Predicting affective well-being from self-determination needs satisfaction: The moderating role of work positivities and work negativities

• Main Author: YU, Chou Chuen
• Format: text
• Language: English
• Published: Institutional Knowledge at Singapore Management University 2015
• Subjects: self-determination theory; affective well-being; work place well-being; positive and negative affect; needs satisfaction; work environment; Industrial and Organizational Psychology; Psychology
• Online Access: https://ink.library.smu.edu.sg/etd_coll/123; https://ink.library.smu.edu.sg/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1127&context=etd_coll
• Institution: Singapore Management University

Self-determination theory (SDT; Deci & Ryan, 1985, 1991) proposes that conditions at work promoting the satisfaction of the three fundamental needs of competence, autonomy and relatedness engender positive well-being for employees. Whilst there is some research on the affective components (i.e., positive and negative affect) of well-being at the workplace involving SDT, the boundary conditions (i.e., moderators) for the relationship between self-determination needs satisfaction (SDNS) and these affective components have not been examined. Using a sample of employees from different industries in the United States, this study hypothesised and tested the moderating effects of three pairs of work environment variables (i.e., supportive-abusive supervisors, supportive-abusive colleagues, positive-negative working conditions) with contrasting valence (termed work positivities vs. work negativities) on the relationship between self-determination needs satisfaction and affective well-being outcomes at work (i.e., positive affect and negative affect). Both composite measures and the relevant subscales were tested. Results supported several hypotheses of moderator effects in which the strength of the relationship between SDNS and affective well-being at work was dependent on the level of work negativities (e.g. negative working conditions and abusive colleagues). Although several moderator effects in which the strength of the relationship between SDNS and positive affect at work were dependent on the level of work positivities, the nature of the interactions were not as hypothesised. Implications of the results and future directions for research were discussed in terms of the understanding self-determination needs satisfaction within the context of other work environment variables.