07 / 2008 The negative side of motivation : the role of shame

Shame has been called the `negative side of an individual’s motivational scheme’ (Giddens 1991:64) but such statements have not been reflected in work analysing how shame influences motivation. Shame has been identified as having an important role in self-regulation in its capacity to establish or modify a person’s behaviour and thoughts, usually as the result of an act or omission, or a sense of a personal failing or defect, which will elicit contempt or derision from others. But the experience of shame can help to reinforce social norms within the organisation and so help social cohesion. We examine the relationship between shame and work motivation. We identify a set of relationships between the emotion and goal setting. The analysis of shame allows us to deepen conceptions of emotional effects and theoretically show how the identification and specification of distinct emotions rather than generalised ones such as core affect will provide for an enhanced understanding of motivation.