Background
Type of validity | Research questions |
---|---|
Structural validity | RQ1: Is the assumed internal theoretical structure of motivation (i.e., the SDT continuum of motivation; Fig. 1) represented in the data as it was intended during scale development? a. Do respondents distinguish the five dimensions of motivation? b. Are adjacent dimensions more closely related than non-adjacent dimensions? |
Generalizability | RQ2: Do psychometric properties and interpretations generalize across health worker subgroups (measurement invariance)? |
Convergent and discriminant validity | RQ3: To what extent do relationships between the motivation measure and measures of other related constructs correspond to what is theoretically expected and has been found in previous research with other, established measures? |
The self-determination continuum of motivation
Methods
Study context
Motivation composition measure
Sample
Variable | Number | Per cent | Mean | SD | Median | Min | Max |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Sex | |||||||
Female | 646 | 56.6 | |||||
Male | 496 | 43.4 | |||||
Age | 34.4 | 5.4 | 33.5 | 20 | 56 | ||
Seniority (years in healthcare service) | 6.2 | 5.0 | 4.5 | 0 | 36 | ||
<5 years | 504 | 44.1 | |||||
≥5 years | 638 | 55.9 | |||||
Health worker type | |||||||
Nurse/Midwife (diploma) | 495 | 43.4 | |||||
Nurse/Midwife (assistant) | 647 | 56.6 | |||||
Total | 1142 | 100.0 |
Structural validity analyses
Model A | Five-factor model corresponding to Fig. 1
|
Model B | Four-factor model, combining the integrated and identified types of regulation which have proven difficult to separate in previous research |
Model C | Five-factor model as Model B but dividing external regulation into a social and an economic subfactor |
Model D | Two-factor model, differentiating autonomous (intrinsic motivation, integrated/identified regulation; AUT) and controlled (introjected, external regulation; CTRL) motivation |
Item | Number | Mean | sd | p50 | Max | Min | ||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Intrinsic motivation (IM) | im1 | Parce que j’aime faire ce que je fais chaque jour au travail.
Because I enjoy doing what I do at work every day.
| 1 139 | 7.91 | 2.49 | 9 | 10 | 0 |
im2 | Parce que mes tâches au travail me plaisent beaucoup.
Because I enjoy my work tasks.
| 1 142 | 8.21 | 2.09 | 9 | 10 | 0 | |
im3 | Parce que le travail que je fais est très intéressant.
Because the work that I do is very interesting.
| 1 139 | 8.22 | 2.09 | 9 | 10 | 0 | |
Integrated/identified regulation (IDEN) | iden1 | Parce qu’être un agent de santé est un élément fondamental de ce que je suis.
Because being a health worker is a fundamental part of who I am.
| 1 134 | 8.08 | 2.29 | 9 | 10 | 0 |
iden2 | Parce que mon travail est extrêmement important pour mes patients.
Because my work is extremely important for my patients.
| 1 137 | 8.53 | 1.89 | 9 | 10 | 0 | |
iden3 | Parce que je veux changer quelque chose dans la vie des autres.
Because I want to make a difference in people’s lives.
| 1 138 | 7.90 | 2.55 | 9 | 10 | 0 | |
Introjected regulation (INTRO) | intro1 | Pour avoir une bonne opinion de moi-même.
In order to feel good about myself.
| 1 141 | 7.45 | 2.70 | 8 | 10 | 0 |
intro2 | Parce que ma réputation dépend de mon travail.
Because my reputation depends on my work.
| 1 133 | 7.19 | 3.00 | 8 | 10 | 0 | |
External regulation-social (EXT-S) | ext1 | A cause de la reconnaissance que je reçois de mes patients et de la communauté.
Because of the appreciation I receive from my patients and the community.
| 1 132 | 6.32 | 3.21 | 7 | 10 | 0 |
ext2 | Pour ne pas laisser tomber mon équipe.
So I do not let my team down.
| 1 136 | 4.86 | 3.18 | 5 | 10 | 0 | |
ext3 | Parce que mon responsable direct reconnaît mon travail et m’apprécie.
Because my supervisor recognizes and appreciates me.
| 1 128 | 6.22 | 3.17 | 7 | 10 | 0 | |
External regulation-economic (EXT-E) | ext4 | A cause des avantages liés à mon travail.
Because of the benefits that come with my job.
| 1 137 | 3.75 | 3.29 | 4 | 10 | 0 |
ext5 | Pour pouvoir subvenir aux besoins de ma famille.
In order to be able to provide for my family.
| 1 141 | 6.50 | 3.03 | 7 | 10 | 0 | |
ext6 | Parce que mon travail me procure la sécurité financière.
Because of the financial security my job provides me with.
| 1 136 | 4.76 | 3.10 | 5 | 10 | 0 | |
ext7 | Afin de gagner de l’argent.
