Abstract

The article presents information on the motivational style of industrial scientists and engineers. Scientists and engineers are lumped together as "professionals" in much industrial and development research. The assumption is that they exhibit essentially the same behavioral characteristics in terms of their work goals, needs and job attitudes.' "Professional" is used here to refer to "those who are considered by their colleagues to be members of professional groups." A few writers, however, have viewed both groups as being basically different. The evidence, thus, is mixed on whether scientists' perceived work goals, needs and job attitudes are similar to or different from those of engineers in industry. The research reported here deals primarily with the perceived need systems and motivational styles of scientists and engineers in industry. It is based on data derived from a larger study that has attempted to inquire into the role perception of scientists as a group distinguished from engineers.