Perceived work motivation factors among allied health managers and subordinates

Allied health workers are increasingly challenged in today's health care arena. The demand for increased productivity with less resources warrants an exploration of motivational factors in order to assess the influences on worker performance. This study explored motivational factors among occupational and physical therapists working in a variety of settings. Comparisons of managers and subordinates were made to further assess perceptions of factors that influence motivation due to a paucity of literature on this topic.; The Two Factor Theory (Herzberg, Mausner, & Snyderman, 1959) and the Theory of Constraints (Goldratt,1984; Breunlin,1999) were used to examine the relationships of work situations to worker motivation and possible constraints that limit worker motivation among allied health employees. These two theories identify theoretical constructs that guided the exploration of motivation, the related concept of satisfaction and constraints that prevent or limit motivation.; Results of the study indicated no statistically significant differences regarding motivational factors between managers and subordinates; occupational and physical therapists; or therapists from different geographical regions. However, comparisons between the convenience sample and random sample did indicate some significant difference.; This exploratory study contributes to the body of knowledge on allied health management. Understanding that there are more similarities than differences related to perceptions of motivation should contribute to the ability of occupational and physical therapists, as well as managers and subordinates to work optimally.