Intrinsic motivation as a moderator on the relationship between perceived job autonomy and work performance

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to explore an alternative relationship between job autonomy and employee outcomes. In contrast to the dominating view that perceived job autonomy leads to increased levels of intrinsic motivation and in turn work performance, we developed a hypothesis proposing that intrinsic motivation moderates the relationship between perceived job autonomy and work performance. Two cross-sectional surveys among 302 employees from different Norwegian service organizations showed that the relationship between perceived job autonomy and both self-reported and line-manager rated work quality was moderated by intrinsic motivation. The form of the moderation revealed a positive relationship only for employees high in intrinsic motivation in both studies. Implications for practice and directions for future research are discussed.