TOM
Test of Motivational Orientation
L. Borgogni, L. Petitta and C. Barbaranelli
University “La Sapienza” of Rome
General overview
Today the issue of motivation at work is more timely than ever, as can be seen in both the scientific literature and in contexts of application. It is crucial to understand what pushes a person to undertake an action, to achieve a goal or to maintain a commitment over time. An accurate analysis of these factors can be useful for establishing a programme for the management and development of resources.
TOM(aninstrument developed within the Italian organizational context) aims in fact to measure the motives and inclinations that orient organizational behaviours and workplace preferences, in terms of four different orientations towards: objectives, innovation, leadership and relations.
The instrument has been designed as a self-reportquestionnaire with 70 statements evaluated according to a seven-point Likert scale. The test can be easily completed within a few minutes and is useful in job selection processes to assess the motivational profile of the candidate, in programmes that favour the insertion and transfer of personnel in more appropriate areas for future professional growth, to understand and thus anticipate potential conflicts and disharmony, or in the assessment of potential as for example assessment centre courses.
Structure
TOM consists of four fundamental scales:
OO = Orientation towards Objectives, which assesses the tendency perform at one’s best when there is the opportunity to undertake increasingly challenging tasks for which feedback is given on performance;
OI = Orientation towards Innovation, which assesses the tendency to perform at one’s best when there is the opportunity to constantly experiment with new tasks and work on more than one at the same time, rather than on repetitive tasks;
OL = Orientation towards Leadership, which assesses the tendency to perform at one’s best when there is an opportunity to assume an influential position and to guide others;
OR = Orientation towards Relations, which assesses the tendency to perform at one’s best when there is an opportunity to work in a group that provides support from colleagues.
Included with these four scales is a Social Desirability (SD) scale.
TOMhasbeen standardized on a sample of over 1300 subjects in not competitive situation and also in a competitive situation (over 400 candidates undergoing job selection in companies providing both goods and services).
The narrative report
In addition to self-administration and scoring, the software generates a standard narrative report that contains a general profile of the participant according to the dimensions measured by the test and a set of reports including an analysis of strong points, areas for further development and motivational strategy to follow with the participant and suggestions for assessment interviews.
An extended narrative report, that will completes the standard one with suggestions for interview management, is available too.
Internet administration, scoring and reporting available
Available translations and adaptations
Hungarian (distributed by OS Hungary, Budapest)
Spanish (distributed by TEA Ediciones, Madrid)
German (distributed by Hogrefe, Göttingen, Germany)
|
||||||||
