Abstract
In the present study, we examined how different forms of achievement motive interact to predict daily flow experience and work engagement. In particular, we conducted two diary studies to examine the main and interaction effects of motive enactment via extension memory (a macrosystem that enables holistic and experience-based information processing) and via the object recognition system (an alert-oriented macrosystem). In study 1, in line with personality systems interaction (PSI) theory, we found that motive enactment via extension memory fosters both day-specific flow and work engagement, whereas the conjunction of both forms of motive enactment has beneficial effects on flow and work engagement (two-way interaction). In study 2, we found that role clarity moderates the interaction of the two forms of enactment, indicating that the two-way interaction occurs when role clarity is low. Our results imply that the interplay of different dispositional forms of achievement motive enactment shapes how employees experience flow and engagement.
Highlights
In different occupational and organizational settings, flow experience and work engagement have been repeatedly linked with psychological well-being (e.g., Peifer & Engeser, 2021; Rivkin et al, 2018) and job performance (e.g., Christian et al, 2011)
In light of the finding that the impact of traits on motivational processes is contingent upon job conditions, we examine whether role clarity moderates the interaction effect of two forms of achievement motive enactment on day-specific work engagement and flow experience
We extend the research on the interplay between job characteristics and achievement motive enactment on work engagement and flow experience by introducing role clarity, which has previously been identified as an antecedent of work engagement, as a moderating variable (Kahn, 1990)
Summary
In different occupational and organizational settings, flow experience and work engagement have been repeatedly linked with psychological well-being (e.g., Peifer & Engeser, 2021; Rivkin et al, 2018) and job performance (e.g., Christian et al, 2011). Flow refers to peak experiences of energized motivation when people take on a task and is characterized by high involvement in an activity, a high sense of control, and a decelerated sense of time (Csikszentmihalyi & LeFevre, 1989; Csikszentmihalyi et al, 2005; Rivkin et al, 2018). Csikszentmihalyi (1990) introduced the concept of the autotelic personality, which describes individuals who tend to position themselves in situations that enable frequent experiences of flow states (Asakawa, 2014). High autotelic personality scores are positively related to the need for achievement (Csikszentmihalyi et al, 1993) and a stable motivational disposition, which is characterized by a recurrent preference for affectively rewarding experiences related to improving one’s performance (Atkinson, 1957; McClelland, 1985). Past research has demonstrated that such motivational dispositions drive goal-directed behavior
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