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Administration & Society
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Finding Workable Levers Over Work Motivation

Comparing Job Satisfaction, Job Involvement, and Organizational Commitment

Donald P. Moynihan

University of Wisconsin-Madison

Sanjay K. Pandey

The University of Kansas, Lawrence

This article draws on a sample of state government health and human service managers to develop and test a model of work motivation. The authors examine the effect of individual attributes, job characteristics, and organizational variables on three aspects of work motivation: job satisfaction, organizational commitment, and job involvement. They find that managers have varying degrees of influence over these different aspects of work motivation, with greatest influence over job satisfaction and least influence over job involvement. A number of variables are important for work motivation, including public service motivation, advancement opportunities, role clarity, job routineness, and group culture.

Key Words: job satisfaction • organizational commitment • job involvement • work motivation • culture

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Administration & Society, Vol. 39, No. 7, 803-832 (2007)
DOI: 10.1177/0095399707305546
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