Content area
Full Text
Gary P. Latham. Work Motivation: History, Theory, Research, and Practice. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications, 2007,337 pages, $49.95 softcover.
"Rather an audacious undertaking" was my first thought upon perusing the title of this book. My second was that Latham, due to his considerable experience in both academic and applied positions, might be just the person to write such an inclusive review. I am pleased to report that this large tale is well told by Latham.
Two aspects of Latham's approach contribute greatly to the success of this enterprise. Humans love a good story, perhaps in part because the narrative form facilitates comprehension (Wyer, Adaval, & Colcombe, 2002). Latham's skill at telling the story of the study of work motivation makes this book not only informative but a pleasure to read. He personalizes his presentation in a couple of ways, first, by frequent autobiographical reference, recounting his own mentors, opportunities, lab research, applied experiences, and perspectives. He conveys the excitement he experiences when confronting a critical applied organizational problem and determining the relevant motivational theories and research methods to solve it. Latham also takes advantage of his widespread professional relationships to include personal anecdotes from numerous scholars that enrich and enliven the history of the study of work motivation.
The second effective aspect of the presentation is due to Latham fully embracing the scientist-practitioner model. He is eminently qualified on both counts, is clearly committed to both pursuits, and stresses their interdependence throughout the book. At times, he addresses these issues explicitly, for example, in a concluding chapter on "The Art of Practice" and in an intriguing discussion of the differential focus on independent and dependent variables by scientists and practitioners, respectively. More...