Autonomous motivational regulation as a resource for subjective professional well-being

Abstract

The study focuses on subjective occupational well-being as its object of research. The subject of the study is to assess the impact of autonomous and controlled forms of professional motivation on the characteristics of subjective occupational well-being of industrial workers. The role of autonomous and controlled types of professional motivation concerning subjective occupational well-being is viewed within D. Leontiev's understanding of the «resource» category. The study sample consisted of 77 employees of two industrial enterprises in Barnaul, 48 of whom were directly involved in the production of material products, and 29 were engaged only in mental labor. Professional motivation was assessed in line with the Self-Determination Theory by E. Desi and R. Ryan, the concept of passion by R. Valleranda and K. Zamfira's approach. Subjective occupational well-being was investigated within the framework of the approach of E. Ruth and L. Augustova in addition to the optimal experience model of D. Leontiev. Established regression models demonstrated the positive contribution of autonomous motivational regulation to subjective professional well-being and, simultaneously, the negative impact of controlled motivation. The position on the importance of meeting basic psychological needs for autonomy, competence and relatedness for the formation of autonomous motivation, put forward in the Self-Determination Theory, is confirmed in our study. The practical significance of the research is based on the described methods of organizing a professional environment that contribute to the satisfaction of every psychological need. The theoretical significance lies in the proposition to consider experiences as «primary steps» in shaping subjective occupational well-being. It also makes up for the lack of data on the role of professional motivation in achieving subjective occupational well-being obtained in the Russian sample, considering the domestic understanding of the criteria of subjective occupational well-being.