Can intrinsic motivation be attained through psychological detachment and job crafting: the mediating role of emotional stability

Abstract

PurposeThis paper conceptualizes the broaden-build and self-determination theories that act as the major theoretical framework to investigate the role of psychological detachment and job crafting behaviours in predicting intrinsic motivation through emotional stability. It was hypothesized that emotionally stable employees are better able to detach themselves from work and craft their job according to their preference and abilities, which would inculcate experience and make them intrinsically motivated.Design/methodology/approachThe sample comprised 396 employees, who are employed in different organizations across India. To test the hypotheses, the authors conducted structural equation modelling on SPSS AMOS 22.FindingsThe results highlight the partial mediating role of emotional stability in the association of psychological detachment with intrinsic motivation as well as the fully mediating role between job crating and intrinsic motivation.Research limitations/implicationsThe study is conducted in a non-western collectivist culture and it makes significant contribution to the available literature on intrinsic motivation by proving that psychological detachment and job crafting act as predictor and highlighting the psychological state through emotional stability. The study further adds toward theory building around the construct of emotional stability, as it is still in its infancy.Practical implicationsThis study has depicted that emotionally stable employees who are psychologically detached and have proactive job crafting behaviour can achieve higher intrinsic motivation.Originality/valueOn the basis of the recovery process (i.e. the effort-recovery model), the broaden and build theory and self-determination theory (SDT), this paper demonstrates that emotional stability plays the role of mediator that drives psychological detachment and encourages job crafting, which has the ability to intrinsically motivate the employees.

Extra-role behaviour of non-family employees in private family firms through job crafting: mediating role of workplace flourishing

“…This construct is said to comprise of two components: creativity at work and contextual performance (Demerouti et al, 2015). Creativity involves workers' proactive involvement in finding novel solutions to problems at work through idea generation (Amabile et al, 2005;Nehra et al, 2023). Whereas, contextual performance entails workers making themselves readily available to indulge in activities that may not be directly related to their job functions, but are more to do with contributing to the organization (de Gennaro, 2019).…”

“…With a world of work in such rapid flux, job crafting requires workers to anticipate and make changes in their way of working based on increases in uncertainty in the business environment (de Gennaro, 2019). As mentioned earlier, jobs that employees are supposed to perform may be designed by the managerial decision-makers and passed on down to the subordinates to follow, or alternately the employees could be empowered to design or craft their own jobs, known as self-job crafting (Nehra et al. , 2023).…”

“…With a world of work in such rapid flux, job crafting requires workers to anticipate and make changes in their way of working based on increases in uncertainty in the business environment (de Gennaro, 2019). As mentioned earlier, jobs that employees are supposed to perform may be designed by the managerial decision-makers and passed on down to the subordinates to follow, or alternately the employees could be empowered to design or craft their own jobs, known as self-job crafting (Nehra et al, 2023). The latter type, that of job crafting is when the employer gives workers the freedom to seek out the resources they need to perform their jobs to the fullest, to expand the boundaries of their work by seeking challenges beyond their normal tasks, and to reduce cognitive, emotional and physical demands of their existing tasks (Menachery, 2018).…”

“…Demerouti et al, 2015;Tims and Bakker, 2010). Overall, the empirical literature indicates that employee' job crafting leads to greater employee satisfaction, engagement and resilience (Nehra et al, 2023). Moreover, there is an enhanced employee-organization fit when workers are allowed to do job crafting (Menachary, 2018).…”

“…Firstly, the conceptual framework looks at employee' job crafting as the only driver of ERB among NFEs working in private family firms. However, there are other antecedents not considered in the current study, such as leadership style, rewards and recognition, employee voice, organizational justice, etc., that are also potentially significant drivers of positive behaviour of such employees (Nehra et al, 2023;Razzak et al, 2021). Hence, future researchers may consider investigating the influence of such factors on workplace flourishing and ERB.…”