Abstract

Anchored in a comprehensive literature review of previous person-centered research focused on work motivation profiles, the present study seeks to validate a series of theoretical scenarios likely to drive employees’ motivational orientation at work. Relying on a longitudinal study of 865 Canadian employees who started their job within the last six months, we assess the relevance of these profiles among newcomers, as well as their within-sample (generalizability over time) and within-person (profile membership and transitions) stability over a time interval of six months. To assess the construct validity of these profiles, we finally assessed their associations with need supportive and need thwarting work conditions (predictors) and a series of outcomes related to employees’ work functioning (turnover intention, emotional exhaustion, job engagement, and performance). Our results revealed five distinct profiles (Weakly Motivated Value-Driven, Self-Determined Value-Driven, Weakly Motivated/Amotivated, Strongly Motivated, and Self-Determined Hedonist) which were mainly consistent with some of the proposed scenarios. We also found that participants reporting more need supportive behaviors were more likely to belong to the Strongly Motivated and Self-Determined Hedonist profiles, while those reporting more need thwarting behaviors were more likely to belong to the Weakly Motivated Value-Driven, Self-Determined Value-Driven, and Weakly Motivated/Amotivated profiles. Finally, whereas more self-determined profiles tended to report more adaptive outcomes (i.e., lower levels of emotional exhaustion and turnover intention, and higher levels of job engagement and performance), results also revealed unexpectedly high levels of emotional exhaustion and turnover intention among the Strongly Motivated profile.