The Motivational Formulation of Job and Work Involvement: A Cross-National Study

Abstract

This paper extends the motivational formulation and measurement of job and work involvement constructs (Kanungo, 1982b) and tests its cross-cultural implications by reporting on two studies conducted in the Federal Republic of Germany (FRG) and India. Results pertaining to the empirical properties (reliability and validity) of the new job and work involvement measures obtained in the FRG and Indian contexts generally support results reported by Kanungo in the Canadian context. The cross-national generalizability of predictions derived from the motivational formulation is supported. Usefulness of the motivational framework for future research on involvement in relation to certain desired outcomes is indicated.

Get full access to this article

View all access options for this article.

References

BLAUNER, R. Alienation and freedom: The factory worker and his industry. Chicago: University of Chicago Press , 1964.

BLOOD, M. R. Work values and job satisfaction . Journal of Applied Psychology, 1969, 33, 456-459 .

CAMPBELL, D. T. , & FISKE, D. W. Convergent and discriminant validation by the multitrait-multimethod matrix . Psychological Bulletin, 1959, 56, 81-105 .

GORN, G. J. , & KANUNGO, R. N.

Job involvement and motivation: Are intrinsically motivated managers more job involved?

Organizational Behavior and Human Performance, 1980, 26, 265-277 .

HOLLENBACK, J. R. , CONNOLLY, T. F. , & RABINOWITZ, S. Job involvement; 1977-1982: Beyond the exploratory stage. Working paper, New York University, Graduate School of Business Administration , 1982.

KANUNGO, R. N. The concept of alienation and involvement revisited . Psychological Bulletin, 1979, 86, 119-138 .

KANUNGO, R. N. Work alienation and involvement: Problems and prospects . International Review of Applied Psychology, 1981, 30, 1-15 .

KANUNGO, R. N. Measurement of job and work involvement . Journal of Applied Psychology, 1982, 67, 341-349 . (a)

KANUNGO, R. N. Work alienation. New York: Praeger Publishers , 1982. (b)

10.

KANUNGO, R. N. Work alienation: A pan-cultural perspective . International Studies of Management and Organization, 1983, 13, 119-138 .

11.

KANUNGO, R. N. , MISRA, S. B. , & DAYAL, I. Relationship of job involvement to perceived importance and satisfaction of employee needs . International Review of Applied Psychology, 1975, 24, 49-59 .

12.

LAWLER, E. E. Motivation in work organization. Belmont, California: Wadsworth , 1973.

13.

LODAHL, T. M. , & KEJNER, M. The definition and measurement of job involvement . Journal of Applied Psychology, 1965, 49, 24-33 .

14.

MISRA, S. , & KALRO, A. Job involvement of intrinsically and extrinsically motivated Indian managers: To each according to his need . Human Relations, 1981, 34, 419-426 .

15.

RABINOWITZ, S. , & HALL, D. T. Organizational research on job involvement . Psychological Bulletin, 1977, 84, 265-288 .

16.

SAAL, F. E. Empirical and theoretical implications of a purely cognitive definition of job involvement . International Review of Applied Psychology, 1981, 30, 103-120 .

17.

SALEH, S. D. , & HOSEK, J. Job involvement: Concepts and measurement . Academy of Management Journal, 1976, 19, 213-224 .

18.

SEEMAN, M. On the meaning of alienation . American Sociological Review, 1959, 24, 783-791 .

19.

SEEMAN, N. The urban alienations: Some dubious theses from Marx to Marcuse . Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 1971, 19, 135-143 .

20.

SRIVASTVA, S. , & COOPERRIDER, D. Alienation: A methodological challenge . Contemporary Psychology, 1983, 28, 191-193 .