Date of Award
Summer 8-23-2025
Document Type
Dissertation
Degree Name
Ph.D. in Business
Organizational Unit
Daniels College of Business
First Advisor
Sung Soo Kim
Second Advisor
Aimee Hamilton
Third Advisor
Daniel Baack
Copyright Statement / License for Reuse
All Rights Reserved.
Keywords
Scientists, Autonomous motivation, Calling, Creativity, Identified motivation, Intrinsic motivation, Resource constraints
Abstract
Scientific creativity is central to solving societal problems and creating new knowledge. This research examines how scientists approach their work and under what conditions scientific creativity thrives. Drawing on Amabile and Pratt’s seminal creativity model, the dynamic componential model of creativity and innovation, I explore how work orientation, motivation, and creativity outcomes relate in a scientific setting. I further explore how competing for funding interacts with these relationships to yield greater creativity outcomes. I used quantitative self-report and objective data from a group of scientists working in a national laboratory setting. Calling was positively related to self-report creativity outcomes. Findings suggest that competition for resources may improve scientific productivity, but for true creativity (i.e., novel, useful idea generation), the results were not conclusive. Importantly, the results point to the need to explore additional mediators for the calling-creativity pathway beyond motivation. This work brings a novel approach by combining the creativity and calling literatures, and applying a creativity framework in the field at a national laboratory. Further, it sheds light on how managers and policy-makers impact scientific creativity through financial constraints.
Copyright Date
8-2025
Publication Statement
Copyright is held by the author. User is responsible for all copyright compliance.
Rights Holder
Andrea Watson
Provenance
Received from ProQuest
File Format
application/pdf
Language
English (eng)
Extent
105 pgs
File Size
1.9 MB
Recommended Citation
Watson, Andrea, "Called to Create: The Role of Competition for Resources in Motivation and Creativity Outcomes Among Calling-oriented Scientists" (2025). Electronic Theses and Dissertations. 2658.
https://digitalcommons.du.edu/etd/2658
Included in
Business Administration, Management, and Operations Commons, Business Analytics Commons, Management Sciences and Quantitative Methods Commons, Technology and Innovation Commons