Motivations, work–family enrichment and job satisfaction: an indirect effects model

Pages903-920
DOIhttps://doi.org/10.1108/PR-06-2019-0289
Published date21 November 2019
Date21 November 2019
AuthorMaree Roche,Jarrod Haar
Subject MatterHR & organizational behaviour,Global HRM
Motivations, workfamily
enrichment and job satisfaction:
an indirect effects model
Maree Roche
University of Waikato, Hamilton, New Zealand, and
Jarrod Haar
Department of Management,
Auckland University of Technology, Auckland, New Zealand
Abstract
Purpose Increasingly, leaders are faced with complex, difficult and demanding situations that challenge
their very sense of self, including their workplace wellbeing. It has been suggested that this challenge can be
mitigated for leaders by pursuing goals and activities that reflect their beliefs, interests and values. As such,
leaders whose motivations reflect intrinsic and self-congruent beliefs and values are likely to experience
beneficial wellbeing, yet, reviewing this from a self-determination theory (SDT) lens, the authors find this
assertion remains to be fully tested. Concurrently, the workfamily enrichment (WFE) literature highlights
that potential positive synergies exist between work and home. The authors further argue that this synergy
may also provide greater insight and understanding into the quality of leadersmotivation and wellbeing, and
as such also requires attention. As such, the purpose of this paper is to examine the path to wellbeing for
leaders and includes leaders’“whole lives(including enrichment) and not just their work lives (motivations).
Design/methodology/approach Quantitative research including two studies of 386 junior/seniorleaders
and 205 CEOs, investigated the role of motivation as defined by SDT and WFE towards leadersjob
satisfaction. Hypotheses were tested using SEM in AMOS to assess the direct and meditational effects of the
study variables.
Findings A partial mediation model was found to best fit the data for both studies. In study 1, the effects of
self-determined motivation dimensions on job satisfaction were fully mediated by WFE and familywork
enrichment (FWE). However, the non-self-determined dimensions of SDT motivations were directly and
negatively related to job satisfaction and enrichment. In study 2, self-determined forms of motivation were
positively related to WFE and FWE and job satisfaction, while only WFE was positively related to job
satisfaction. The non-self-determined dimensions of SDT motivations were directly and negatively related to
WFE and job satisfaction.
Research limitations/implications Overall, both studies show that the influence of motivations on job
satisfaction of leaders is better understood through enrichment. As such organisations are encouraged to
enhance both leaders motivations, and enrichment, in order to facilitate a path to job satisfaction.
Originality/value This paper is the first to test over two studies and levels of leadership, motivation and
enrichment for leaders. As such this paper provides a novel pathto wellbeing that includes aspects of the
leadersmotivation, as well as the importance of leadersenrichment and home domain. Overall the authors
suggest that leaders’“wholelives play a role in their job satisfaction, and this is important to understand as
the authors try to resource leaders, who work in an increasingly demanding workplace environment.
Keywords Quantitative, Workfamily enrichment, Motivation, Job satisfaction,
Self-determination theory, Leaders
Paper type Research paper
Introduction
Leadersmoods, behaviours and workfamily environments are contagious and have a
direct influence on employee wellbeing and morale (Sy et al., 2005; ten Brummelhuis et al.,
2014). Yet very little information sheds light on the path to leaders own wellbeing.
Increasingly, leaders are faced with complex, difficult and demanding situations that
challenge their very sense of self let alone their ability to positively influence others (ten
Brummelhuis et al., 2014). It has been suggested that this challenge can be mitigated for
leaders by pursuing goals and activities that reflect their beliefs, interests and values
Personnel Review
Vol. 49 No. 3, 2020
pp. 903-920
© Emerald PublishingLimited
0048-3486
DOI 10.1108/PR-06-2019-0289
Received 4 June 2019
Revised 25 August 2019
Accepted 8 September 2019
The current issue and full text archive of this journal is available on Emerald Insight at:
https://www.emerald.com/insight/0048-3486.htm
903
Workfamily
enrichment and
job satisfaction
(Hannah et al., 2009). As such, leaders whose motivations reflect intrinsic and self-congruent
beliefs and values are likely to experience beneficial wellbeing (Gillet et al., 2012), yet,
reviewing this from a self-determination theory (SDT) lens, we find this assertion remains to
be fully tested (Gagné and Deci, 2005; Hannah et al., 2009).
Simultaneously, calls for a greater understanding of the role of leaders’“whole livesand
not just their work lives have also been made (Greenhaus and Powell, 2012; Haar and Roche,
2010). The workfamily enrichment (WFE) literature highlights that potential positive
synergies exist between work and home (Edwards and Rothbard, 2000). We argue that this
synergy may also provide greater insight and understanding into the quality of leaders
motivation and wellbeing, and as such also requires attention.
As job satisfaction is the most commonly employed measure of employee wellbeing at
work ( Judge and Klinger, 2008), this study seeks to extend the understanding of leadersjob
satisfaction, by drawing these disparate research streams together. First, we examine the
role of leadersmotivation, using the theoretical framework of SDT. We further test the role
of WFE on leadersmotivationjob satisfaction relationship, in particular, whether WFE
mediates this relationship.
Overall, this paper makes three contributions. First, we develop an understanding of
leader wellbeing by proposing that work motivation and WFE are both important
considerations in understanding leader job satisfaction. Second, we provide further research
support for the full range of motivation dimensions as suggested by the SDT, in relation to
understanding a leaders job satisfaction. Finally, we extend our understanding of job
satisfaction of leaders at different levels of the organisation by drawing on two separate
samples of leaders: junior and senior leaders, and CEOs (DeChurch et al., 2010). As such
our paper draws together to importance of leaders motivations towards job satisfaction
(over two samples of leaders), and the mediating effect of work/family enrichment on this
relationship. The study model is outlined in Figure 1.
Self-determination theory and motivation
SDT is concerned with how the quality of motivated action influences wellbeing outcomes
(Deci and Ryan, 2000; Deci et al., 2017). Generally, some motivational states enhance
wellbeing and result in a range of positive outcomes; these are termed self-determined.
WFE FWE
Self-Determined
Motivations
Non-Self-
Determined
Motivation
JOB
SATISFACTION
Figure 1.
Basic model study
(motivations,
enrichment and job
satisfaction)
904
PR
49,3

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