An Alternative to the Intrinsic-Extrinsic Dichotomy of Work Rewards

Abstract

The validity of an intrinsic-extrinsic dichotomy of work rewards has been questioned on both empirical and theoretical grounds (Dyer & Parker, 1975; Guzzo, 1979). The present study re-examined this issue, analyzing employee perceptions of 48 work rewards in terms of 10 different attributes. The results demonstrate that the task relation and mediational definitions of the intrinsic-extrinsic construct not only differentially classify many work rewards, but also differentially relate to other reward attributes, thus once again calling into question the construct validity of the dichotomy. Further, it was also found that employee perceptions were more focused on those dimensions characterized by expectancy theory constructs. A classification of work rewards based on such perceptions is presented as an alternative that more clearly differentiates work rewards in terms of their motivational effectiveness.

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