Kind Of Motivation Research Articles

A motivational approach of cognitive efficiency in nursing home residents

Despite a widespread concern with self-determined motivation (behavior is engaged in "out of pleasure" or "out of choice and valued as being important") and psychological adjustment in later life (well-being, satisfaction in life, meaning of life, or self-esteem), very little is known about the existence and nature of the links between self-determined motivation and cognitive efficiency. The aim of the present study was to investigate theses links in nursing home residents in the framework of the Self-determination theory (SDT) (Deci & Ryan, 2002), in which motivational profile of a person is determined by the combination of different kinds of motivation. We hypothesized that self-determined motivation would lead to higher cognitive efficiency. Participants. 39 (32 women and 7 men) elderly nursing home residents (m= 83.6 ± 9.3 year old) without any neurological or psychiatric disorders (DSM IV) or depression or anxiety (Hamilton depression rating scales) were included in the study. Methods. Cognitive efficiency was evaluated by two brief neuropsychological tests, the Mini mental state examination (MMSE) and the Frontal assessment battery (FAB). The motivational profile was assessed by the Elderly motivation scale (Vallerand & 0'Connor, 1991) which includes four subscales assessing self- and non-self determined motivation to engage oneself in different domains of daily life activity. Results. The neuropsychological scores were positively and significantly correlated to self-determined extrinsic motivation (behavior is engaged in "out of choice" and valued as being important), and the global self-determination index (self-determined motivational profile) was the best predictor of the cognitive efficiency. Conclusion. The results support the SDT interest for a qualitative assessment of the motivation of the elderly people and suggest that a motivational approach of cognitive efficiency could help to interpret cognitive performances exhibited during neuropsychological assessment.

How the approval of rules influences motivation

Purpose – With their specific characteristics, religious orders provide an interesting environment that can be used to deepen the understanding and dynamics of work motivation in the public sector. The paper aims to discuss this issue. Design/methodology/approach – The paper empirically investigates the levels and kinds of motivation (from extrinsic to intrinsic) in different religious orders, and analyze some major factors of influence. A broad survey of monastic leaders offers a unique data set to analyze the influence of constitutions and traditions on motivation in a quantitative and comparative way. The theoretical foundations are based upon self-determination theory (SDT), formalization and public service motivation. Findings – The paper shows that even the most constrained and hierarchically structured communities succeed in preventing a crowding out of self-determined motivation. On the one hand, this can be ascribed to the influence of faith and religion. On the other hand, and this is the focus of the paper, the analysis suggests that if norms and structures are approved and considered essential, a crowding-out effect is absent, and motivation levels can be maintained. Research limitations/implications – This study has an explorative character; it is intended to provide interest for further research. Because of the particular position of religious orders, and equally because of the relatively small sample and few variables concerning the approval of rules and traditions, further investigations in other settings are needed. Practical implications – An alternative path to increase public service motivation comes into play. The negative effects of little or no autonomy and strict regulation in an organization's daily routines can be tempered by a conscious composition and awareness of governance, i.e. an understanding of and agreement upon constitutions, rules and traditions. Originality/value – The approval of constitutions and traditions has received little study, yet offers new insights into public service motivation, SDT and formalization.

The Role of Social Support on Intrinsic and Extrinsic Motivation among Iranian EFL Learners

The role of motivation continues to play a fundamental role in the field of learning English as a foreign language (EFL). EFL Learners are intrinsically and extrinsically motivated. Accordingly, those who learn L2 for their own self-perceived needs and goals have intrinsic motivation while those who pursue a goal in L2 learning only to receive an external reward from somebody else are extrinsically motivated. The aim of the study was to explore if social support from different sources influence the intrinsic and extrinsic motivations. It was hypothesized that motivation would be associated with social support such as support from parents, siblings, and EFL teachers. This study aimed at exploring the effects of social support on motivation among 60 intermediate Iranian EFL male and female learners. To this end, using a validated researchers-made questionnaire and conducting semi-structured interviews with a random of 15 participants, the current study examined the effects of social support on intrinsic and extrinsic motivation among Iranian EFL learners. The results revealed that support from others (i.e., parents, siblings, and EFL teachers) significantly influenced both intrinsic and extrinsic motivation. It could be claimed that those L2 learners who are supported intrinsically and extrinsically are more motivated to learn English. It might be recommended to the EFL teachers and parents providing situations in which L2 learners benefit from different kinds of motivations.

