Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jan 29, 2026

Studying Food Reward and Motivation in Humans

Studying Food Reward and Motivation in Humans

Published on: March 19, 2014

The Influence of Intrinsic Motivation and Synergistic Extrinsic Motivators on Creativity and Innovation

Carmen Fischer¹, Charlotte P Malycha¹, Ernestine Schafmann¹

¹International School of Management, Dortmund, Germany.

Frontiers in Psychology

|February 20, 2019

Abstract:

Despite the vast amount of research focusing on intrinsic and extrinsic motivation, the effects of extrinsic motivators on creativity and innovation have been scarcely investigated. Extrinsic factors can be seen as synergistic extrinsic motivators when they have a positive effect on the outcome. The present study investigates synergistic extrinsic motivators that organizations can use to foster creativity and innovation of their intrinsically motivated knowledge workers. The analysis is based on Amabile and Pratt's dynamic componential model of creativity and innovation in organizations combined with elements from Ryan and Deci's self-determination theory. The quantitative data stemmed from 90 knowledge workers of an international consulting company who participated in an online self-assessment. In exploratory factor analyses, extrinsic motivation items consolidated two factors "relational rewards" and "transactional rewards", while creativity and innovation items resulted in a one-factor solution, called "creativity/innovation performance". The results of hierarchical regression analyses confirmed the widely found positive effects of intrinsic motivation on creative and innovative performance. Moreover, the results supported the hypothesis that the extrinsic motivator, relational rewards, moderated the relationship between intrinsic motivation and creativity/innovation performance significantly and positively. The findings showed the higher the perceived probability of receiving relational rewards and the higher the intrinsic motivation, the greater the positive effect on creative/innovative outcomes. At the same time, the results did not confirm the hypothesis, that the moderator transactional rewards had a statistically significant effect on the relationship between intrinsic motivation and creative/innovative performance. Finally, the empirical evidence provided practical implications on how to stimulate the creativity/innovation performance of knowledge workers within organizations.

Keywords:

creativity innovation intrinsic motivation performance feedback recognition relational rewards synergistic extrinsic motivator transactional rewards

More Related Videos

Quantifying Social Motivation in Mice Using Operant Conditioning

Quantifying Social Motivation in Mice Using Operant Conditioning

Published on: August 8, 2015

State-Dependency Effects on TMS: A Look at Motive Phosphene Behavior

State-Dependency Effects on TMS: A Look at Motive Phosphene Behavior

Published on: December 28, 2010

Related Concept Videos

Secondary Motives: Power Motivation and Achievement Motivation

Secondary Motives: Power Motivation and Achievement Motivation

Power motivation and achievement motivation are two essential social motives identified by psychologist David McClelland. These motives influence behavior in various personal and professional contexts, shaping how individuals interact with others and pursue their goals.
Power motivation is characterized by the desire to influence, control, or have an impact on others. It is shaped by an individual's experiences, social environment, and cultural context. People with high power motivation are...

Secondary Motives: Affiliation Motivation and Aggression Motivation

Secondary Motives: Affiliation Motivation and Aggression Motivation

Affiliation motivation is the intrinsic desire to connect with others and belong to a social group, which plays a crucial role in forming and maintaining personal relationships. This type of motivation is essential for psychological well-being, as it provides individuals with a sense of community and support. An example of this is a student who joins a study group in order to feel a sense of connection. People with high affiliation motivation actively seek social approval, take satisfaction in...

Motivational Bias

Motivational Bias

Cognitive bias results from limitations in thinking and information processing, leading to systematic errors in judgment. Conversely, motivational bias stems from personal desires or emotions, causing distortions in perception to align with self-interest. Motivational bias influences how individuals perceive and attribute causes to events, often shaped by personal needs, goals, and self-esteem preservation. This bias can distort judgment, leading to inaccurate assessments of success, failure,...

Motivational Cycle

Motivational Cycle

The motivational cycle is a key concept that explains how individuals are motivated to meet their needs. At its core, the cycle revolves around four distinct stages: need, drive, goal-directed behavior, and goal achievement. These stages respond to imbalances in the body or mind, prompting actions that restore balance.
The cycle begins with a need. This need can arise from various conditions, such as hunger, thirst, or temperature changes. For instance, when an individual feels cold, their body...

Extrinsic and Intrinsic Pathways of Hemostasis

Extrinsic and Intrinsic Pathways of Hemostasis

Blood clotting or coagulation involves extrinsic and intrinsic pathways, which ultimately merge into the common pathway, forming a fibrin clot.
The Extrinsic Pathway
The extrinsic pathway of coagulation is typically initiated by tissue damage that exposes blood to tissue factor (TF), a protein released by the damaged tissue cells outside the blood vessels—this interaction with TF triggers biochemical reactions involving specific clotting factors. The key player here is Factor VII, which...

Introduction to Motivation and Emotion

Introduction to Motivation and Emotion

Motivation is a multifaceted process that drives behavior toward fulfilling various physiological or psychological needs. This process involves initiating, guiding, and maintaining specific actions influenced by internal and external factors. For example, when someone feels hungry while watching television, hunger is a motivator, prompting the individual to get up, walk to the kitchen, and find something to eat. In this instance, hunger initiates and sustains the behavior necessary to meet the...

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Virus-specific resident memory T cell networks sustain immunity in human oral mucosa.

Mucosal immunology·2026

Quality assessment of patient information on orthognathic surgery on the internet.

Journal of cranio-maxillo-facial surgery : official publication of the European Association for Cranio-Maxillo-Facial Surgery·2020

Activation of the Wnt/β-catenin pathway is common in wilms tumor, but rarely through β-catenin mutation and APC promoter methylation.

Pediatric surgery international·2016

Intra- and interdimeric caspase-8 self-cleavage controls strength and timing of CD95-induced apoptosis.

Science signaling·2014

APG350 induces superior clustering of TRAIL receptors and shows therapeutic antitumor efficacy independent of cross-linking via Fcγ receptors.

Molecular cancer therapeutics·2013

CD95-ligand on peripheral myeloid cells activates Syk kinase to trigger their recruitment to the inflammatory site.

Immunity·2010

See all related articles