Intrinsic Motivational Drivers in Medical Networks From a Neuroscientific Perspective

• Published in: Journal of neuroscience, psychology, and economics psychology, and economics, 2011-08, Vol.4 (3), p.192-204
• Main Authors: Sohn, Stefan, Ottmann, Sabine, Schöffski, Oliver
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Female; Health Care Delivery; Human; Intrinsic Motivation; Job Performance; Male; Monetary Incentives; Neuroeconomics; Physicians; Professional Networking; Salaries
• ISSN: 1937-321X; 2151-318X
• DOI: 10.1037/a0025017

The relationship between motivation, performance, and incentives in the context of health care delivery is of high interest for the rising number of networks and other provider groups under pay-for-performance programs. Because recent literature suggests that intrinsic motivation plays a decisive role, this study analyzes the intrinsic motivational factors that drive physicians' behavior and performance by examining various motivational dimensions derived from neuroscientific approaches. The aim was to determine the existence of different motivational groups in a sample of 117 German network physicians. The motivational groups were established based on the individuals' combination of three neuroscientifically based personality traits. The cluster analysis identified four distinct clusters in the sample that allowed for the assumption that different motivational clusters of physicians do exist. Relating to the clusters, there also were clearly differing attitudes toward different forms of incentives. These results should help in finding more appropriate incentives, for example, in pay-for-performance schemes, in order to motivate network physicians and enhance their performance and effectiveness, and they partially explain the weak evidence of recent pay-for-performance evaluations.