ScholarlyCommons

Title

When Job Performance is All Relative: How Family Motivation Energizes Effort and Compensates for Intrinsic Motivation

Author(s)

Jochen I. Menges
Danielle V. Tussing, University of Pennsylvania
Andreas Wihler
Adam M. Grant, University of Pennsylvania

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