generally less able to observe their employees’ work motivation, per se, than they are to observe their
levels of job performance. More specifically, we will begin the discussion by providing a definition of
work motivation and delineating a number of features and implications of that definition. We will
then focus on the meaning of job performance, and show why the difference between the two
concepts is so important. As we will see, other factors in addition to motivation determine an
employee’s level of job performance. One of these other factors is ability. Accordingly, we will
discuss the nature and significance of work-related ability in a later section of the chapter. So then,
what is work motivation