Sustaining proactive motivation for non-mandatory professional development building self-determined employees

Sustaining proactive motivation for non-mandatory professional development building self-determined employees

This dissertation examined the motivations energising employees' participation in non-mandatory professional development (PD) provided within their work organisation using a proactive motivation framework (Parker, Bindl, & Strauss, 2010) and a Self-Determination Theory (Deci & Ryan, 1985) perspective. Two studies were conducted using a mixed-method design. Study 1 was conducted in a specific organisation and involved both quantitative and qualitative data. Both aspects of this study informed the development of the quantitative Study 2 conducted in an organisation non-specific sample.
The quantitative aspect of both Study 1 and Study 2 provided support for a structural model of employees‟ motivation to participate in non-mandatory PD within their work organisation as a proactive, self-determined process that includes transfer implementation intentions as a pre-participation commitment toward change and readiness to transfer what is learned. Study 1 demonstrated that employees' Transfer Implementation Intentions were energised by autonomous motivation for participation in non-mandatory PD and the intrinsic benefits envisioned from participation. As an organisational context variable, positive work environment directly influenced each aspect of the model.
From the Study 1 qualitative findings it was concluded that organisational commitment to employee development, useful to job, useful to career, and prosocial benefits were important variables to include in the structural model tested in Study 2. Study 2 demonstrated that employees‟ transfer implementation intentions were influenced by both intrinsic benefits and prosocial benefits. Autonomous motivation demonstrated only an indirect influence on transfer implementation intentions. An organisational commitment to development influenced employees‟ perceptions of useful to career and useful to job. Useful to job influenced autonomous motivation and prosocial benefits, while useful to career influenced intrinsic benefits.
Together, the results of the two studies highlight the importance of autonomous motivation, intrinsic and prosocial goals, and the provision of organisational support to facilitate employees‟ proactive involvement in non-mandatory PD and their intention to transfer what is learned. These influences are important, as participation and the use of what is learned are paramount to the success of non-mandatory PD activities (Goldstein & Ford, 2002).