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  • Employees often demonstrate various regulatory intentions toward multiple responsibilities they must fulfill on the job. Therefore, it is possible that employees’ motivation changes during the workday because of the various situations they have experienced and that these motivational fluctuations affect their subjective well-being across different activities. Following the integrated frameworks of the self-determination theory (SDT) and the hierarchical model of motivation (H-SDT), the present research studied the variations of employees’ daily motivation for work across different activities using the survey of day reconstruction method (DRM). Multi-level structural equation modeling (MSEM) was used to analyze the variations in the perceived three basic psychological (i.e., autonomy-, relatedness-, and competence-) needs-supportive features (NSFs), situational motivation, and variables capturing the employees’ subjective well-being (including vitality and positive/negative affect) laid out according to a list of work episodes in DRM. Results of this study confirmed that employees’ subjective well-being (mainly vitality and positive affect) were positively promoted by NSFs pertained to specific work activities via the indirect path of situational autonomous motivation at work. Furthermore, vitality and positive affect were also directly predicted by situational autonomous motivation. These empirical findings expanded the research evidence supporting employees’ subjective well-being as a multi-level and multi-dimensional dynamic motivational consequence promoted by configurable specific NSFs at work. We also discussed the limitations and future directions for this line of research.

  • Managers often need to stay motivated and effectively motivate others. Therefore, they should rely on evidence-based interventions to manage the daily routine of motivational dynamics at work. This research answered how self-determination-theory-based interventions change employees’ motivation and motivational consequences during short time frames (i.e., within an hour, within a few weeks/months). Field study one focused on assessing the effectiveness of a one-day training workshop in helping improve managers’ work motivation, basic psychological needs satisfaction/frustration, and changing managers’ needs-supportive/thwarting behaviors within a few weeks. Results supported the training effectiveness as managers were rated less needs-thwarting by their direct subordinates and self-reported improvement in needs satisfaction/frustration six weeks after completing the training program. Online study two used the mean and covariance structure analysis and tested the three types of basic psychological needs supportive/thwarting and control conditions (3x2x1 factorial design) on the situational motivation, vitality, and general self-efficacy for playing online word games within 30 minutes. Multi-group confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) confirmed the scalar measurement invariance, then latent group means comparison results showed consistently lower controlled motivation across the needs-supportive and thwarting experimental conditions. During a quick online working scenario, the theory-based momentary intervention effectively changed situational extrinsic self-regulation in Amazon MTurk participants. Supplementary structural equation modeling (SEM) analyses using experience samples supported the indirect dual-path model from basic needs satisfaction to vitality and general efficacy via situational motivation. We discussed the theoretical implications of the temporal properties of work motivation, the practical implications on employee training and organizational change programs, and the limitations.

Last update from database: 3/13/26, 4:15 PM (UTC)

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