Review of “Work Motivation. History, Theory, Research, and Practice”

Review of the book “Work motivation: History, theory, research, and practice” (G.P. Latham, 2007). Work motivation is presented in a temporal sequence, providing an overview of the four quarters of the twentieth century and the opening of the twenty-first. A summary of theories focusing on different aspects of work motivation and of major research findings is provided. More specifically, the book emphasizes the role of social-cognitive approaches in the study of motivation and offers an updated review of advances in current theories that deepen cognition, particularly of advances in goal setting theory. Nevertheless, the author highlights the role of emotions, affects and job satisfaction in influencing work motivation. At the same time, relevant context-related variables are stressed, namely team processes and job characteristics. Moreover, the author points out the main controversies that stimulated the interests of theorists, researchers, and practitioners, providing practical advice on ways to develop theory and conduct theory grounded interventions.