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The Impact of Organizational Factors on Psychological Needs and Their Relations with Well-Being

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Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of the present research was to examine the relationships between perceived organizational support, perceptions of supervisor’s interpersonal style, psychological need satisfaction and need thwarting, and hedonic and eudaemonic well-being.

Design/Methodology/Approach

In Study 1 (n = 468), we tested a model in which workers’ perceived organizational support and their perceptions of their supervisor autonomy support independently predicted satisfaction of the workers’ needs for autonomy, competence, and relatedness, which in turn predicted aspects of hedonic and eudaemonic well-being. In Study 2 (n = 650), workers’ perceptions of supervisor controlling behaviors and need thwarting were added to the hypothesized model tested in Study 1. Scales of work satisfaction and positive affect were used to assess hedonic well-being, and a scale of psychological well-being was used to assess eudaemonic well-being.

Findings

Perceived organizational support and supervisors’ interpersonal style related to basic need satisfaction (Studies 1 and 2) and need thwarting (Study 2). In turn, need satisfaction predicted higher levels of hedonic and eudaemonic well-being, while need thwarting was negatively associated with hedonic and eudaemonic well-being.

Implications

The present results underscore the importance of understanding the mechanisms through which organizations and managers related to workers’ hedonic and eudaemonic well-being.

Originality/Value

This is the first research to provide evidence for the mediating role of need satisfaction and need thwarting in the relationships between perceived organizational support, perceptions of supervisor’s interpersonal style, and hedonic and eudaemonic well-being. The present results were obtained in two samples of employees from various small to large companies.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Psychologie des Âges de la Vie E.A. 2114, Département de Psychologie, UFR Arts et Sciences Humaines, Université François Rabelais – Tours, 3, Rue des Tanneurs, 37041, Tours Cedex 1, France

    Nicolas Gillet, Evelyne Fouquereau, Paul Brunault & Philippe Colombat

  2. Département d’Organisation et Ressources Humaines, Université du Québec à Montréal, Montreal, QC, Canada

    Jacques Forest

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  1. Nicolas Gillet
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  2. Evelyne Fouquereau
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  3. Jacques Forest
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  4. Paul Brunault
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  5. Philippe Colombat
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Correspondence to Nicolas Gillet.

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Gillet, N., Fouquereau, E., Forest, J. et al. The Impact of Organizational Factors on Psychological Needs and Their Relations with Well-Being. J Bus Psychol 27, 437–450 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10869-011-9253-2

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