The Influence of Organizational Structure on Intrinsic Versus Extrinsic Motivation

The article discusses research pertaining to the degree to which organizational structure influences intrinsic motivation in the setting of voluntary religious organization. The sample consists of 44 conservative Protestant churches from denominations that include conservative Baptist, Presbyterian, Methodist, Brethren, Lutheran, Nazarene and independent churches. Questionnaires were mailed to ministers and to randomly selected members from the membership rolls of each congregation. The structural variables examined in the study included standardization, formalization, integration, centralization, levels of hierarchy and organizational size. The findings suggest that in voluntary organizations there is a greater dependence on the intrinsically motivated activity of the participants.