Prosocial Impact, Task Significance, and Motivation in the Workplace (2016)

Undergraduates: Jocelyn Alisa Le, Faculty Advisor (see Faculty Advisor section)

Faculty Advisor: Robert Hummer
Department: Management & Society

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The present study seeks to broaden the investigation of perceived social impact as a mediator of the relationship between task significance and motivation (Grant, 2008). Extant literature in the field of Management or Industrial-Organizational Psychology examines the effects of perceived social impact on work in public service such as nursing (Belle, 2013), teaching school-aged children (Grant & Campbell, 2007), university employment (Grant, 2008a; Grant, 2008b; Grant & Campbell, 2007; Grant & Sonnentag, 2010), lifeguarding (Grant, 2008b), firefighting and emergency rescue work (Sonnentag & Grant, 2012). This study expands the literature to consider a private-sector business that produces interactive response technology for investigator sites that run clinical trials. The two research questions addressed were: 1) Are employees in the business sector of clinical trials motivated by their perceived social impact? and 2) Can interventions be designed to increase employees' perceived social impact that do not involve job redesign? Online questionnaires were administered to 450 employees. Half of the surveys randomly assigned participants to read a social impact intervention and the other half read a control intervention. Baseline and post-intervention perceived social impact, task significance, and internal motivation were measured with items adapted from Hackman and Oldham's Job Diagnostic Survey (1974). The results could inform Human Resources practices for private, for-profit businesses.