioral sciences. Erlbaum, Hillsdale

    Google Scholar 

  • Cole J R, Zuck erman H (1991) Marriage, motherhood, and research performance in science. In: Zuckerman H, Cole J R & Bruer J T (ed) The outer circle: Women in the scientific community. W. W. Norton and Company, New York

    Google Scholar 

  • Crane D (1965) Scientists at major and minor universities: A study of productivity and recognition. American Sociological Review 30:699–714

    Google Scholar 

  • Csikszentmihal yi M, Csikszentmihalyi I (1991) Die außergewöhnliche Erfahrung im Alltag: Die Psychologie des flow-Erlebenisses. Klett-Cotta, Stuttgart

    Google Scholar 

  • Deci E L (1971) Effects of externally mediated rewards on intrinsic motivation. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology 18:105–115

    Google Scholar 

  • Deci E L (1972) Intrinsic motivation, extrinsic reinforcement, and inequity. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology 22:113–120

    Google Scholar 

  • Deci E L, Koestn er R, Ryan R M (1999) A meta-analytic review of experiments examining the effects of extrinsic rewards on intrinsic motivation. Psychological Bulletin 125:627–668

    Google Scholar 

  • Deemer E D, Maho ney K T, Ball J H (2012) Research motives of faculty in academic STEM: Measurement invariance of the Research Motivation Scale. Journal of Career Assessment 20:182–195

    Google Scholar 

  • Dilger A (2001) Was lehrt die Prinzipal-Agenten-Theorie für die Anreizgestaltung in Hochschulen? Zeitschrift für Personalforschung 2:132–148

    Google Scholar 

  • Dilger A (2010) Ra nkings von Zeitschriften und Personen in der BWL. Zeitschrift für Management 5:91–102

    Google Scholar 

  • DiTomaso N, Post C, Smith D R et al (2007) Effects of structural position on allocation and evaluation decisions for scientists and engineers in industrial R&D. Administrative Science Quarterly 52:175–207

    Google Scholar 

  • Dooley L M, Lindner J R (2003) The handling of nonresponse error. Human Resource Development Quarterly 14:99–110

    Google Scholar 

  • Dundar H, Lewis D R (1998) Determinants of research productivity in higher education. Research in Higher Education 39:607–631

    Google Scholar 

  • Eisend M (2011) Is VHB-JOURQUAL2 a good measure of scientific quality? Assessing the validity of the major business journal ranking in German-speaking countries. Business Research 4:241–274

    Google Scholar 

  • Fabel O, Hein M, Ho fmeister R (2008) Research productivity in business economics: An investigation of Austrian, German and Swiss universities. German Economic Review 9:506–531

    Google Scholar 

  • Fiedler M, Welpe I M, Lindlbauer K et al (2008) Denn wer da hat, dem wird gegeben: Publikationsproduktivität des BWL-Hochschullehrernachwuchses und deren wissenschaftlicher Betreuer. Zeitschrift für Betriebswirtschaft 78:477–508

    Google Scholar 

  • Fiedler M, Welpe I M, Picot A O (2006) Terra Incognita. Forschungsleistungen und Qualifizierungswege des deutschsprachigen Hochschullehrernachwuchses für Betriebswirtschaftslehre. Die Betriebswirtschaft 66:464–486

    Google Scholar 

  • Franck E, Opitz C (200 0) Selektion und Veredelung von Humankapital: Implikationen für eine leistungsorientierte Vergütung von Hochschullehrern. Zeitschrift für Personalforschung 3:270–290

    Google Scholar 

  • Franck E, Schönfelder B ( 2000) On the role of competition in higher education: Uses and abuses of the economic metaphor. Schmalenbach Business Review 52:214–237

    Google Scholar 

  • Frank R H, Gilovich T, Reg an D T (1993) Does studying economics inhibit cooperation? The Journal of Economic Perspectives 7:159–171

    Google Scholar 

  • Frey B S (1994) How intrin sic motivation is crowded out and in. Rationality and Society 6:334–352

    Google Scholar 

  • Frey B S, Jegen R (2001) M otivation crowding theory. Journal of Economic Surveys 15:589–611

    Google Scholar 

  • Gardner D G, Van Dyne L, P ierce J L (2004) The effects of pay level on organization-based selfesteem and performance: A field study. Journal of Occupational and Organizational Psychology 77:307–322

