Professional training in the workplaceThe role of achievement motivation and locus of control

  1. Suárez Álvarez, Javier 1
  2. Campillo Álvarez, Ángela 1
  3. Fonseca Pedrero, Eduardo 2
  4. García Cueto, Eduardo 1
  5. Muñiz Fernández, José 1
  1. 1 Universidad de Oviedo
    info

    Universidad de Oviedo

    Oviedo, España

    ROR https://ror.org/006gksa02

  2. 2 Universidad de La Rioja
    info

    Universidad de La Rioja

    Logroño, España

    ROR https://ror.org/0553yr311

Revista:
The Spanish Journal of Psychology

ISSN: 1138-7416

Año de publicación: 2013

Número: 16

Páginas: 1-11

Tipo: Artículo

DOI: 10.1017/SJP.2013.19 DIALNET GOOGLE SCHOLAR lock_openAcceso abierto editor

Otras publicaciones en: The Spanish Journal of Psychology

Resumen

The core objective of the present work is to explore the reasons why workers from different employment sectors join training courses to improve their job. To this end we assessed achievement motivation, locus of control and professional qualifications according to the participants� employment sector. The final sample consisted of 1460 active Spanish workers from four different employment sectors: services, catering, metal construction, and others. Of the sample, 40.1% were male and 59.9% female, with a mean age of 33.3 years (SD = 9.7). The results show that the new scale developed to assess achievement motivation, locus of control and workers� qualifications presents adequate psychometric characteristics. Statistically significant differences were found in relation to employment sector. The areas studied showed satisfactory levels of workers� effort and achievement motivation to perform their jobs, though their attitudes toward the training courses as a basis for improving their employability are varied. Workers in the catering sector had higher levels of external attribution and the lowest interest in training. Those in the service sector had higher levels of achievement motivation and effort at work. Future research should develop a joint program covering the public and private sectors for the modification of these beliefs, attitudes and attributions.

