A Corporate Purpose as an Antecedent to Employee Motivation and Work Engagement
It is generally assumed that a corporate purpose aiming to benefit all stakeholders has a positive effect on employee motivation and engagement, but no empirical studies into these specific effects were found. To examine this assumption, a corporate mission and vision matching the definition of a hi...
| Main Authors: | , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Frontiers Media S.A.
2020-09-01
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| Series: | Frontiers in Psychology |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.frontiersin.org/article/10.3389/fpsyg.2020.572343/full |
| _version_ | 1818550613437317120 |
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| author | Lars van Tuin Wilmar B. Schaufeli Wilmar B. Schaufeli Anja Van den Broeck Anja Van den Broeck Willem van Rhenen |
| author_facet | Lars van Tuin Wilmar B. Schaufeli Wilmar B. Schaufeli Anja Van den Broeck Anja Van den Broeck Willem van Rhenen |
| author_sort | Lars van Tuin |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | It is generally assumed that a corporate purpose aiming to benefit all stakeholders has a positive effect on employee motivation and engagement, but no empirical studies into these specific effects were found. To examine this assumption, a corporate mission and vision matching the definition of a higher purpose were tested in two subsequent studies. The first study (N = 270) was a cross-sectional self-report study. The second study included a longitudinal design (N = 56) modeling purpose, motivation, and engagement in a cross-lagged panel model over three time-points. The results associated purpose with motivation and engagement. The subsequent longitudinal analysis confirmed the presumed directionality from purpose to engagement, but not to motivation. Hence, while a corporate purpose can be added to the list of antecedents to work engagement, the relationship with motivation, despite the significant association with purpose in the cross-sectional study, remains more complicated. The present study adds to the knowledge of the beneficial effects of a broader purpose and responds to the current surge of interest in purpose as an instrument for sustainable business. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-12T08:48:48Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-50322a304c524777a36b2295c2dcc927 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1664-1078 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-12T08:48:48Z |
| publishDate | 2020-09-01 |
| publisher | Frontiers Media S.A. |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Frontiers in Psychology |
| spelling | doaj.art-50322a304c524777a36b2295c2dcc9272022-12-22T00:30:19ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Psychology1664-10782020-09-011110.3389/fpsyg.2020.572343572343A Corporate Purpose as an Antecedent to Employee Motivation and Work EngagementLars van Tuin0Wilmar B. Schaufeli1Wilmar B. Schaufeli2Anja Van den Broeck3Anja Van den Broeck4Willem van Rhenen5Social, Health and Organizational Psychology, Utrecht University, Utrecht, NetherlandsSocial, Health and Organizational Psychology, Utrecht University, Utrecht, NetherlandsResearch Unit Work Occupational and Organizational Psychology and Professional Learning, KU Leuven, Leuven, BelgiumWork and Organization Studies, KU Leuven, Leuven, BelgiumOptentia, North West University, Vanderbijlpark, South AfricaProductivity and Engagement, Nyenrode Business Universiteit, Breukelen, NetherlandsIt is generally assumed that a corporate purpose aiming to benefit all stakeholders has a positive effect on employee motivation and engagement, but no empirical studies into these specific effects were found. To examine this assumption, a corporate mission and vision matching the definition of a higher purpose were tested in two subsequent studies. The first study (N = 270) was a cross-sectional self-report study. The second study included a longitudinal design (N = 56) modeling purpose, motivation, and engagement in a cross-lagged panel model over three time-points. The results associated purpose with motivation and engagement. The subsequent longitudinal analysis confirmed the presumed directionality from purpose to engagement, but not to motivation. Hence, while a corporate purpose can be added to the list of antecedents to work engagement, the relationship with motivation, despite the significant association with purpose in the cross-sectional study, remains more complicated. The present study adds to the knowledge of the beneficial effects of a broader purpose and responds to the current surge of interest in purpose as an instrument for sustainable business.https://www.frontiersin.org/article/10.3389/fpsyg.2020.572343/fullcorporate purposeautonomymotivationwork engagementself-determination theorycontribution |
| spellingShingle | Lars van Tuin Wilmar B. Schaufeli Wilmar B. Schaufeli Anja Van den Broeck Anja Van den Broeck Willem van Rhenen A Corporate Purpose as an Antecedent to Employee Motivation and Work Engagement Frontiers in Psychology corporate purpose autonomy motivation work engagement self-determination theory contribution |
| title | A Corporate Purpose as an Antecedent to Employee Motivation and Work Engagement |
| title_full | A Corporate Purpose as an Antecedent to Employee Motivation and Work Engagement |
| title_fullStr | A Corporate Purpose as an Antecedent to Employee Motivation and Work Engagement |
| title_full_unstemmed | A Corporate Purpose as an Antecedent to Employee Motivation and Work Engagement |
| title_short | A Corporate Purpose as an Antecedent to Employee Motivation and Work Engagement |
| title_sort | corporate purpose as an antecedent to employee motivation and work engagement |
| topic | corporate purpose autonomy motivation work engagement self-determination theory contribution |
| url | https://www.frontiersin.org/article/10.3389/fpsyg.2020.572343/full |
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