LABOR INTERESTS AS A KEY FACTOR IN THE INVOLVEMENT AND PERFORMANCE OF EDUCATIONAL TECHNOLOGY EMPLOYEES
Work activity in a post-industrial digital society differs fundamentally from our past ideas about work. The characteristics of this activity are changing just as rapidly, the motivation in employees of the information technology sphere, in particular. In this regard, the study of the role of labor interests, their relationship with the involvement and efficiency of workers in this area remains an urgent problem.Objective. The research analyses the relationship between labor interests as a value-motivational, emotionally colored position of an employee, expressed in a practical attitude to work, and the organizational and job involvement and employee’s performance.Methods. To measure the level of employees’ involvement and their interest, an author’s questionnaire of 54 questions was compiled, including the scales of work and organizational involvement and the measurement of labor interests. Also, evaluation sheets to measure performance were developed in collaboration with the heads of the company in question. Three groups of criteria were covered: qualitative, quantitative and temporal. Sample. The study involved personnel of an international company operating in the field of educational technologies in Russian and European markets. The survey involved respondents of various job levels from top management to specialists (N = 155, 48% women, 52% men), aged 18 to 36 years with work experience from 0.5 to 3 years. 60% of respondents have higher education, 40% of participants combine work and studies, reporting incomplete higher education.Results. The study results were verified with the Spearman correlation analysis. Factors of organizational and work involvement, types of labor interests, as well as performance were subjected to verification. Significant correlations were found on almost all scales, which confirmed the hypothesis that posited involvement of employees as being directly dependent on their interests. Career interests were significantly associated with the qualitative criterion of performance at the level of p < 0.01. Referential interests also had a correlation with employees’ performance. It turned out that top managers of the company have the highest performance and involvement rates.Conclusion. From the obtained correlation of professional interests and work involvement, it follows that a person is more actively immersed in work when the professional interests are taken into account. The connection between corporate interests and organizational involvement was also confirmed. It was found that organizational and job involvement are associated with such spheres of employees’ interest as group, career, professional, corporate and referential.