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Can Extrinsic Motivational State Hinder Good Behavior? The Mediating Role of Ambition and Competition in Relationships of Contingent Rewards and Punishments with Work Performance

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Abstract

Drawing upon the integration of expectancy theory and extrinsic motivation, we attempt to develop and examine a model that reveals different extrinsic motivation-based relationships among contingent rewards and punishments, task performance, job engagement and job creativity. In study 1, we develop a model of contingent incentives, ambition, competition, and work performance using a multiple-case, inductive approach. In study 2, we conduct a one-group pretest-posttest design with 362 matched supervisor-subordinate dyads from Chinese state owned enterprises, the results show that contingent rewards have positive relationships with job engagement and job creativity through ambition and competition. Contingent punishments have positive relationship with job creativity through competition, whereas contingent rewards and punishments have no effect on task performance through ambition or competition. In addition, contingent punishments have no effect on job engagement through competition. On the basis of these findings, the framework suggests formal performance management practices to aid managers and human resource development practitioners in their understanding and enactment of extrinsic motivation. Finally, the implications of the study for further research are discussed.

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Notes

  1. In the training courses on contingent motivation, the supervisors were encouraged to recognize, praise, and reward subordinates, contingent on their high work performance. The supervisors also provided instructions, suggestions, and assistance to subordinates contingent on their poor work performance.

  2. Ethical approval: This study and protocol were reviewed and approved by the Ethics Committee of China Business Executives Academy. Written informed consent was obtained from all participants.

  3. The two stories about contingent incentives came from a semi-structured interview with supervisors and subordinates in study 1.

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Funding

We acknowledge support from the National Science Foundation for Young Scientists of China (Project 71,602,181).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. China Business Executives Academy, Dalian (CBEAD), Room A211, No.777 Hongling Road, Dalian, 116086, China

    Jing-Jing Ge, Pan Zhang & Dahai Dong

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  1. Jing-Jing Ge
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Correspondence to Jing-Jing Ge.

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Ethical Approval

This study and protocol were reviewed and approved by the Ethics Committee of China Business Executives Academy. Written informed consent was obtained from all participants.

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Appendix

Appendix

Table 1 Descriptions of participants in four stories
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Table 2 Data collection details for each case
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Table 3 Extrinsic motivation of subordinates for contingent incentives
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Table 4 The Relationship Between Contingent Incentives and Extrinsic motivation
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Table 5 Correlations and Descriptive Statistics
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Table 6 Results for task performance, job engagement and job creativity of contingent rewards
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Table 7 Results for task performance, job engagement and job creativity of contingent punishments
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Table 8 Mediating Effects of ambition and competition on Task performance, Job creativity and Job engagement
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Table 9 The results of paired-samples
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Ge, JJ., Zhang, P. & Dong, D. Can Extrinsic Motivational State Hinder Good Behavior? The Mediating Role of Ambition and Competition in Relationships of Contingent Rewards and Punishments with Work Performance. Curr Psychol 41, 2162–2183 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12144-020-00688-2

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