Work motivation and journalists in Taiwan and the US: an integration of theory and culture

Abstract

This study applies work motivation theories from the organizational sciences and a cultural variable to a comparative analysis of daily newspaper journalists in Taiwan and the US. The journalists were compared on measures of job satisfaction, organizational commitment, and turnover intentions. ‘Culture’ was measured by a collectivism tendency index. Regression analyses revealed the sharpest cultural differences for job satisfaction and theoretic predictors of it. Similarities between the journalists were found for commitment and intentions of quitting (turnover). This study’s findings add to and advance research of journalists’ work motivation. Its unique methodological approach serves as a guide to future research of the subject.