Increasing Intrinsic Motivation to Learn in Organizational Behavior Classes

Abstract

This article describes my experiences redesigning a masters-level organizational behavior (OB) course. The course was delivered to two different audiences— MBA and MS-HR students—two different times. The redesign employed several unique features designed to increase and enhance student intrinsic interest in the subject matter. Two measures of intrinsic motivation were collected along with measures of perceived usefulness of the OB course content, student satisfaction, and student learning. Also, follow-up focus groups were conducted with a subset of the students after the courses were over to gain insight on student reactions. Results provide partial support for the notion that MS-HR students were more intrinsically interested in the subject matter of the course than were MBA students, but outcomes with satisfaction, perceived usefulness, and student learning were mixed. Results are discussed in terms of which specific aspects of the course redesign seemed more effective at eliciting student interest and motivation and which proved problematic. Implications for both teaching and research are provided.