‘Gold’, ‘Ribbon’ or ‘Puzzle’: What motivates researchers to work in Research and Technology organizations

This paper employs the motivational trichotomy of financial rewards, reputational/career rewards) and intrinsic satisfaction (Gold, Ribbon and Puzzle) to analyze the role of motivation in the context of Research and Technology Organizations. This study is based on a case study based on on-line questionnaire survey of 421 scientist from a large multitechnology Research and Technology Organization. The paper draws from previous work on scientists’ orientations towards outcomes and exploitation of research results and finds that the typology of motivational schemas differ. In the studies context our analysis did not find advancing academic research to be the main motivator, but rather being able to exploit results. Within the exploitation mode however, the results find that four factors, Gold, Challenge, Engineering and Basic Research, motivate researcher’s activities. The study highlights the Research and Technology Organizations differences compared to universities. The findings also suggest that the role of grand societal challenges is emerging as a distinct motivator aside a basic research-oriented advancement of science.