Hourly and daily changes in work motivation: Does the objective time influence on motivation at work?

Abstract

It was intended to know how work motivation changes over days of the week and over hours of the day in a conventional work schedule. Using the diary technique, we obtained six daily registers during 21 consecutive working days. Seventy workers registered their motivation (6499 registers) using three variables: motivation, self-efficacy beliefs and instrumentality perceptions. Jointly with the consent letter, other information about socio-demographic and motivational variables was also collected. Means comparison found significant differences according to the hours: at 04:00 p.m. higher than at 12:00; and at 2:00 p.m., 3:00 p.m. and 4:00 p.m. higher than at 1:00 p.m. (F(13,6485) = 2.863; p < 0.01). On the contrary, no significant differences were observed depending on the days of the week. These findings suggest the presence of a Food Effect, or physiological-social restorative that explains the increment in motivation post-meal food. An inverted double “U” form also appeared in the motivational dynamic that occurs throughout the hours of the working day, as well as on the days of the week based on some of the socio-demographic variables studied.