Changes in Work Motivation During Transition: A Case from Slovenia

A longitudinal study of work motivation based on the VIE model was conducted in a Slovenian iron and steel organisation in five-year intervals from 1979 to 1994. During this period we can observe some changes in the importance of values and changes in the perceptions of the work environment. Results were interpreted as context-specific reflections of the macrosocietal changes that have occurred during the transition in Eastern and Central Europe. The results also indicate that meaningful changes in organizational culture and climate occurred long before the actual political and economic change happened. Limitations related to the nature of the research design and to the cross-level nature of transitional changes are discussed.