How perceptions of organizational politics influence self-determined motivation: The mediating role of work mood

Abstract

Abstract The relationship between perceptions of organizational politics (POPs) and self-determined work motivation has yet to be understood rigorously. Drawing on self-determination theory, affective events theory, and emotion-associated theories, we propose (1) that organizational politics is a crucial factor affecting self-determined motivation in organizations and (2) that work mood (e.g. anxiety and depression) is a psychological mediator affected by POPs and affecting self-determined motivation. We tested the model by using a Taiwanese sample of considerable variability in gender, hierarchical level, and tenure. Analysis results indicate that POPs diminish intrinsic motivation, autonomous extrinsic motivation, and controlled extrinsic motivation, but increase amotivation. Anxiety is a partial mediator in the POPs–intrinsic motivation, POPs–autonomous extrinsic motivation, and POPs–controlled extrinsic motivation relationships, but anxiety does not mediate the relationship between POPs and amotivation. In contrast, depression is a partial mediator in the POPs–intrinsic motivation and POPs–amotivation relationships, and it is a complete mediator in the POPs–autonomous extrinsic motivation and POPs–controlled extrinsic motivation relationships. Given that work motivation is an important determinant of employee work behaviors; our results specify a possible link between POPs and employee outcomes. The distinct mediating roles of anxiety and depression in the POPs-work motivation relationships imply that different types of political behavior might induce distinctive work moods that produce divergent organizational outcomes.