How challenging was your work today? The role of autonomous work motivation
Document Type
Journal article
Source Publication
European Journal of Work and Organizational Psychology
Publication Date
1-1-2017
Volume
26
Issue
1
First Page
81
Last Page
93
Publisher
Routledge
Keywords
autonomous work motivation, challenge and hindrance job demands, diary methodology, employee engagement, work-related well-being
Abstract
The main aim of this study was to investigate whether autonomous motivation for work can explain the distinctive associations between hindrance and challenge demands and work-related well-being (i.e., positive affect and work engagement) on a within-person level. Autonomous work motivation represents the degree to which motivation for putting effort in work is intrinsic (i.e., with a sense of volition and personal choice) or has been internalized (i.e., without feelings of internal or external pressure). In order to test our hypotheses, we employed a diary methodology and followed 153 secondary school teachers throughout five consecutive working days. The results of multilevel modelling provided support for the hypothesized research model. On days when teachers experienced more challenges, they also experienced more positive affect and more engagement in their work on the same day, and this relationship could be explained by (higher) autonomous work motivation on that day. In contrast, on days when teachers experienced more hindrance demands, they experienced less positive affect and less work engagement, and this process was explained by (reduced) autonomous work motivation that day. Our findings add to the literature by showing that daily autonomous motivation as a motivational process can explain why daily challenge and hindrance demands are differentially related to positive well-being at work.
DOI
10.1080/1359432X.2016.1208653
Print ISSN
1359432X
E-ISSN
14640643
Publisher Statement
Copyright © 2016 Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor & Francis Group. Access to external full text or publisher's version may require subscription.
Full-text Version
Publisher’s Version
Language
English
Recommended Citation
Tadić Vujčić, M., Oerlemans, W. G. M., & Bakker, A. B. (2017). How challenging was your work today? The role of autonomous work motivation. European Journal of Work and Organizational Psychology, 26(1), 81-93. doi: 10.1080/1359432X.2016.1208653