Motivating knowledge workers to innovate: a model integrating motivation dynamics and antecedents

Abstract

Grounding in the premise that motivation in a knowledge work environment is an outcome of the existence of certain antecedents that are responsive to the dynamics of motivation in this environment, this work develops a conceptual model synthesizing motivations “what” and “how” that will bring human creativity in organizations which thrive on innovation. The presented model embodies these dynamics into five drivers of motivation practice in the knowledge work environment and then leads to three sources of motivation into which its antecedents should be loaded to motivate knowledge employees for innovation.