A Field Examination of Two Measures of Work Motivation as Predictors of Leaders' Influence Tactics

Abstract

The authors tested 2 motivation measures, the Motivation Sources Inventory (MSI; J. E. Barbuto & R. W. Scholl, 1998) and the Job Choice Decision-Making Exercise (A. M. Harrell & M. J. Stahl, 1981) as predictors of leaders' influence tactics. The authors sampled 219 leader-member dyads from a variety of organizations and communities throughout the central United States. Results strongly favored the MSI as a predictor of influence tactics. Limitations of the study include low power of relationships, sample size as limited by the research design, and education levels of participants. Future researchers should use larger and more diverse samples and test other relevant antecedents of leaders' behaviors.

A Framework Exploring the Effects of the Machiavellian Disposition on the Relationship Between Motivation and Influence Tactics

“…Barbuto and Scholl (1999) found a relationship between goal internalization motivation and leaders' use of soft tactics, such as inspirational appeals and consultation. However, Barbuto et al (2002) did not fmd any significant relationships between goal internalization and influence tactics. Goal internalized individuals are more predisposed to focus on the values of the organization when influencing others, and thus may rely upon inspirational appeals that tap into the values and emotions of targets to gain compliance.…”

“…Barbuto and Scholl (1999) found self-concept internal motivation to be related to leaders' use of soft tactics (inspirational appeals and consultative tactics). However, Barbuto et al (2002) found significant negative relationships between self-concept internal motivation and both legitimating tactics and rational persuasion. Given the conflicting results between the two studies, it is prudent to anticipate modest relationships.…”

“…However, Barbuto et al (2002) reported positive correlations between intrinsic process motivation and legitimating, rational persuasion, personal appeals, pressure, exchange, ingratiating, and coalition tactics.…”

Motivation and Transactional, Charismatic, and Transformational Leadership: A Test of Antecedents

“…This taxonomy was further developed and tested to predict leaders' behaviors (Barbuto & Scholl, 1999;Barbuto, Fritz & Marx, 2000). In two independent research studies examining antecedents of leaders' behaviors (using these two motivation taxonomies), the five sources of motivation (Barbuto & Scholl, 1998;Leonard, Beauvais & Scholl, 1999) were better able to predict behavior than McClelland's (1 985) three-need model (see Barbuto, Fritz & Marx, 2000;2002). These five sources of motivation include intrinsic process, instrumental, selfconcept-external, self-concept-internal, and goal internalization.…”

Unleashing the Power of Emotional Competency Development Program on Leaders’ Self-Motivation

“…Evidences from previous researches suggest that leader would benefit from having high self-motivational drives (Barbuto Jr., Fritz, & Marx, 2002;Dulewicz & Higgs, 2010). Motivation is known as an aspiration that produces certain behaviour.…”