What lies beneath: Using self -determination theory to understand the motives underlying citizenship behavior in organizations
Abstract
The present study investigated the motives underlying individuals' decisions to engage in citizenship behavior and technical behavior in organizations and the relationships of these motives to basic work needs within the framework of Self-Determination Theory (Deci & Ryan, 1985). Surveys were distributed to 750 administrative and clerical employees, co-workers, and their direct supervisors at a large university in the Midwest. Completed surveys were returned by 115 employees, 101 co-workers, and 91 supervisors resulting in 104 partial matches (matching employee and supervisor or co-worker surveys returned). It was predicted that intrinsically-oriented motives would be rated as more important for engaging in citizenship behavior while extrinsically-oriented motives would be rated as more important for engaging in technical behavior, and that intrinsically-oriented motives would be more strongly related (positively) to ratings of citizenship behavior while extrinsically-oriented motives would be more strongly related (positively) to ratings of technical behavior. It was also predicted that perceived competence, autonomy, and relatedness would be positively related to intrinsically-oriented motivation, and that intrinsically-oriented motivation would mediate the relationships between these work needs and citizenship behavior. The predicted relationships received mixed support. Overall, intrinsically-oriented motives were rated as more important for engaging in citizenship behaviors than technical behavior and extrinsically-oriented motives were rated as more important for technical behavior than for citizenship behaviors. With the exception of the relationships between identification motives for organizational support, conscientious initiative, and technical behavior, there were no significant differences in the strengths of the motive-behavior relationships between citizenship and technical behavior. Overall, perceived competence, relatedness, and autonomy were positively related to intrinsically-oriented motivation and the mediating role of intrinsically-oriented motivation was supported for the relationships between autonomy and competence and self-ratings of organizational support behavior but not for the relationships involving conscientious initiative behavior or technical behavior. Mediation could not be examined for personal support behavior. No significant results were obtained for supervisor and co-worker ratings of behaviors. Finally, results of hierarchical regression analyses revealed that motives added uniquely to the prediction of organizational support behavior and conscientious initiative behavior beyond work attitudes. Discussion of key findings, limitations, and future research are presented.
Degree
Ph.D.
Advisors
Reeve, Purdue University.
Subject Area
Occupational psychology
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