Measuring Motivational Patterns: A Formal Approach of Conservation of Resources Theory

par M. Jean Pierre Neveu (Université de Pau et des Pays de l'Adour (UPPA))

jeudi 26 mars 2026, 11:00 → 12:15 Europe/Paris

Auditorium 3 (Toulouse School of Economics)

The present research develops a formal mathematical model to measure individual motivation at work.
Its mathematical specifications correspond to a formal translation of Conservation of Resources (COR) theory core
assumptions. It explores how such COR constructs as resource caravan and resource passageway determine patterns
of motivational processes. The model is applied to a sample of working professionals (n= 8) from different
occupations. Data is obtained from a 5-item Lickert-scale questionnaire based on the COR-Evaluation (COR-E)
instrument developed by Hobfoll et al. (1992). Results are presented in the form of eight different Tables that
correspond to eight different resource caravans. They unveil how individual motivational processes vary by the
extent to which resources interact with an underlying drive for preservation. The role of context is also confirmed
as a resource passageway. With regard to methodology, this research emphasizes how measurement based on
mathematical modeling can be an alternative to standard data-analytic statistics. At a theory level, it enriches both
COR-based literature and theory of workplace motivation. Practically, it provides an analytical instrument that
details information on those processes that shape individual motivational profiles in organizations. (Joint with JPascal Bégout)