Motivational Immediacy in the Workplace

Learners are always motivated; they just may not be motivated to learn the things you are wanting them to learn. Motivational Immediacy refers to the moment-by-moment motivation of learners during a learning event. This is in contrast to typical global views of motivation, and while casting a much heavier burden on the instructor, brings with it more deep, meaningful, and permanent learning.Motivational Immediacy in the Workplace focuses not only on fostering learner engagement with a primary emphasis on the role of the instructor, but also addresses the work and concerns of curriculum writers and training directors. The author defines Motivational Immediacy as both a phenomenon and a practice and provides concrete steps for practical action. Motivational Immediacy, as a construct, refers to a moment-by-moment feeling of motivation on the part of the learner to engage in the learning opportunity directly at hand. As a practice, it is the instructor’s process of working to stay connected with individual learners and foster engagement consistently at every moment of the teaching activity. The author addresses this idea from a learner-centered orientation, making the case that understanding and empathizing with the learner’s perceptions is the most effective way to promote efficient, meaningful learning.The book will provide a comprehensive conceptualization of learning engagement and learning resistance. It begins with a substantial theoretical framework and then shifts to direct applications to practice in the workplace. Motivational Immediacy is multidisciplinary and draws from fields such as Adult Education, Workplace and Training Development, Psychology, Educational Psychology, Sociology, Cultural Anthropology, and Communications.

Jonathan E. Taylor is an Associate Professor at Auburn University (USA). He holds a Ph.D. in Educational Psychology and Research from the University of Tennessee. Prior to his academic career, he spent over a decade as a training coordinator and an instructor in workplace contexts. His areas of interest and scholarship are applied philosophy, conceptual change, and learning resistance and engagement in workplace contexts.