Author : Jinda Khlibtong

Summary : The study attempted to determine the level of achievement motivation and job performance of extension workers in Eastern Thailand. It also studied the relationship between achievement motivation and selected factors such as personal characteristics, job characteristics, and work environment and achievement motivation. The relationship between achievement motivation and level of job performance was also examined. One hundred ninety-two extension workers and 58 supervisors served as respondents of the study. Data were gathered using questionnaire and were analyzed with the use of the measures of central tendency, chi-square test, and Pearson Correlation Coefficient. Most of the extension workers were male and about 30 years old. They have been working as extension workers for eight years. Their parents' standard of achievement, warmth, and encouragement were high but their authoritarianism was low. They have low aspiration but good work attitude. About half of the extension workers claimed that the autonomy in their work was low. Their work entailed various tasks, has identity, and enabled them to effectively received effective feedback. In general, the quality of supervision was good but peer-group relation was poor. Most of the respondents served small groups of farmers and most of them agreed that the area of assignment was not problematic. They perceived the quality of service system from Department of Agricultural Extension (DOAE) as good. Most of them received reward from DOAE. Majority of the extension workers have a high level of achievement motivation and job performance, especially in training and meeting. Aspiration, parent's achievement, parent's warmth and encouragement, and attitude toward work were found significantly related with achievement motivation. Among the different job characteristics, variety in task, work feedback, and task identity were found significantly related with achievement motivation. Work environment such as supervision, peer-group relationship, quality of service.