Referencias bibliográficas

  • American Educational Research Association, American Psychological Association, and National Council on Measurement in Education. (1999). Standards for educational and psychological testing. Washington, DC: American Psychological Association.
  • Amabile T. M., Hill K. G., Hennessey B. A., & Tighe E. M. (1994). The work preference inventory: Assessing intrinsic and extrinsic motivational orientations. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 66, 950-967. http://dx.doi.org/10.1037/0022-3514.66.5.950.
  • Atkinson J. W., & Feather N. T. (1966). A theory of achievement motivation. New York, NY: Wiley.
  • Bakker A. B., Rodríguez-Muñoz A., & Derks D. (2012). La emergencia de la psicología de la salud ocupacional positiva [The emergence of positive occupational health psychology]. Psicothema, 24, 66-72.
  • Balluerka N., Gorostiaga A., Alonso-Arbiol I., & Haranburu M. (2007). La adaptación de instrumentos de medida de unas culturas a otras: Una perspectiva práctica [Test adaptation to other cultures: A practical approach]. Psicothema, 19, 124-133.
  • Bandura A. (1986). Social foundations of thought and action: A social cognitive theory. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice-Hall.
  • Baum J. R., Frese M., & Baron R. (2007). The psychology of entrepreneurship. Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates.
  • Bipp T., Steinmayr R., & Spinath B. (2008). Personality and achievement motivation: Relationship among Big Five domain and facet scales, achievement goals, and intelligence. Personality and Individual Differences, 44, 1454-1464. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.paid.2008.01.001.
  • Bonavia T., Prado V., & Barberá D. (2009). Spanish adaptation and factor structure of the Denison Organizational Culture survey. Psicothema, 21, 633-638.
  • Brennan R. L. (Ed.) (2006). Educational measurement. Westport, CT: ACE/Praeger.
  • Byrne B. M. (2001). Structural equation modeling with AMOS. Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates.
  • Byrne Z. S., Mueller-Hanson R. A., Cardador J. M., Thornton G. C., Schuler H., Frintrup A., & Fox S. (2004). Measuring achievement motivation: Tests of equivalency for English, German, and Israeli versions of the achievement motivation inventory. Personality and Individual Differences, 37, 203-217. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.paid.2003.08.012.
  • Campbell J. P., McCloy R., Oppler S. H., & Sager C. E. (1993). A theory of performance. In N. Schmitt & W. C. Borman (Eds.), Personnel selection in organizations (pp. 35-70). San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.
  • Carraher S. M., Buchanan J. K., & Puia G. (2010). Entrepreneurial need for achievement in China, Latvia, and the USA. Baltic Journal of Management, 5, 378-396. http://dx.doi.org/10.1108/17465261011079767.
  • Cassidy T., & Lynn R. (1989). A multifactorial approach to achievement motivation: The development of a comprehensive measure. Journal of Occupational Psychology, 62, 301-312.
  • Cecchini J. A., González C., Méndez A., Fernández-Rio J., Contreras O., & Romero S. (2008). Metas sociales y de logro, persistencia-esfuerzo e intenciones de práctica deportiva en el alumnado de Educación Física [Achievement and social Goals, persistence-effort, and intentions of sports practice in Physical Education Students]. Psicothema, 20, 260-265.
  • Collins C. J., Hanges P. J., & Locke E. A. (2004). The relationship of achievement motivation to entrepreneurial behavior: A meta-analysis. Human Performance, 17, 95-117. http://dx.doi.org/10.1207/S15327043HUP1701-5.
  • Chell E. (2008). The entrepreneurial personality: A social construction. New York, NY: Routledge. http://dx.doi.org/10.4324/9780203938638.
  • Chen L.-H. (2008). Job satisfaction among information system (IS) personnel. Computers in Human Behavior, 24, 105-118. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.chb.2007.01.012.
  • Dorer H. L. (2001). Motivational differences between entrepreneurs and employees: A comparison of three models. Dissertation Abstracts International: Section B: The Sciences and Engineering, 62, 585.
  • Downing S. M. (2006). Twelve steps for effective test development. In S. M. Downing & T. M. Haladyna (Eds.), Handbook of test development (pp. 3-25). Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates.
  • Eccles J. S., Adler T. F., Futterman R., Goff S. B., Kaczala C. M., & Meece J. L. (1983). Expectancies, values and academic behaviors. In J. T. Spence (Ed.), Achievement and achievement motives (pp. 75-146). San Francisco, CA: Freeman.
  • Gagné M., & Deci E. L. (2005). Self-determination theory and work motivation. Journal of Organizational Behavior, 26, 331-362. http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/job.322.
  • Gamboa J. P., Gracia F., Ripoll P., & Peiró J. M. (2009). Employability and personal initiative as antecedents of job satisfaction. The Spanish Journal of Psychology, 12, 632-640.
  • Green M. H. (1995). Influences of job type, job status, and gender on achievement motivation. Current Psychology, 14, 159-165. http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/BF02686888.
  • Hambleton R. K., Merenda P. F., & Spielberger C. D. (Eds.) (2005). Adapting educational and psychological tests for cross-cultural assessment. London, UK: Erlbaum.
  • Hart J. W., Stasson M. F., Mahoney J. M., & Story P. (2007). The Big Five and achievement motivation: Exploring the relationship between personality and a two-factor model of motivation. Individual Differences Research, 5, 267-274.
  • Hermans H. J. M. (1970). A questionnaire measure of achievement motivation. Journal of Applied Psychology, 54, 353-363. http://dx.doi.org/10.1037/h0029675.
  • Hernández A., Araya C., García-Meneses J., & González- Romá V. (2009). Leader charisma and affective team climate: The moderating role of the leader's influence and interaction. Psicothema, 21, 515-520.
  • Hu L.-T., & Bentler P. M. (1999). Cut off criteria for fit indexes in covariance structure analysis: Conventional criteria versus new alternatives. Structural Equation Modeling, 6, 1-55. http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/10705519909540118.
  • Kleinbeck U. (2003). Achievement motivation. In R. Fernández-Ballesteros (Ed.), Encyclopedia of Psychological Assessment (Vol. 1, pp. 1-5). London, UK: SAGE.
  • Lang J. W. B., & Fries S. (2006). A revised 10-Item version of the Achievement Motives Scale: Psychometric properties in German-speaking samples. European Journal of Psychological Assessment 22, 216-224. http://dx.doi.org/10.1027/1015-5759.22.3.216.
