¶ … motivation is a huge way to increase organizational productivity. Research shows that "the way to motivate employees was to enrich their jobs," (Lazenby 2008). Challenging both employees and interns is a great way to increase productive motivation within the workplace. This aspect of intrinsic motivation goes farther in its success than even motivation caused by the desire for financial rewards. One study reached the conclusion that "specific, difficult goals consistently led to higher performance than urging people to do their best," (Locke & Latham 2002).
Interns have a much different view of the workplace than full time employees, but can be motivated in similar fashions. Paid interns, who can also be motivated by financial rewads and compensation can be motivated through the use of the Expectancy theory, which states that work put in will determine the reward for that work. Yet, there are also other was to motivate interns that can be incorporated as ways to motivate even unpaid interns. Allowing interns to take ownership within the work they are involved with can be a primary motivator in lieu of financial compensation. This is based on the idea that improving the goal orientation of individuals within the workplace is one of the strongest motivators within the context of Frederick Herzberg's theory of motivation (Elliot & Church 1997). The U.S. Of se intrinsic motivators, such as challenging work loads, to increase both responsibility and ownership of the work (Lashaway-Bokina 2000). This was seen as a strong motivator even in the context of students (Gottfried & Gottfried 1996). Thus, money does not always have to be the end result, but the concept of overcoming the challenge and truly owning one's work can be enough of a motivator, especially in the case of unpaid interns where financial compensation is out of the question.
References
Elliot, A.J. & Church, M.A. (1997). A hierarchical model of approach and avoidance achievement motivation. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology. Vol. 72:218-322.
Gottfried, A.E. & Gottfried, A.W. (1996). A longitudinal study of academic intrinsic motivation in intellectually gifted children: children through early adolescence. Gifted Child Quarterly. 40(4):179-182.
Lashaway-Bokina, Nancy. (2000). Recognizing and nurturing intrinsic motivation: a cautionary tale. Roeper Review. 22(4):225-227.
Lazenby, Scott. (2008). How to motivate employees: what research is telling us. Public Management. 90(8):22-25.
Locke, E.A. & Latham, G.P. (2002). Building a practically useful theory of goal setting and task motivation: a 35-year odyssey. American Psychologist. Vol. 57:705-717.
