Manager And Business Student Work Goals: Implications And Recommendations For Educators

Abstract

The correspondence between work goals, work requirements, and available organizational rewards is a primary determinant of job satisfaction and motivation and is also likely to impact job performance. Research suggests managers’ but not business students’ work goal priorities are well matched with the work requirements and available rewards of modern business organizations. Educational implications are discussed and recommendations are made to increase students’ understanding of the importance and impact of work goals in modern organizations and to facilitate their adjustment to the reward conditions and work requirements that they are likely to face in these organizations. The recommended work goal and adjustment module, which is integrated into the topic of motivation, is also expected to increase student understanding and interest in the motivation material by encouraging students to apply it to work adjustment and by helping them more personally relate to the motivation principles applied.