Introduction: Moving Beyond the ′Rational Actor′ in Environmental Governance and Conservation

In this brief introduction, we examine the themes and issues that link the three papers in this special section. In each case, neoliberal conservation practices appear to be predicated on a certain kind of individual subject with certain kinds of motives and behaviours-the rational actor. Taken together, these three papers challenge three assumptions of rational actor models, including that individuals are self-interested and attempt to maximise their own benefits, that they only respond to economic incentives, and that economic markets are free, mutual, and rational. Together these articles promote greater attention to how individuals are conceptualised in conservation efforts, and suggest alternative ways to think through conservation projects.

Motivation for a Second or Foreign Language Learning

Motivation is a frequently used word both in our daily work and study, which is an important factor which can greatly influence the achievement of learners’ second language or foreign language acquisition. Speaking of the history of research on “motivation”, Gardner and Lamber and their associates should come first, because they have done the most important work, which made the most outstanding contributors in this field. There are several kinds of motivation, like instrumental motivation and integrative motivation, and intrinsic motivation and extrinsic motivation, and there are some relevant debates between them. Through the current researches on the application of motivation in learning and teaching, we can see how effective the motivational system promoted within cooperative situations is, although there is numbers of different motivational aspects. Maybe more researches should be done, but we can just draw a periodical conclusion that motivation in language learning is a very complicated psychological phenomenon, and it is also the single most influential factor in learning a new language.

Spirituality as motivation and perspective for a socially responsible entrepreneurship

I consider spirituality to be the kind of motivation and broader, meaning-seeking perspective, that, wherever it may come from, gives people motivations and concerns that is far beyond their nearest material interests. The idea of a connection between spirituality (morality, culture, religion) and economic performance will be discussed as: a) ‘spiritual capital’ (Berger and Redding), i.e., ‘a set of resources stemming from religion’; b) as the focal point for combining work and joyful experience of being (‘flow’) by coordination of mental models of people’ (Csikszentmihalyi); c) the encouragement and implementation of spirituality in the workplace (Mitroff and Denton) aiming to reveal the deepest sources of everyday creativity and meaningful life. The paper aims to provide arguments for business leaders as entrepreneurs to find inspiration in spirituality to go beyond narrow material interests.

Motives for Russian Second Home Ownership in Finland

Russian second home ownership has been a growing trend in Finland during the last two decades. Russian second homes or dachas comprise the absolute majority among foreign purchases, which is about 70% of the total annual foreign real-estate business in Finland. The phenomenon of Russian second home ownership in Finland has not been the focus of much academic attention. This paper is the first attempt to define the reasons that Russians have for their choice of country for a second home location and what kind of motives are behind this decision. The primary general information about the case has been collected through 25 interviews with Russian second home owners in the Savonlinna region, province of South Savo, eastern Finland. The results show that second home demand and location are strongly intertwined in the motives of Russians. Among the main motives for second home ownership and its location in Finland are: the strongly positive image of Finland, untouched and clean nature, similar climatic conditions, lake landscape with personal access to the lakeshore, and price rates for second homes. Other motives, such as relaxation and activities, are playing a secondary role.

There is more than obeying display rules: Service employees’ motives for emotion regulation in customer interactions

Although research has focused on how service employees regulate their emotions, few studies have explored why they do so. In this article, we first described which kinds of motives for emotion regulation exist in customer interactions. Second, we investigated how the motives are related to four emotion regulation strategies. The application of an explorative approach resulted in a list of 10 motives, which could be classified into the three motive categories: pleasure, prevention, and instrumental. Hierarchical linear modelling of 421 reported service interactions from a diary study revealed that the motive categories were differently related to the emotion regulation strategies. Motives of the instrumental category were only significantly positively related to surface acting. Motives of the pleasure category were positively related to deep acting and automatic regulation as well as negatively related to surface acting and emotional deviance. Motives of the prevention category were positively related to deep acting, surface acting, and emotional deviance as well as negatively related to automatic regulation. These results can be used by organizations not only to enhance the motivation of employees towards emotion regulation, but also towards more authentic emotional expressions.

