Understanding the underlying motives: Motivation beliefs in the Association of Research Libraries (ARL)

Abstract

Much can be learned from examining what leaders and followers believe motivates their work and the work of their colleagues. Research indicates a person's actions are inseparable from their beliefs and, given the many workplace decisions made on a daily basis, studying the motivational beliefs that underlie those decisions could reveal a great deal about workplace dynamics. The Motivation Beliefs Inventory (MBI) is a validated survey instrument designed to measure motivation beliefs along four theoretical lines: Reinforcement Theory, Expectancy-Valence Theory, Achievement Motivation Theory, and Self-Determination Theory. While this instrument has been used to measure motivation beliefs in such disparate industries as global consulting and the U.S. military, it has never been applied in an academic or library setting.Thus, this article discusses the results of a study which investigated the motivation beliefs of Association of Research Libraries (ARL) academic librarians in the United States. This study utilized a cross-sectional survey design with a stratified random sample of academic librarians employed by the 102 U.S. ARL member libraries. The findings indicate that ARL librarians' gender identity, race/ethnicity, faculty status, manager/non-manager job duties, educational attainment, and years of experience in academic libraries impact the motivation theories with which their beliefs align.