
Management Papers
Document Type
Journal Article
Date of this Version
4-2017
Publication Source
Academy of Management Journal
Volume
60
Issue
2
Start Page
695
Last Page
719
DOI
10.5465/amj.2014.0898
Abstract
Supporting one’s family is a major reason why many people work, yet surprisingly little research has examined the implications of family motivation. Drawing on theories of prosocial motivation and action identification, we propose that family motivation increases job performance by enhancing energy and reducing stress, and it is especially important when intrinsic motivation is lacking. Survey and diary data collected across multiple time points in a Mexican maquiladora generally support our model. Specifically, we find that family motivation enhances job performance when intrinsic motivation is low—in part by providing energy, but not by reducing stress. We conclude that supporting a family provides a powerful source of motivation that can boost performance in the workplace, offering meaningful implications for research on motivation and the dynamics of work and family engagement.
Copyright/Permission Statement
Originally published in the Academy of Management Journal © 2017 Academy of Management
This is a pre-publication version. The final version is available at http://dx.doi.org/10.5465/amj.2014.0898
Keywords
action identification, energy, family, intrinsic motivation, job performance, monotonous jobs, prosocial motivation, stress
Recommended Citation
Menges, J. I., Tussing, D. V., Wihler, A., & Grant, A. M. (2017). When Job Performance is All Relative: How Family Motivation Energizes Effort and Compensates for Intrinsic Motivation. Academy of Management Journal, 60 (2), 695-719. http://dx.doi.org/10.5465/amj.2014.0898
Included in
Business Administration, Management, and Operations Commons, Business Intelligence Commons, Human Resources Management Commons, Labor Relations Commons, Management Information Systems Commons, Management Sciences and Quantitative Methods Commons
Date Posted: 25 October 2018
This document has been peer reviewed.