Employer branding in power industry

PurposeThe purpose of this study is to examine what kind of motives and practices company has for employer branding in power industry. The objective is to find out the benefits of employer branding and how it is targeted towards potential and current employees. In addition, the aim is to examine whether companies see employer branding as a process and what kind of processes they have for employer branding.Design/methodology/approachThe theoretical perspective of this study is based on literature review, which provides a better understanding of employer branding. The empirical part is a qualitative case study of two large, international companies in the field of power industry. The data was gathered with interviews.FindingsThe main motives for employer branding are better employer image, more efficient recruitment and improved job satisfaction. Employer branding efforts are focused according to target group. Recruitment and educational co‐operation are the main objects of employer branding towards potential employees, whereas training and development are an essential part of employer branding towards current employees. This article also discovers that there is some kind of process aspect in the background of employer branding.Practical implicationsCompanies invest in employer branding in order to get good applicants, retain employees and create the image of a great employer. Power industry is an internationally remarkable field of business. Energy and the solutions of power technology are always needed and there exist a major need for new experts in power industry. As limitations, this study includes only two power industry companies and the data is qualitative. Therefore, the results cannot be generalized in larger scale.Originality/valueThe competition of talented workforce will increase because of the decrease in working‐age population. Employer branding will become more prominent in the future when companies strive to gain competitive advantage.

The Role of Korean EFL Student Motivation in Second Language Learning

The purpose of the present study is to investigate the motivation of 150 Korean EFL university students to learn English language. In Korean EFL setting, where authentic language input may not be readily available outside the classroom, A lot of Korean EFL learners often have to develop and utilize a wide range of learning strategies to help guarantee success. Whereas, motivation is rarely a problem for ESL students studying in English speaking countries, it is the major problem for EFL students studying English in their home countries (Wigzell & Al-Ansari, 1993). This study examined what specific factors are closely connected with what kind of motivation and how motivation affects a continued interest, success or failure in language learning, especially in a Korean EFL setting. The results of this study showed that integrative motivation, valence, effort, expectancy (the perceived probability of attaining the goals), and self-estimation of ability in English proficiency were internally related significant factors of motivation in learning English. It revealed instrumental motivation was related to exclusively integrative motivation and valence. We also knew that females were more motivated than men. Similarly, beginning level students were more motivated than intermediate students. However, the results did not show a significant effect on motivation related to their majors.

Motives, Expectations, Perceptions and Satisfaction of International Students Pursuing Private Higher Education in Singapore

As education is an important sector in every national economy, it is arguable that higher education is a key area of interest of both public and private institutions. With globalization, the higher education sector is internationalized through the mobility of the institutions and students alike. International students are increasingly moving to other countries in pursuit of education and other interests such as career opportunities, cultural and social experiences, and even migration. The present study investigates international students’ motives in studying abroad and the impacts of these different motives on their evaluation of service quality of the institutions where they study. This study attempts to incorporate the motives of their study with the well recognized service quality model, namely SERVQUAL. This study was empirically conducted in a private higher education institution in Singapore, gathering data from 263 international students who are studying in the business programmes. The survey method was used to gather the required data about the motives, expectations and perceptions as well as the level of satisfaction with the education service provided by the institution under study. The study found that the students held four kinds of motives: academic & education, career & migration, pleasure & experience and work. The study suggests that educational marketers should consider the role and influence of the motives in evaluating service quality by international students and to develop their education programmes accordingly so that their level of service quality will be enhanced from the perspective of international students.

