MOTIVATION PURITY BIAS: A ZERO-SUM VIEW OF EXTRINSIC AND INTRINSIC MOTIVATION IN SELECTION DECISIONS

We propose and ultimately find that candidates who express interest in or satisfaction with extrinsic job features are discriminated against in selection decisions compared to candidates who signal similar levels of intrinsic motivation but who do not show interest in extrinsic job features. Based on psychological research of motivational attributions, we theorize that hiring managers perceive candidates’ motivation for intrinsic and extrinsic job features as mutually exclusive, and thus favor pure intrinsic motivation from employees, a phenomenon we term motivation purity bias. Three studies, conducted among employed adults in the US, business school students, and managers who make hiring decisions on a regular basis found evidence of motivation purity bias and its role in discrimination in selection decisions. We discuss implications for the fairness and efficiency of organizational selection decisions