Maintaining the motivation of student employees contributes to positive job satisfaction, can increase efficiency, and improve productivity. This study utilized the Interpersonal Behaviors Questionnaire to examine student employee's perceived motivational climate by measuring autonomy, competence, and relatedness to their work environment in terms of perceived support and thwart from managers. A total of 256 student employees in campus recreation, student living, and student union departments participated. Analysis of variance (ANOVA) results indicated there were no significant differences among participants based on their rank in school, age, or ethnicity. Significant differences were identified when comparing autonomy thwart and competence thwart within campus recreation staffing specializations and when compared across three unique student affairs departments. Overall, these results indicate that students who recognize the autonomy and opportunities for professional development in their roles tend to be more self-determined.
T et al. (Mon,) studied this question.