Abstract
Purpose. Employment of physical therapists in California is projected to increase by 42.9% over the next decade. With the number of graduates per year expected to fall short of anticipated turnover, recruitment and retention of satisfied, effective physical therapists is paramount. This study investigates whether job satisfaction is influenced by the personal trait of conation and whether a common conative mode of operating exists among physical therapists. Conation, one of three parts of the mind, is the instinctive willful action by which individuals naturally accomplish goals or tasks. Theoretical framework. Classic organizational behavior theories have explored cognitive (intellect) and affective (personality) explanations for motivation and job satisfaction, but the third part of the mind, conation (striving instincts), has not been investigated. Content and Process theories, including Herzberg's motivation-hygiene and Katz and Kahn's role stress theories, provide a foundation from which conation is introduced and integrated. Methodology. Survey research utilizing a standardized job satisfaction instrument, the Minnesota Job Satisfaction Questionnaire, and the Kolbe Conative Index® was employed to determine descriptive and comparative statistics about modes of operation and satisfaction among a sample of physical therapists working in Los Angeles County, California. Findings. The most prevalent insistent conative mode of operating (MO) among physical therapists was Fact Finders, an MO with tendencies toward information gathering, prioritizing and justifying. Age, years as a physical therapist and on current job demonstrated significant influence on satisfaction. Higher caseload, 12 or more patients per 8-hour day, unexpectedly yielded higher average satisfaction. Physical therapists demonstrated higher average satisfaction compared to normative data for other professions. No statistical significance between MO and satisfaction could be established. Conclusions and recommendations. The lack of influence by any particular conative mode of operating on job satisfaction suggests that therapists over time find the setting, the specialty area of practice and style of treating that emphasizes their naturally instinctive talents. A new theoretical model connecting classic organizational behavior theories with the Kolbe Creative Process® model is presented for a comprehensive explanation of motivated behavior. The small sample size and uneven representation in specialty areas of practice are limitations of the study.