基于自我决定理论的工作动机研究脉络及未来走向

对2018年5月为止基于自我决定理论的工作动机研究英文文献的系统检索得到了97篇实证研究样本。基于自我决定理论的核心假设, 运用“环境-基本心理需要-工作动机-结果”的理论模型对工作动机前因和结果的研究脉络进行了仔细地分析和归纳, 结果表明员工基本心理需要满足和自主性工作动机作为中介变量可解释自主性支持的工作环境和员工个体特征对工作行为、态度和心理健康的积极影响。将来的主要研究议题：一是对控制性工作环境具体因素对员工基本心理需要阻滞、控制性动机和去动机以及员工工作行为、态度和心理健康影响的研究; 二是不同动机类型对员工业绩、行为和态度影响的过程以及情境因素的研究; 三是外部奖励(包括薪酬、基于业绩的奖励等)对员工工作动机、基本心理需要、工作业绩和心理健康的影响及边界条件的深入研究。

Streams and future directions of research on work motivation based on the self-determination theory

The study reported here is based on our thorough review on 97 articles published in English before May, 2018 as a result of our extensive literature searches. Based on the core hypotheses of the self-determination theory and applying the theoretical framework of “environment - basic psychological needs - work motivation - outcome”, we systematically analyzed and summarized the current streams and future directions of research on the causes and outcomes of work motivation. Our research reveals that employees’ basic psychological need satisfaction and autonomous motivation as intermediary variables can explain the positive impact of autonomy-supportive working environment, and employees’ individual characteristics on their work behavior, attitude, and mental health. Future research focuses that we are proposing include: (1) specific factors of controlled working environment and their impact on employees’ basic psychological need satisfaction and thwarting, controlled motivation, amotivation, work behavior, attitude, and mental health, (2) mediators and moderators of different motivation types and their effect on employee performance, behavior and attitude, and (3) impacts of external rewards, including pay and performance-based bonuses, on employees’ work motivation, basic psychological need satisfaction, performance, and mental health as well as the boundary conditions of these effects.