The Role of Work Context in Work Motivation: A Public Sector Application of Goal and Social Cognitive Theories

Abstract

The present study represents a test of a conceptual model predicting how the organization's work context might influence work motivation. Using the framework provided by goal and social cognitive theories, this model of work motivation assesses whether aspects of the organizational work context, such as greater goal conflict, procedural constraints, and goal ambiguity, may have a detrimental effect on work motivation through their influence on three important antecedents of work motivation: job goal specificity, job difficulty, and self-efficacy. Although the findings of a covariance (LISREL) analysis of state government employee survey data suggested a few minor modifications to this model, the results indicated that the theoretical framework can identify specific leverage points that can increase work motivation and, therefore, productivity in the public sector.