Abstract
This study applied self-determination theory (SDT) to investigate the relationships between work motivation and work behaviour of Chinese employees and the moderating role of financial stress. Data were obtained from 245 employees of five organisations in China using a convenience sampling technique. The results indicated that autonomous motivation positively predicted work performance and innovative work behaviour, while controlled motivation had a positive effect only on work performance of employees. In addition, financial stress moderated the relationships between autonomous motivation and work performance and innovative work behaviour of employees. Specifically, the beneficial effect of autonomous motivation on work performance and innovative work behaviour disappeared when financial stress was high. The findings of the present study supported cultural similarities in the positive role of autonomous motivation and showed cultural differences in the role of controlled motivation. The implications of this study are also discussed.
Highlights
Work motivation has been identified as an essential factor in predicting work behaviour of employees (e.g., Pinder, 1998; Zhang, 2019)
The results showed that autonomous motivation positively and significantly predicted work performance (β = 0.27, p < 0.001) and innovative work behaviour (β = 0.13, p = 0.046), which explained 7 and 2% of the variance, respectively
Our findings suggested that autonomous motivation was conducive to work performance and innovative work behaviour of Chinese employees
Summary
Work motivation has been identified as an essential factor in predicting work behaviour of employees (e.g., Pinder, 1998; Zhang, 2019). While several theories have been proposed, one theory that has led to an impressive amount of research is self-determination theory (SDT; Ryan and Deci, 2000; Deci and Ryan, 2008). In contrast to traditional theories that have treated motivation as a unitary concept that varies primarily in amount (e.g., Bandura, 1996; Baumeister and Vohs, 2007), SDT argued that there are different types of motivation and that the type of motivation is generally more important than the amount in predicting the important outcomes of life (Deci and Ryan, 2000). SDT proposes that there are three types of internalisation (identified regulation, introjected regulation, and external regulation) that differ in the degree to which the regulations become integrated with a person’s sense of self
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