Physical education for citizenship or humanity? Freethinkers and natural education in the Netherlands in the mid-nineteenth century

Studies in the history of physical education show that it was often promoted for socio-political reasons: to stimulate nation-building or increase economic productivity and/or military strength. By contrast, a different kind of motivation has received little attention in historical studies: the importance of physical education for the perfection of the individual, as expressed by the German neohumanistic word ‘Bildung’. This article presents a case study in which the debate on the importance of physical education in the Netherlands in the mid-nineteenth century is examined. Ideas on the importance of Bildung in physical education especially existed within the freethinkers’ movement. With arguments derived from their naturalistic worldview, freethinkers contested educational approaches that obstructed the natural development of the child. This case study aims to contribute to a better insight into the history of physical education in the Netherlands and into the diversity of reasons for promoting physical education in the past.

The business plan as a project: an evaluation of its predictive capability for business success

Although there is extensive research aimed at identifying the main success factors for new ventures, efforts directed at evaluating the real effect of the existence and quality of a business plan on a firm's survival chances have been limited. This study attempts to fill this gap by analyzing to what extent the quality of a business plan, measured according to its economic, financial and organizational viability, constitutes a good predictor of business survival; and how other variables related to the characteristics of the entrepreneur and the business can affect the predictive capability of the model under consideration. Hypotheses are tested using data collected from 2142 service firms. The results show that none of the three variables that evaluate business plan quality (economic, financial and organizational viability) seems to have a determining influence on survival chances. Adding essential characteristics related to the entrepreneur and the business (education and training, experience, kind of motivation, number of employees and start-up capital) does little to increase the model's predictive capabilities.

Machiavellianism and Spontaneous Mentalization: One Step Ahead of Others

In spite of the Machiavellians’ successful strategies in exploitation of others, they show cognitive deficiencies, especially reduced mind–reading skill. Theory of mind is usually regarded as an ability to make inferences about the mental states of others and thus to predict their behaviour. In our study, we have instead emphasized a motivation–based approach, using the concept of spontaneous mentalization. This concept is construed solely in a motivational context and not in relation to the automaticity of mind–reading ability. It entails that people in their social relations make efforts to explore the thoughts and intentions of others and are motivated to make hypotheses about the mental state of the other person. We assumed that what is peculiar to Machiavellianism is spontaneous mentalization as a kind of motivation rather than mind–reading as an ability. To measure spontaneous mentalization, we created a set of image stimuli and asked our participants to describe their impressions of the pictures. The results show that individual differences in spontaneous mentalization correlate positively with the scores of Machiavellianism. These results suggest that those who have a stronger motivation for putting themselves into the mind of others can be more successful in misleading and exploiting them. Further research should be carried out to clarify how spontaneous mentalization and mind–reading ability relate to each other. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Malaysia: 30 Years of Islamic Banking Experience (1983-2012)

Malaysia proved to be at the forefront of Islamic banking and finance by adopting a dual banking system where the conventional and Islamic banking systems co-exist. The Islamic banking has been in operation since 1983 and offers a variety of Islamic financial instruments. In such a multi-ethnic and multi-religious country, customers get the financial products and services they like. In the early 1980s, the government encouraged all Malaysians to be involved in the fast-track development process with a vision to make Malaysia a fully industrialized country by the year 2020. Actually, the development of Malaysias dual banking system is tied up with its social and economic policy and that is why it was fully supported by the countrys top leadership in addition to the Central Bank, the Parliament, and the public in general. Islamic banks can motivate Muslims to increase savings and reduce hoarding. This kind of motivation was expected to enhance their participation in the development process contributing to savings mobilization and capital accumulation in order to improve their standard of living and bring them up to par with their countrymen of Chinese origin. Among the countries with a free market economic system, Malaysia has emerged as the first country to implement a dual banking and financial system. The Malaysian model has been recognized by many Islamic countries as the model to emulate.

