TY - JOUR

T1 - The self-concept of book publishers and its significance for job satisfaction and satisfaction with economic success

AU - Martin, Albert

AU - Bartscher‐Finzer, Susanne

PY - 2014/4

Y1 - 2014/4

N2 - The present article analyses two opposing self-concepts of entrepreneurs in the bookpublishing industry based on the well-known culture/commerce divide that operatesin cultural industries. It analyses the effects of the self-concepts on entrepreneurialorientation, intrinsic motivation, job satisfaction and satisfaction with the economicsuccess. The main result of our study is that there are two ways for gaining work satisfactionas a publisher. Both have inherent constraints. Publishers with a strong idealisticorientation to promote cultural goals are often not very satisfied with the economicsuccess of their enterprises. However, their high intrinsic motivation enhances theirjob satisfaction. Publishers with a strong economic orientation derive their satisfactionprimarily from their firms’ success and obtain high job satisfaction from that. Somewhatsurprisingly we find a strong relationship between satisfaction with success andintrinsic motivation, a result that seemingly contradicts the crowding-out thesis, whichasserts that extrinsic rewards undermine intrinsic motivation. The limitations of thisthesis and of its application to publishers are discussed. The data stems from a surveywith responses of 196 publishers.

AB - The present article analyses two opposing self-concepts of entrepreneurs in the bookpublishing industry based on the well-known culture/commerce divide that operatesin cultural industries. It analyses the effects of the self-concepts on entrepreneurialorientation, intrinsic motivation, job satisfaction and satisfaction with the economicsuccess. The main result of our study is that there are two ways for gaining work satisfactionas a publisher. Both have inherent constraints. Publishers with a strong idealisticorientation to promote cultural goals are often not very satisfied with the economicsuccess of their enterprises. However, their high intrinsic motivation enhances theirjob satisfaction. Publishers with a strong economic orientation derive their satisfactionprimarily from their firms’ success and obtain high job satisfaction from that. Somewhatsurprisingly we find a strong relationship between satisfaction with success andintrinsic motivation, a result that seemingly contradicts the crowding-out thesis, whichasserts that extrinsic rewards undermine intrinsic motivation. The limitations of thisthesis and of its application to publishers are discussed. The data stems from a surveywith responses of 196 publishers.

KW - Management studies

KW - book-publishing

KW - self-concept

KW - entrepreneurial orientation

KW - job satisfaction

KW - satisfaction with success

KW - job strain

KW - intrinsic motivation

KW - crowding-out hypothesis

U2 - 10.1688/mrev-2014-04-Martin

DO - 10.1688/mrev-2014-04-Martin

M3 - Journal articles

VL - 25

SP - 285

EP - 314

JO - Management Revue

JF - Management Revue

SN - 0935-9915

IS - 4

ER -