Abstract
This paper seeks to establish the relationships between three job characteristics constructs, namely work engagement, intrinsic motivation and job satisfaction in a workplace notorious for discord and conflict between workers and employers. A quantitative methodology was adopted using a crosssectional survey. Respondents were selected from the workers at a mining company, with a final sample of 156 employees participating in the study. The Utrecht Work Engagement Scale, Intrinsic Motivation Inventory and the Minnesota Job Satisfaction Questionnaire were used to collect data. The results of the study indicate positive relationships between job satisfaction, work engagement and intrinsic motivation among the workers. Age and marital status were found to be significant contributors to workers’ job satisfaction, intrinsic motivation and work engagement. Implications of these results are that human resource interventions are required in order to deal with enhancing work engagement, intrinsic motivation and job satisfaction. Furthermore, the results indicate that intrinsic motivation and work engagement can enhance job satisfaction. The current study adds to the research pointing at job satisfaction as a promising underlying mechanism for employees’ to be internally motivated and engaged at work.
Highlights
Intrinsic motivation has become an important phenomenon, especially when considering that anyone who is responsible for the supervision of employees engaged in work duties, needs to be aware that some people participate more out of interest in the task than others do
Intrinsic motivation and job satisfaction – the three key drivers to the competitive advantage of an organisation – were correlated with employees’ attitudes towards work. It is from such a need that this research aims to examine the levels of intrinsic motivation, work engagement and job satisfaction amongst the miners
Stander and Rothmann (2010) have demonstrated that instruments such as the Utrecht Work Engagement Survey (UWES) is valid for work done in the South African context, with high levels of internal consistency of the scale items: vigour: 0.79; dedication: 0.89; and absorption: 0.78 (Storm &Rothmann, 2003).The study results revealed a significant relationship between job satisfaction and work engagement as well as between job satisfaction and intrinsic motivation
Summary
Intrinsic motivation has become an important phenomenon, especially when considering that anyone who is responsible for the supervision of employees engaged in work duties, needs to be aware that some people participate more out of interest in the task than others do. Having intrinsically motivated employees can be the greatest asset for any organisation, especially management, since less supervision will be needed. Such employees always deliver the best performance which, in turn, motivates them, whilst the organisation enjoys the best outcome. In as much as it is important to know how best to manage, monitor or govern organisational employees, having employees that are self-driven to do their work is more important The implication of this for management studies is that there is a need to have more knowledge and understanding on how to get the best from employees. It is from such a need that this research aims to examine the levels of intrinsic motivation, work engagement and job satisfaction amongst the miners
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