    Google Scholar 

  • Gendron Y (2008) Constitut ing the academic performer: The spectre of superficiality and stagnation in academia. European Accounting Review 17:97–127

    Google Scholar 

  • Glenn N D, Taylor P A, Wea ver C N (1977) Age and job satisfaction among males and females: A multivariate, multisurvey study. Journal of Applied Psychology 62:189

    Google Scholar 

  • Gneezy U, Rustichini A (20 00) Pay enough or don‘t pay at all. Quarterly Journal of Economics 115:791–810

    Google Scholar 

  • Goodall A H (2009) Highly cited leaders and the performance of research universities. Research Policy 38:1079–1092

    Google Scholar 

  • Gu J, Lin Y, Vogel D et al (2011) What are the major impact factors on research performance of young doctorate holders in science in China: a USTC survey. Higher Education 62:483–502

    Google Scholar 

  • Hackman J R, Oldham G R (1 975) Development of the Job Diagnostic Survey. Journal of Applied Psychology 60:159–170

    Google Scholar 

  • Hackman J R, Oldham G R (1 980) Work redesign. Addison-Wesley, Reading, MA

    Google Scholar 

  • Harley S, Muller-Camen M, Collin A (2004) From academic communities to managed organizations: The implications for academic careers in UK and German universities. Journal of Vocational Behavior 64:329–345

    Google Scholar 

  • Harris G, Kaine G (1994) The determinants of research performance: A study of Australian university economists. Higher Education 27:191–201

    Google Scholar 

  • Hedjazi Y, Behravan J (201 1) Study of factors influencing research productivity of agriculture faculty members in Iran. Higher Education 62:635–647

    Google Scholar 

  • Herzberg F, Mausner B, Sny derman B (1967) The motivation to work. Wiley, New York

    Google Scholar 

  • Huang T P (2011) Comparing motivating work characteristics, job satisfaction, and turnover intention of knowledge workers and blue-collar workers, and testing a structural model of the variables‘ relationships in China and Japan. The International Journal of Human Resource Management 22:924–944

    Google Scholar 

  • Hyland M E (1988) Motivati onal control theory: An integrative framework. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology 55:642–651

    Google Scholar 

  • Ivancevich J M (1976) Effe cts of goal-setting on performance and job-satisfaction. Journal of Applied Psychology 61:605–612

    Google Scholar 

  • Jansen D, Wald A, Franke K et al (2007) Drittmittel als Performanzindikator der wissenschaftlichen Forschung: Zum Einfluss von Rahmenbedingungen auf Forschungsleistungen. Kölner Zeitschrift für Soziologie und Sozialpsychologie 59:125–149

    Google Scholar 

  • Jöstl G, Bergsmann E, Lüften egger M et al (2012) When will they blow my cover? Zeitschrift für Psychologie 220:109–120

    Google Scholar 

  • Judge T A, Thoresen C J, Bono J E et al (2001) The job satisfaction–job performance relationship: A qualitative and quantitative review. Psychological Bulletin 127:376–407

    Google Scholar 

  • Keller R T (2012) Predicting th e performance and innovativeness of scientists and engineers. Journal of Applied Psychology 97:225–233

    Google Scholar 

  • Keller R T, Julian S D, Kedia B L (1996) A multinational study of work climate, job satisfaction, and the productivity of R&D teams. IEEE Transactions on Engineering Management 43:48–55

    Google Scholar 

  • Kieser A (2010) Unternehmen Wis senschaft? Leviathan 38:347–367

    Google Scholar 

  • Kieser A (2012) JOURQUAL - der Gebrauch, nicht der Missbrauch, ist das Problem. Die Betriebswirtschaft 1:93–110

    Google Scholar 

  • Kim B, Oh H (2002) Economic com pensation compositions preferred by R&D personnel of different R&D types and intrinsic values. R&D Management 32:47–59

    Google Scholar 

  • Kleinbeck U (1996) Arbeitsmotiv ation: Entstehung, Wirkung und Förderung. Juventa, Weinheim

    Google Scholar 

  • Lam A (2011) What motivates acad emic scientists to engage in research commercialization: ‘Gold’, ‘ribbon’ or ‘puzzle’? Research Policy 40:1354–1368

    Google Scholar 

  • Lange S (2008) New Public Manage ment und die Governance der Universitäten. Zeitschrift für Public Policy, Recht und Management 1:235–248

