Self-determination trajectories at work: A growth mixture analysis

Abstract

The many theoretical and empirical studies of work motivation to date have not fully clarified how it develops and evolves over time. We therefore investigated profiles of employees to identify their self-determination trajectories, and we examined differences among these profiles with respect to diverse predictors and outcomes. We gathered data (at 0, 6, 12, and 24 months over a two-year period) from a sample of 660 nurses employed in public health care establishments. Longitudinal growth mixture analyses (GMA) revealed three distinct trajectory profiles, characterized by Increasing, Slightly Decreasing, and Decreasing global levels of self-determination at work. Importantly, when employees perceived supervisors' transformational leadership behaviors and task-level socialization more positively, they were more likely to belong to the Increasing profile. Moreover, higher levels of affective commitment to the occupation and the organization and lower levels of intentions to leave the occupation and the organization were also associated with the Increasing profile.