Drive: Measurement of a Sleeping Giant

Abstract

Effective strategies for increasing work motivation will consider person factors and individual differences. This article expands on the theory and construct of drive in the context of the development of a new inventory and concurrent validation of a short form. The results support the measurement of drive, which hitherto had not been explicitly defined and operationalized accordingly. Exploratory structural equation modeling recovered 3 oblique factors, labeled “passion,” “effort,” and “ideation.” The instrument also evidenced reliability (internal consistency and test-retest), as well as convergent/discriminant, predictive, and incremental validity. Consistency between 2 forms and with previous results strengthens the robustness of findings. Applications of drive theory and assessment in organizational and career contexts are discussed.