Interactive effects of job complexity and boundary spanning on internal motivation

Abstract

The hypothesis was that boundary spanning roles should be enriched because those who have such roles must behave flexibly in order to make decisions efficiently when interacting with an uncertain environment. The hypothesis was not supported in a questionnaire study of 221 public officials in a city government. Boundary roles need not necessarily have been accompanied by enriched jobs. To the public officials questioned interaction with external environment may be a part of their routines and not particularly stimulating, An unexpected finding was obtained which suggested complementary relationships between interdependent jobs and boundary spanning roles. In more closed groups in which all members need not have performed boundary spanning roles, interdependent jobs facilitated integration and motivated public officials. The more open the groups were, the more independent were their members, But in the most open groups in which each member interacted with externals and in which the boundaried were not significant, an interdependent job was needed to confirm membership and to motivate the members. © 1988, The Japanese Psychological Association. All rights reserved.