The role of achievement motivation in job design

Abstract

Examined the effects of job scope and need for achievement (n Ach) on organizational commitment and performance among a sample of 115 managers in various departments of a major midwest manufacturing firm. Measures of perceived job scope, n Ach (Manifest Needs Questionnaire), and commitment were obtained from the sample, whereas independent performance ratings were obtained from their superiors. Using both moderated regression and subgroup analysis, it was found that high-scope jobs (i.e., jobs characterized by greater amounts of variety, autonomy, task identity and feedback) were directly related to managerial commitment to the organization; n Ach did not moderate the relationship. Furthermore, it was found that the effect of high job scope on performance was moderated by n Ach. This latter finding is consistent with earlier research on need for achievement and suggests that the n Ach construct offers considerable utility for future research on job design. (35 ref) (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2025 APA, all rights reserved)