    Google Scholar 

  • Latham G P, Ernst C T (2006) Keys to motivating tomorrow’s workforce. Human Resource Management Review 16:181–198

    Google Scholar 

  • Lawler E E, Hall D T (1970) Relati onship of job characteristics to job involvement, satisfaction, and intrinsic motivation. Journal of Applied Psychology 54:305–312

    Google Scholar 

  • Leahey E (2007) Not by productivit y alone: How visibility and specialization contribute to academic earnings. American Sociological Review 72:533–561

    Google Scholar 

  • Leifer R, O‘Connor G C, Rice M (20 01) Implementing radical innovation in mature firms: The role of hubs. Academy of Management Executive 15:102–113

    Google Scholar 

  • Lepper M R, Greene D, Nisbett R E (1973) Undermining children‘s intrinsic interest with extrinsic reward: A test of the „overjustification“ hypothesis. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology 28:129–137

    Google Scholar 

  • Levin S, Stephan P E (1998) Gender differences in the rewards to publishing in academe: Science in the 70’s. Sex Roles 38:1049–1064

    Google Scholar 

  • Lindner J R, Murphy T H, Briers G E (2001) Handling nonresponse in social science research. Journal of Agricultural Education 42:43–53

    Google Scholar 

  • Locke E A (1965) The relationship of task success to task liking and satisfaction. Journal of Applied Psychology 49:379–385

    Google Scholar 

  • Locke E A (1976) The nature and ca uses of job satisfaction. In: Dunnette M (ed) Handbook of Industrial and Organizational Psychology. Rand McNally, Chicago

    Google Scholar 

  • Locke E A, Latham G P (1990) Work motivation and satisfaction: Light at the end of the tunnel. Psychological Science 1:240–246

    Google Scholar 

  • Luna-Arocas R, Tang T L P (2004) The love of money, satisfaction, and the protestant work ethic: Money profiles among univesity professors in the USA and Spain. Journal of Business Ethics 50:329-354

    Google Scholar 

  • Macdonald S, Kam J (2007) Ring a r ing o’ roses: Quality journals and gamesmanship in management studies. Journal of Management Studies 44:640–655

    Google Scholar 

  • MacKinnon D, Coxe S, Baraldi A (20 12) Guidelines for the investigation of mediating variables in business research. Journal of Business and Psychology 27:1–14

    Google Scholar 

  • Manning L M, Barrette J (2005) Res earch performance management in academe. Canadian Journal of Administrative Sciences 22:273–287

    Google Scholar 

  • Melo A I, Sarrico C S, Radnor Z (2 010) The influence of performance management systems on key actors in universities. Public Management Review 12:233–254

    Google Scholar 

  • Merton R K (1968) The Matthew Effe ct in science. Science 159:56-63

    Google Scholar 

  • Miller L E, Smith K L (1983) Handl ing nonresponse issues. Journal of Extension 21:45–50

    Google Scholar 

  • Miner J B (2003) The rated importa nce, scientific validity, and practical usefulness of organizational behavior theories: A quantitative review. Academy of Management Learning and Education 2:250–268

    Google Scholar 

  • Minssen H, Wilkesmann U (2003) Las sen Hochschulen sich steuern? Soziale Welt 54:123–144

    Google Scholar 

  • Muller-Camen M, Salzgeber S (2005) Changes in academic work and the chair regime: The case of German business administration academics. Organization Studies 26:271–290

    Google Scholar 

  • Murayama K, Matsumoto M, Izuma K e t al (2010) Neural basis of the undermining effect of monetary reward on intrinsic motivation. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences 107:20911–20916

    Google Scholar 

  • Nerkar A A, McGrath R G, MacMillan I C (1996) Three facets of satisfaction and their influence on the performance of innovation teams. Journal of Business Venturing 11:167–188

    Google Scholar 

  • Osel J. (2012, 06.02.2012). Leistu ngslohn für Professoren: Das 50.000-Euro-Prekariat klagt an, Spiegel Online. Retrieved from http://www.spiegel.de/unispiegel/jobundberuf/0,1518,812521,00.html

  • Osterloh M (2010) Governance by num bers. Does it really work in research? Analyse & Kritik 2:267–283

