Impact of Intrinsic and Extrinsic Motivation on Work Engagement: A Cross-Sectional Study of Nurses Working in Long-Term Care Facilities.

Nozomu Takada,Derong Zeng,Yukari Hara,Yoko Nihei,Yoshimi Ito,Kyoko Asakura,Shoko Sugiyama

doi:10.3390/ijerph19031284

Abstract

Nurses’ work motivation impacts their job satisfaction and work engagement, affecting their quality of care. Work motivation, a personal resource, can be categorized into intrinsic and extrinsic motivation, each of which may function differently in the job demands–resources (JD–R) model. To study the effect of nurses’ intrinsic and extrinsic work motivation on work engagement in long-term care (LTC) facilities, we randomly selected 1200 facilities from 6055 LTC facilities in eastern Japan. Two nurses from each facility completed a self-report questionnaire—newly developed for this study for evaluating intrinsic and extrinsic work motivation—to assess their work engagement, job satisfaction, and work motivation. Multiple regression analysis of 561 valid questionnaires investigated the relationship between work motivation and work engagement, indicating that intrinsic work motivation, job satisfaction, and age had a significant positive effect on work engagement, while extrinsic work motivation had no significant effect. However, half the nurses chose to work because of extrinsic work motivation, explaining the high turnover rate of nursing staff in LTC facilities. Findings indicate the importance of measures to foster nurses’ intrinsic motivation to improve work engagement. Further research should investigate how to improve the intrinsic motivation of nurses working in LTC facilities.

Highlights

Introduction published maps and institutional affilAlong with increasing life expectancy and decreasing fertility rates, the aging population worldwide has grown, especially in conjunction with the extensive social and economic changes taking place globally [1]
This study classified work motivation into intrinsic and extrinsic work motivation based on self-determination theory (SDT) theory and hypothesized that work motivation belongs to personal resources and plays a role in the job demands–resources (JD–R) model
The results showed that nurses’ intrinsic motivation to work in long-term care (LTC) facilities had a significant effect on their work engagement, while extrinsic work motivation had no such effect

Summary

Introduction

Along with increasing life expectancy and decreasing fertility rates, the aging population worldwide has grown, especially in conjunction with the extensive social and economic changes taking place globally [1]. The demand for long-term care (LTC) services will increase dramatically and is likely to reach crisis levels in many countries [2]. Nurses who provide high-quality and safe medical care in LTC facilities are critically important to residents of the facilities, their family members, governments, and society as a whole [3]. This study investigated and elucidated the relationship between nurses’ work motivation and work engagement, factors that influence the quality and safety of medical care in Japanese LTC facilities. In Japan, a super-aged country, the LTC needs of the older population are expected to be substantial.

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