Gastronomy as a tourism resource: profile of the culinary tourist

The aim of this paper is to explore the characteristics and motivations of culinary tourists whose destination is the city of Córdoba (Spain) while attempting to determine whether gastronomy is an important aspect of the trip or if it is perceived simply as a secondary activity. Fieldwork was carried out among a series of restaurant establishments in the city of Córdoba. A demand survey was conducted in 10 particular establishments that were selected among those offering local dishes and which are regularly visited by tourists and the questionnaire was distributed among clients obtaining 206 valid answers. Our results reveal the strengths and weaknesses of Córdoba's restaurant sector. While 10% state that the cuisine is one of the main reasons for visiting the city, 68% believe that the local cuisine is an important but not an essential aspect of their trip and the rest view it as being secondary. These three types of tourists exhibit different kinds of motivation. This suggests that strategies should be designed and developed to promote gastronomy as one of the city's chief tourist attractions. Good tourism management based on initiatives such as the creation of culinary routes could be an alternative for implementing strategies aimed at the social and economic development and promotion of particular areas, for example turning typical food from rural areas in certain regions into a marketable attraction.

Motivating Hume’s natural virtues

Many commentators propose that Hume thinks that we are not or should not be motivated to perform naturally virtuous actions from moral sentiments. I take issue with this interpretation in this paper, arguing that Hume fully incorporates the moral sentiments into his understanding of how human beings act when it comes to the natural virtues and that he does not see the moral sentiments as a problematic kind of motivation that threatens or weakens the virtuous status of the action.

Keynote 1: Spirituality and the Challenge of Evolution and Compassion

Science is revealing more about the physical nature of our universe and more about the nature of biological life; for example how it came into being, takes the forms it does, can become diseased, and how all life-forms flourish, decay and die. Science offers challenges to spiritual beliefs but also opportunities for evolving spiritual orientations in line with our deepening understanding of the nature of life in the universe. Two key themes are linked to developing more insight and awareness. One is mindfulness of the kinds of minds nature has given us and the second is cultivating a particular kind of motivation within us which is to be aware of the suffering of self and others and to take steps to alleviate it. Opening our eyes to the reality of suffering is also to discover the meaning of compassion and its link to spiritualities past and present.

Development of "dark" tourism in the contemporary society

The paper focuses on the development of „dark“ tourism as a type of special interest tourism. The study included analysis of the definition of „dark“ tourism, tourist motivations for this type of tourism, Stone' s typology of dark destination offers, and a portion is devoted to the role of „dark“ tourism in contemporary society. Also there are important „dark“ tourism destinations in the world as an example of this type of tourism development. The work includes a reference to the promotion of dark tourism in Romania, as a destination that has largely failed to impose itself on the world tourism market because this form of tourism promotion. In the first part special attention is paid to the special interest tourism, which is a new development that drives modern society. Modern tourists have a different kind of motivation when they are planning travel and tour operators need to focus on current trends. One of the trends relating to the development of „dark“ tourism and some of the countries at the national level is positioned as a destination which are distinguished by this kind of tourism. There is the space for this type of tourism development, but they require specific solutions that are distinctive to each country.

The Relationship between Intrinsic Motivation and Academic Achievement of Male and Female Students at University Level in Pakistan: A Case Study

Psychologists and educators believe motivation as a significant factor that has an effect on student learning and accomplishment. It is a general argument that suitable motivational orientations make learning easy while unsuitable ones obstruct it. Intrinsic motivation is a kind of motivation that approach from individual factors within a person rather than merely from some outside motives. Intrinsic motivation shows learners commitment in learning for its personal interest. In Pakistan, perhaps little research has yet been done in this field. The study was conducted to find the relationship between intrinsic motivation and academic achievement of students at university level in province Punjab, Pakistan. The main objectives of study were, to finds out profiles of students with respect to intrinsic motivation and academic achievement, to find out difference among male and female students on intrinsic motivation and academic achievement. The population of the study comprised of 600 male and female students studying in universities of Punjab, Pakistan. The sample consisted of 300 male and 300 female students of universities selected through multistage sampling procedure. In order to measure intrinsic motivation of students, an adapted version of Harter’s (1981) intrinsic motivation scale was used. Academic achievement of students was measured through their university results. The scores on each variable were calculated and summarized through mean and standard deviation scores. The significance of difference between mean scores of male and female and BA and B.Sc students on the study variables were calculated by t-test (two-tailed). The relationship between intrinsic motivation and academic achievement was computed by using Person ‘r’. The results of the study revealed no gender difference. Both male and female were found to be equal in intrinsic motivation and academic achievement.