Kogod Professor Pens Research Paper About Motivation in Job Searching
Serge da Motta Veiga, an assistant professor of management at American University Kogod School of Business, recently published research with Allison Gabriel from the University of Arizona Eller College of Management that looks into the dynamics of intrinsic motivation on job search processes.
The study titled “The Role of Self-Determined Motivation in Job Search: A Dynamic Approach” is the first to examine the dynamics between different forms of motivation and the effort employment seekers invest during the job search process. In order to draw conclusions, the researchers used weekly surveys to measure how the motivation of college job seekers changed over time. The paper was published in the Journal of Applied Psychology in March 2016.
In the paper da Motta Veiga says that,
“Job seekers need to stay motivated to secure a job. Past research has taken a static approach to examining motivation during the job search, and ignored how the quality of one’s motivation—ranging from autonomous to controlled—can influence the job search process as time elapses.”
Both types of motivations play a role in job seekers’ action plan including how they set and revise personal goals, develop job search plans, monitor and analyze the job search process, improve their skills related to finding employment, and also in how much effort they put forth during the employment search. But the researchers also found that the levels of autonomous motivation declined over time, suggesting that other types of motivation may be at play.
According to da Motta Veiga,
“As time elapsed and the goal of securing employment became more critical, controlled motivation became beneficial for job search processes. In other words, it is the ticking clock, parental expectations, and a stack of bills that spurs students to put in the effort to get through the finish line and secure that first job.”
What’s next for Professor da Motta Veiga? He plans to study how to maximize the types of motivation at different points in the job search process saying,
“This work can yield important insights for unemployed, underemployed or laid-off workers, employment seekers, parents and career counselors.”
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Max Pulcini
Max Pulcini is a Philadelphia-based writer and reporter. He has an affinity for Philly sports teams, Super Smash Bros. and cured meats and cheeses. Max has written for Philadelphia-based publications such as Spirit News, Philadelphia City Paper, and Billy Penn, as well as national news outlets like The Daily Beast.