    Google Scholar 

  • Osterloh M (2012) ‘New Public Manag ement’ versus ‘Gelehrtenrepublik’. Rankings als Instrument der Qualitätsbeurteilung in der Wissenschaft? In: Wilkesmann U & Schmid C J (ed) Hochschule als Organisation. VS – Verlag für Sozialwissenschaften, Münster

    Google Scholar 

  • Osterloh M, Frost J, Frey B S (2002) The dynamics of motivation in new organizational forms. International Journal of the Economics of Business 9:61–77

    Google Scholar 

  • Petty M M, McGee G W, Cavender J W (19 84) A meta-analysis of the relationships between individual job satisfaction and individual performance. Academy of Management Review 9:712–721

    Google Scholar 

  • Preacher K J, Hayes A F (2008) Asympto tic and resampling strategies for assessing and comparing indirect effects in multiple mediator models. Behavior Research Methods 40:879–891

    Google Scholar 

  • Röbken H (2011) Forschungsproduktivitä t von Wissenschaftlern und Wissenschaftlerinnen – Eine empirische Analyse von Publikationsaktivitäten vor und nach der Berufung. In: Hartwig L (ed) Beiträge zur Hochschulforschung 3/2011. Bayerisches Staatsinstitut für Hochschulforschung und Hochschulplanung, München

    Google Scholar 

  • Schleicher D J, Watt J D, Greguras G J (2004 ) Reexamining the job satisfaction-performance relationship: The complexity of attitudes. Journal of Applied Psychology 89:165–177

    Google Scholar 

  • Schmoch U, Schubert T, Jansen D et al (2010) How to use indicators to measure scientific performance: A balanced approach. Research Evaluation 19:2–18

    Google Scholar 

  • Seashore Louis K, Holdsworth J M, Anderson M S et al (2007) Becoming a scientist: The effects of work-group size and organizational climate. The Journal of Higher Education 78:311–336

    Google Scholar 

  • Sheikh K, Mattingly S (1981) Investigating n on-response bias in mail surveys. Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health 35:293–296

    Google Scholar 

  • Sheridan J E, Slocum Jr J W (1975) The direc tion of the causal relationship between job satisfaction and work performance. Organizational Behavior and Human Performance 14:159–172

    Google Scholar 

  • Spencer S J, Zanna M P, Fong G T (2005) Esta blishing a causal chain: Why experiments are often more effective than mediational analyses in examining psychological processes. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology 89:845–851

    Google Scholar 

  • Teodorescu D (2000) Correlates of faculty pu blication productivity: A cross-national analysis. Higher Education 39:201–222

    Google Scholar 

  • Tien F F, Blackburn R T (1996) Faculty rank system, research motivation, and faculty research productivity: Measure refinement and theory testing. The Journal of Higher Education 67:2–22

    Google Scholar 

  • Van Knippenberg D (2000) Work motivation and performance: A social identity perspective. Applied Psychology 49:357–371

    Google Scholar 

  • Wiersma U J (1992) The effects of extrinsic rewards in intrinsic motivation: A meta–analysis. Journal of Occupational and Organizational Psychology 65:101–114

    Google Scholar 

  • Wilkesmann U, Schmid C J (2010) Wirksamer Anr eiz? Einfluss von Leistungszulagen und Zielvereinbarungen auf die Lehre. Forschung & Lehre 17:504–507

    Google Scholar 

  • Williamson I O, Cable D M (2003) Predicting e arly career research productivity. The case of management faculty. Journal of Organizational Behavior 24:25–44

    Google Scholar 

  • Wu A D, Zumbo B D (2008) Understanding and us ing mediators and moderators. Social Indicators Research 87:367–392

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 2013 Springer Gabler | Springer Fachmedien Wiesbaden

About this chapter

Cite this chapter

Ringelhan, S., Wollersheim, J., Welpe, I., Fiedler, M., Spörrle, M. (2013). Work Motivation and Job Satisfaction as Antecedents of Research Performance: Investigation of Different Mediation Models. In: Dilger, A., Dyckhoff, H., Fandel, G. (eds) Performance Management im Hochschulbereich. ZfB-Special Issues, vol 3/2013. Springer Gabler, Wiesbaden. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-658-03348-4_2

Download citation

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-658-03348-4_2

  • Publisher Name: Springer Gabler, Wiesbaden

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-658-03347-7

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-658-03348-4

  • eBook Packages: Business and Economics (German Language)

Publish with us

Policies and ethics