In order to earn money.
| 1 134 | 3.67 | 3.17 | 3 | 10 | 0 |
Generalizability analyses
Test for | Interpretation | Model constraints |
---|---|---|
Configural invariance | Tests for the assumption of the same underlying factor structure in all subgroups, i.e., the overall model fits the data similarly well in all subgroups | No specific constraints are imposed on the estimated parameters. |
Metric invariance | Tests whether the same constructs are measured across subgroups, i.e., whether respondents in different subgroups attribute the same meaning to the respective motivation factors | • Factor loadings estimated freely but constrained to equality in the subgroups |
Scalar invariance | Tests whether subgroups can be compared on their mean scores or whether subgroups score systematically different (at the same underlying level of motivation) for certain items | • Factor loadings estimated freely but constrained to equality in the subgroups • Item intercepts estimated freely but constrained to equality in the subgroups |
Residual variance invariance | Tests whether the proportion of contamination by other constructs as measured by the different items (i.e., variance that is not explained by the intended factors) is equal across groups and whether measurements are thus fully comparable across groups | • Factor loadings estimated freely but constrained to equality in the subgroups • Item intercepts estimated freely but constrained to equality in the subgroups • Item residual variances estimated freely but constrained to equality in subgroups |
Convergent/discriminant validity analyses
Construct and hypotheses | Measurement |
---|---|
Organizational support: extent to which respondents feel supported by their supervisor and coworkers, both technically and emotionally. Hypotheses: (a) Autonomous (intrinsic) types of motivation are closely and positively related to organizational support. (b) Controlled (extrinsic) types of motivation are unrelated to organizational support. | Organizational support was measured with six items partly adapted from [45, 46] (Cronbach’s α = .90) Item examples: “The people I work with are there to help me when I need support.”; “I can absolutely rely on the people I work with.” Response scale: 0 (do not agree at all)–10 (completely agree) with visual aid (analogous to the motivation measure) |
Organizational commitment: extent to which respondent are emotionally attached to their workplace Hypotheses: (a) Autonomous types of motivation are closely and positively related to organizational commitment. (b) Controlled types of motivation are unrelated to organizational commitment. | Item examples: “I would not want to work for a different health facility.”; “I am proud to be working for this health facility.” Response scale: 0 (do not agree at all)–10 (completely agree) with visual aid (analogous to the motivation measure) |
Intentions to quit: extent to which respondents would like to leave their current position Hypotheses: (a) Autonomous types of motivation are negatively related to turnover intentions. (b) Controlled types of motivation are positively related to turnover intentions. | Intentions to quit were measured with three items partly adopted from [11] (α = .72) Item examples: “I often feel like leaving my job.”; “Accepting to work for this facility was a mistake.” Response scale: 0 (do not agree at all)–10 (completely agree) with visual aid (analogous to the motivation measure) |
Results
Structural validity
Model |
χ
2
| df |
p
| RMSEA |
p RMSEA ≤.05 | CFI | SRMR | AIC | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
A | Model A, the original five-factor model corresponding to Fig. 1, could not be estimated as only one integrated regulation item was retained in the fitting process (at least two are necessary for model identification) | ||||||||
B | Four-factor model: IM (im1-im3), IDEN (iden1-iden3), INTRO (intro1 intro2), EXT (ext1-ext7) | 472 | 84 | .000 | .064 | .000 | .867 | .069 | 78 649 |
C | Five-factor model: IM (im1-im3), IDEN (iden1-iden3), INTRO (intro1 intro2), EXT-S (ext1-ext3), EXT-E (ext4-ext7) | 227 | 80 | .000 | .040 | .996 | .950 | .033 | 78 318 |
D | Two-factor model: AUT (im1-iden3), CTRL (intro1-ext7) | 677 | 89 | .000 | .076 | .000 | .799 | .076 | 78 927 |
Generalizability
Absolute model fit | Likelihood ratio test info and results | |||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
χ
2
| df |
p
| RMSEA |
p RMSEA ≤.05 | CFI | SRMR | #free parms | LR (with model above) | df |
p (.05) | ||
Baseline model C | 227 | 80 | .000 | .040 | .996 | .950 | .033 | – | – | – | – | |
Sex | Configural invariance | 333 | 160 | .000 | .044 | .994 | .943 | .041 | 110 | – | – | – |
Metric invariance | 344 | 170 | .000 | .042 | .975 | .943 | .043 | 100 | 9.40 | 10 | 0.50 | |
Scalar invariance | 386 | 180 | .000 | .045 | .917 | .932 | .045 | 90 | 50.44 | 10 | < 0.01 | |
Scalar invariance, partial | 356 | 178 | .000 | .042 | .983 | .941 | .044 | 92 | 11.19 | 8 | 0.19 | |
Residual variance invariance | 369 | 191 | .000 | .040 | .995 | .941 | .048 | 79 | 16.30 | 13 | 0.23 | |
Seniority | Configural invariance | 332 | 160 | .000 | .043 | .950 | .943 | .039 | 110 | – | – | – |
Metric invariance | 342 | 170 | .000 | .042 | .979 | .943 | .042 | 100 | 9.23 | 10 | 0.51 | |
Scalar invariance | 350 | 180 | .000 | .041 | .993 | .944 | .043 | 90 | 4.29 | 10 | 0.93 | |
Residual variance invariance | 366 | 195 | .000 | .039 | .998 | .944 | .052 | 75 | 19.39 | 15 | 0.20 | |
Qualification level | Configural invariance | 319 | 160 | .000 | .042 | .980 | .947 | .039 | 110 | – | – | – |
Metric invariance | 338 | 170 | .000 | .042 | .984 | .945 | .044 | 100 | 18.43 | 10 | 0.05 | |
Scalar invariance | 371 | 180 | .000 | .043 | .966 | .937 | .046 | 90 | 37.07 | 10 | < 0.01 | |
Scalar invariance, partial | 349 | 177 | .000 | .041 | .989 | .943 | .045 | 93 | 9.26 | 7 | 0.25 | |
Residual variance invariance | 363 | 192 | .000 | .040 | .998 | .944 | .048 | 78 | 18.91 | 15 | 0.22 |
Convergent/discriminant validity
IM | IDEN | INTRO | EXT-S | EXT-E | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Organizational support | .46 | .43 | .37 | .47 | .12 |
Organizational commitment | .58 | .54 | .37 | .38 | .05a
|
Intentions to quit | −.15 | −.07a
| .06a
| .03a
| .18 |