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The Role of Workers’ Motivational Profiles in Affective and Organizational Factors

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Abstract

We used latent profile analyses to understand how the different forms of motivation proposed by self-determination theory combine with each other and how they relate to some organizational factors (i.e., perceived organizational support and procedural justice) and well-and ill-being indicators (i.e., work engagement, quality of working life, work satisfaction, job anxiety, and burnout). The research draws upon quantitative data collected by means of a questionnaire that was administered to 328 employees (Study 1) and 521 employees (Study 2) from various French companies. Results revealed that workers characterized by the two most autonomous motivational profiles displayed higher levels of work engagement, quality of working life, and work satisfaction, and lower levels of burnout and job anxiety than those with low levels of autonomous motivation, and introjected and external regulations (Low AU/INR/EXR profile), and those with moderate levels of autonomous motivation, moderate to high levels of introjected regulation, and moderate levels of external regulation (Mod AU/INR/EXR profile in Study 1 and Mod AU–High INR–Mod EXR profile in Study 2). Of interest is that the High AU–Low INR/EXR and High AU/INR–Low EXR profiles did not differ on well- and ill-being. In addition, perceived organizational support and procedural justice were associated with a greater probability of belonging to the High AU–Low INR/EXR and High AU/INR–Low EXR profiles, taking the Low AU/INR/EXR profile as a referent. The present research contributes towards a better understanding of the links between workers’ motivational profiles and affective and organizational factors.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. EA 2114 Psychologie des Âges de la Vie (PAV), Département de psychologie, UFR Arts et Sciences Humaines, Université François-Rabelais de Tours, 3 rue des Tanneurs, 37041, Tours Cedex 1, France

    Nicolas Gillet & Evelyne Fouquereau

  2. Laboratoire de Recherche sur le Comportement Social, Université du Québec à Montréal, Montreal, QC, Canada

    Robert J. Vallerand

  3. EA 6296 VAL de LOire REcherche en Management (VALLOREM), Université François-Rabelais de Tours, Tours, France

    Jocelyne Abraham & Philippe Colombat

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  1. Nicolas Gillet
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  2. Evelyne Fouquereau
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  3. Robert J. Vallerand
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  4. Jocelyne Abraham
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  5. Philippe Colombat
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Correspondence to Nicolas Gillet.

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Gillet, N., Fouquereau, E., Vallerand, R.J. et al. The Role of Workers’ Motivational Profiles in Affective and Organizational Factors. J Happiness Stud 19, 1151–1174 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10902-017-9867-9

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