Changes in Motivation of I.S. Managers: Comparison Over a Decade

A research study on motivation perceptions of I.S. managers was conducted in 1978. It was replicated in 1990. Comparisons between the two groups revealed that growth need and motivation potential of the job are not significantly different. Satisfaction levels changed positively -both satisfaction with supervision and pay satisfaction were significantly higher in 1990. General satisfaction was relatively unchanged as was social need. There were gender differences; social need for females continued to be significantly lower. The differences in growth need by gender disappeared, however. Female managers were less satisfied than males in 1990, for all three satisfaction categories. Although growth need and the job's motivating potential were well matched for both males and females on the average, there were cases of individuals whose jobs were not sufficiently rich. An analytical framework is provided for enhancing an individual's job in these cases of mismatch