Unraveling the importance of the quantity and the quality of workers motivation for well–being: a person–centered perspective

Elsevier 2013

The current study compares the quantitative and the qualitative viewpoints on work motivation by relying on Self-Determination Theory's differentiation between autonomous and controlled motivation. Specifically, we employed a person-centered approach to identify workers' naturally occurring motivational profiles and compared them in terms of positive and negative aspects of worker well-being. Across a representative population sample (Sample 1) as well as two divergent samples of different organizations (Samples 2 and 3), four profiles were found: (1) a HA-HC profile characterized by high autonomous and high controlled motivation, (2) a HA-LC profile characterized by high autonomous and low controlled motivation, (3) a LA-HC profile typified by low autonomous and high controlled motivation and (4) a LA-LC profile characterized by low autonomous and low controlled motivation. In general, workers in the former two profiles (both scoring high on autonomous motivation) reported most job satisfaction, work enthusiasm/engagement and the lowest levels of strain/burnout. The latter two profiles (both scoring low on autonomous motivation) displayed the least optimal outcomes. Results seem to point at the importance of autonomous motivation.

Open access content. Open access content

English

Y@Y oai:repository.nwu.ac.za:10394/14284
Van Den Broeck, A. et al. 2013. Unraveling the importance of the quantity and the quality of workers motivation for well–being: a person–centered perspective. Journal of vocational behavior, 82:69-78. [http://www.elsevier.com/locate/jvb#sthash.GWTZ9BoY.dpuf]
0001-8791
1095-9084
1182807653

NORTH-WEST UNIV LIBR
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