Middle-East Journal of Scientific Research 13 (10): 1302-1311, 2013 ISSN 1990-9233 © IDOSI Publications, 2013 DOI: 10.5829/idosi.mejsr.2013.13.10.1157 Corresponding Author: Roya Karami, Department of Professional Development and Continuing Education, Faculty of Educational Studies, Universiti Putra Malaysia, 43400 Serdang, Selangor, Malaysia. Tel: +6 0104281280. 1302 Perceived Supervisor Supports: Contribution to Aspiration, Mastery and Salience as Three Dimensions of Achievement Motivation Roya Karami and Maimunah Ismail Department of Professional Development and Continuing Education, Faculty of Educational Studies, Universiti Putra Malaysia, 43400 Serdang, Selangor, Malaysia Abstract: This study examines the influence of perceived work and non-work supervisor supports on aspiration, mastery and salience. Aspiration, mastery and salience are the three dimensions of achievement motivation. A total of 303 Iranian extension agents were surveyed using a set of structured questionnaire. The results show that there are sequential relationships among the three dimensions of achievement motivation. The results also show that perceived supervisor work supports influence employees’ aspiration and mastery, while, supervisor non-work supports is associated with aspiration and salience. Practical and theoretical contributions of this study to human resource issues are also discussed. Key words: Supervisor Supports Aspiration Mastery Salience Behavioral Intention Psychological Aspect Extension Agents INTRODUCTION motivation that are direction, effort and persistence. Over the past decades, studies have confirmed the concur with the above aspects of achievement motivation positive relationship between supervisor supports and and are in agreement with Farmer [5] who defined employees’ job outcomes; however the intricacies achievement motivation to include three dimensions of embedded within the relationship have not been fully aspiration, mastery and salience. Conceptualization of understood. Psychological aspect is one of the achievement motivation using three dimensions is also mechanisms that could explain the relationship between supported by London and Noe [6], who discussed the the supervisors’ and employees’ job outcomes [1, 2]. dimensions of achievement motivation consisting of One of the employees’ job outcomes is achievement identity, insight and resilience and interpreted them as motivation. Thus, this study aims: i) to test this parallel with the aspiration, mastery and salience concept psychological aspect in conceptualizing achievement of Farmer’s studies. Further, London and Noe [6] motivation; and ii) to investigate the influence of theorized the sequential relationships of aspiration toward supervisor work and non-work supports on achievement mastery and salience, which is also tested in a study [7] motivation dimensions that include aspiration, mastery among extension agents and found a significant path. and salience. Thus, in this research, achievement motivation is Motivation has been considered to have three conceptualized using the three dimensions that are psychological functions. First, energizing or activating aspiration, mastery and salience; this is used to test how behavior, which is a cognitive process that gets aspiration, as the first construct, affects mastery and individuals engaged in or turned off toward learning; consequently these two constructs affect salience, which second, directing behavior, defined as a cognitive process is the first objective of this study. that describes why one course of action is chosen over Aspiration refers to orientations toward a particular another; third, regulating persistence of behavior, which career goal [8], which significantly influences one’s value, describes why individuals persist towards goals [3]. norms, beliefs [9], pursuit of a particular career path and Armstrong [4] likewise discussed three constituents of regarded as a selected goal which is an intention to act in We believe that these three components of motivation