Promoting autonomy to reduce employee deviance : the mediating role of identified motivation
Article [Version of Record]
Is part of
International journal of business and management ; vol. 13, no. 5, pp. 61-71.Publisher(s)
Canadian center of science and educationAuthor(s)
Abstract(s)
The organizational environment is purported to have a profound impact on how employees behave at work. In
particular, the extent to which the work environment can foster autonomy in employees has been shown to
predict several positive outcomes for employees and organizations. This research explores the associations
between employees’ experiences of autonomy at work and organizational deviance. We also investigate the
mechanisms underlying this association and the possible role of identified motivation as a mediator of this
relation. Three studies conducted in a variety of settings, countries, populations and assessment methods showed
that employees who experience more autonomy at work tend to engage in lower levels of organizational
deviance. Two studies also showed that this relation was mediated by identified motivation. Thus, employees’
experiences of autonomy at work seemed to foster higher levels of identified motivation towards work, which in
turn predicted lower levels of organizational deviance. The present results may help guide managerial training
and promote organizational cultures that are respectful of employee autonomy, potentially reducing the costs
associated with organizational deviance.
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