  • Langan-Fox J., & Roth S. (1995). Achievement motivation and female entrepreneurs. Journal of Occupational and Organizational Psychology, 68, 209-218. http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.2044-8325.1995.tb00582.x.
  • Lorenzo-Seva U., & Ferrando P. J. (2006). FACTOR: A computer program to fit the exploratory factor analysis model. Behavior Research Methods, Instruments and Computers, 38, 88-91. http://dx.doi.org/10.3758/BF03192753.
  • Llewellyn D. J., & Wilson K. M. (2003). The controversial role of personality traits in entrepreneurial psychology. Education + Training, 45, 341-345. http://dx.doi.org/10.1108/00400910310495996.
  • Manassero M. A., & Vázquez A. (1998). Validación de una escala de motivación de logro [Validation of an achievement motivation scale]. Psicothema, 10, 333-351.
  • Martínez E., Orengo V., & Zornoza A. (2012). El papel del entrenamiento autoguiado en la relación entre el conflicto de tarea y la innovación en equipos virtuales [The role of self-guided training in the relationship between task conflict and innovation in virtual teams]. Psicothema, 24, 29-34.
  • McClellan D. C. (1961). The achieving society. New York, NY: Free Press.
  • McClelland D. C., Atkinson J. W., Clark R. A., & Lowell E. L. (1953). The achievement motive. New York, NY: Appleton- Century-Crofts. http://dx.doi.org/10.1037/11144-000.
  • McClelland D. C., Koestner R., & Weinberger J. (1989). How do self-attributed and implicit motives differ? Psychological Review, 96, 690-702. http://dx.doi.org/10.1037//0033-295X.96.4.690.
  • Moreno R., Martínez R., & Muñiz J. (2006). New guidelines for developing multiple-choice items. Methodology, 2, 65-72. http://dx.doi.org/10.1027/1614-2241.2.2.65.
  • Muñiz J., & Bartram D. (2007). Improving international tests and testing. European Psychologist, 12, 206-219. http://dx.doi.org/10.1027/1016-9040.12.3.206.
  • Murray H. A. (1943). Thematic Apperception Test Manual. Cambridge, UK: Harvard University Press.
  • Muthén L. K., & Muthén B. O. (1998-2007). Mplus User's Guide. (Fifth Ed.). Los Angeles, CA: Muthén & Muthén.
  • Orten C. (1995). The multifactorial achievement scale as a predictor of salary growth and motivation among middlemanagers. Journal Behavior and Personality, 23, 159-162.
  • Pérez García A. M. (1984). Dimensionalidad del constructo locus of control [Dimensionality of the locus of control construct]. Revista de Psicología General y Aplicada, 39, 471-488.
  • Rauch A., & Frese M. (2007). Let's put the person back into entrepreneurship research: A meta-analysis on the relationship between business owners' personality traits, business creation, and success. European Journal of Work and Organizational Psychology, 16, 353-385. http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/13594320701595438.
  • Rotter J. B. (1966). Generalized expectancies for internal versus external control of reinforcement. Psychological Monographs, 80(1), 1-28. http://dx.doi.org/10.1037/h0092976.
  • Sánchez García J. C. (2010). Evaluación de la personalidad emprendedora: Validez factorial del cuestionario de orientación emprendedora (COE) [Evaluation of the enterprising personality: Factor validity of the enterprising orientation questionnaire]. Revista Latinoamericana de Psicología, 42, 41-52.
  • Schmalt H.-D. (1999). Assessing the achievement motive using the Grid Technique. Journal of Research in Personality, 33, 109-130. http://dx.doi.org/10.1006/jrpe.1999.2245.
  • Schmeiser C. B. & Welch C. (2006). Test development. In R. L. Brennan (Ed.), Educational measurement (4th Ed.). Westport, CT: American Council on Education/Praeger.
  • Schuler H., Thornton G. C. I., Frintrup A., & Mueller-Hanson R. (2004). Achievement Motivation Inventory test manual. Goettingen, Germany: Hogrefe.
  • Schunk D. H. (2000). Coming to terms with motivation constructs. Contemporary Educational Psychology, 25, 116-119. http://dx.doi.org/10.1006/ceps.1999.1018.
  • Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (2006). SPSS Base 15.0 User's Guide. Chicago, IL: SPSS Inc.
  • Stewart W. H., & Roth P. L. (2007). A meta-analysis of achievement motivation differences between entrepreneurs and managers. Journal of Small Business Management, 45, 401-421. http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1540-627X.2007.00220.x.
  • Tempelaar D. T., Gijselaers W. H., Schim S., & Nijhuis J. F. (2007). A structural equation model analyzing the relationship of student achievement motivations and personality factors in a range of academic subject-matter areas. Contemporary Educational Psychology, 32, 105-131. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.cedpsych.2006.10.004.
  • Van den Berg P. T., & Feij J. A. (2003). Complex relationships among personality traits, job characteristics, and work behaviors. International Journal of Selection and Assessment, 11, 326-339. http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.0965-075X.2003.00255.x.
  • Van den Broeck A., Vander Elst T., Dikkers J., De Lange A., & De Witte H. (2012). This is funny: On the beneficial role of self-enhancing and affiliative humor in job design. Psicothema, 24, 87-93.
  • Wang K. T., Slaney R. B., & Rice K. G. (2007). Perfectionism in Chinese university students from Taiwan: A study of psychological well-being and achievement motivation. Personality and Individual Differences, 42, 1279-1290. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.paid.2006.10.006.
  • Ward E. A. (1997). Multidimensional of achievement motivation among employed adults. The Journal of Social Psychology, 137, 542-544http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/00224549709595476.
  • Weiner B. (1985). An attributional theory of achievement motivation and emotion. Psychological Reviews, 92, 548-573. http://dx.doi.org/10.1037//0033-295X.92.4.548.
  • Wigfield A., & Eccles J. S. (2000). Expectancy-value theory of achievement motivation. Contemporary Educational Psychology, 25, 68-81. http://dx.doi.org/10.1006/ceps.1999.1015.
  • Wilson M. (2005). Constructing measures: An item response modeling approach. Mahwah, NJ: Erlbaum.
  • Woo S. E., Gibbons A. M., & Thornton G. C III. (2007). Latent mean differences in the facets of achievement motivation of undergraduate students and adult workers in the US. Personality and Individual Differences, 43, 1687-1697. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.paid.2007.05.006.
  • Zhou M., & Winne P. H. (2009). Designing multimedia to trace goal-setting in studying. In R. Zhenh (Ed.), Cognitive effects of multimedia learning (pp. 288-311). Hershey, PA: IGI Global.
Fuente de los datos: Dialnet