Decent Work and Self Determination Needs: Exploring Relational Workplace Civility as a Moderator

Abstract

Psychology of working theory (PWT) posits that having decent work, or work that meets the minimum necessary standards to promote adequate work lives, predicts whether one’s self-determination needs are met (autonomy, competence, and relatedness). While this proposition is well supported in the literature, examining moderators of these relations would advance theory by identifying who is able to benefit from decent work. Therefore, the current study examined workplace relational civility (WRC) as a potential moderator of decent work and self-determination needs among a large sample of working adults. Results were consistent with previous literature in that higher levels of decent work predicted greater self-determination need fulfillment. Furthermore, WRC significantly moderated the relations from decent work to relatedness and competence. Specifically, decent work had a stronger relation to both needs when WRC was low, suggesting that people working in relationally toxic work environments derive greater benefit from decent work.

Keywords

decent work psychology of working theory self determination workplace relational civility

Get full access to this article

View all access options for this article.

References

Al-Abediea

A. R. C.

Alib

K. H. M

. (2020). The influence of organizational rumors on employee's dignity (an empirical study at university of kufa, Iraq). International Journal of Innovation, Creativity, and Change, 14(7), 947–964.

Alan

Corekcioglu

Sutter

(2023). Improving workplace climate in large corporations: A clustered randomized intervention.The Quarterly Journal of Economics. 138(1), 151–203. https://doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.3929198

Allan

B. A.

Autin

K. L.

Duffy

R. D.

(2016). Self-determination and meaningful work: Exploring socioeconomic constraints. Frontiers in Psychology, 7(71), 1–9. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2016.00071

Allan

B. A.

Blustein

D. L.

(2022). Precarious work and workplace dignity during COVID-19: A longitudinal study. Journal of Vocational Behavior, 136(2), 103739. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jvb.2022.103739

Autin

K. L.

Allan

B. A.

(2020). Socioeconomic privilege and meaningful work: A psychology of working perspective. Journal of Career Assessment, 28(2), 241–256. https://doi.org/10.1177/1069072719856307

Autin

K. L.

Duffy

R. D.

Blustein

D. L.

Gensmer

N. P.

Douglass

R. P.

England

J. W.

Allan

B. A

. (2019). The development and initial validation of need satisfaction scales within the psychology of working theory. Journal of Counseling Psychology, 66(2), 195–209. https://doi.org/10.1037/cou0000323

Blustein

David L.

(2006). The psychology of working: A new perspective for career development counseling, and public policy. CRC Press.

Blustein

D. L.

(2011). A relational theory of working. Journal of Vocational Behavior, 79(1), 1–17. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jvb.2010.10.004

Blustein

D. L.

Duffy

R. D.

(2020). Psychology of working theory. In Brown

S. D.

Lent

R. W.

(Eds), Career development and counseling: Putting theory and research to work. John Wiley and Sons.

10.

Blustein

D. L.

Perera

H. N.

Diamonti

A. J.

Gutowski

Meerkins

Davila

Konowitz

(2020). The uncertain state of work in the US: Profiles of decent work and precarious work. Journal of Vocational Behavior, 122(1), 103481. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jvb.2020.103481

11.

Bureau of Labor Statistics (2021). American time use survey. https://www.bls.gov/news.release/pdf/atus.pdf

12.

Deci

E. L.

Olafsen

A. H.

Ryan

R. M.

(2017). Self-determination theory in work organizations: The state of a science. Annual Review of Organizational Psychology and Organizational Behavior, 4(1), 19–43. https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev-orgpsych-032516-113108

13.

Deci

E. L.

Ryan

R. M.

(2000). The “what” and “why” of goal pursuits: Human needs and the self-determination of behavior. Psychological Inquiry, 11(4), 227–268. https://doi.org/10.1207/s15327965pli1104_01

14.

DeSimone

J. A.

Harms

P. D.

DeSimone

A. J.

(2015). Best practice recommendations for data screening. Journal of Organizational Behavior, 36(2), 171–181. https://doi.org/10.1002/job.1962

15.

Di Fabio

(2014). Career counseling and positive psychology in the 21st century: New constructs and measures for evaluating the effectiveness of intervention. Journal of Counsellogy, 1, 193–213.

16.

Di Fabio

Gori

(2016). Developing a new instrument for assessing acceptance of change. Frontiers in Psychology, 7(802), 802. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2016.00802

17.

Di Fabio

Kenny

M. E.

. (2018). Intrapreneurial self-capital: A key resource for promoting well-being in a shifting work landscape. Sustainability, 10(9), 3035. https://doi.org/10.3390/su10093035

18.

Douglass

R. P.

Velez

B. L.

Conlin

S. E.

Duffy

R. D.

England

J. W

. (2017). Examining the psychology of working theory. Decent work among sexual minorities.Journal of Counseling Psychology, 64(5), 550–559. https://doi.org/10.1037/cou0000212

19.

Duffy

R. D.

Allan

B. A.

England

J. W.

Blustein

D. L.

Autin

K. L.

Douglass

R. P.

Santos

E. J

. (2017). The development and initial validation of the Decent Work Scale. Journal of Counseling Psychology, 64(2), 206. https://doi.org/10.1037/cou0000191

20.

Duffy

R. D.

Blustein

D. L.

Diemer

M. A.

Autin

K. L

. (2016). The psychology of working theory. Journal of Counseling Psychology, 63(2), 127. https://doi.org/10.1037/cou0000140

21.

Duffy

R. D.

Kim

H. J.

Gensmer

N. P.

Raque-Bogdan

T. L.

Douglass

R. P.

England

J. W.

Buyukgoze-Kavas

(2019). Linking decent work with physical and mental health: A psychology of working perspective. Journal of Vocational Behavior, 112, 384–395. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jvb.2019.05.002

22.

England

J. W.

Duffy

R. D.

Gensmer

N. P.

Kim

H. J.

Buyukgoze-Kavas

Larson-Konar

D. M.

(2020). Women attaining decent work: The important role of workplace climate in Psychology of Working Theory. Journal of Counseling Psychology, 67(2), 251–264. https://doi.org/10.1037/cou0000411

23.

Ferraro

Santos

N. R. D.

Pais

Moreira

J. M.

(2017). Decent work and work motivation in lawyers: An empirical research. Revista Psicologia Organizações e Trabalho, 17(4), 192–200. https://doi.org/10.17652/rpot/2017.4.13908

24.

Gori

Topino

. (2020). Predisposition to change is linked to job satisfaction: Assessing the mediation roles of workplace relation civility and insight. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 17(6), 2141. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph17062141

25.

Holland

J. L.

(1997). Making vocational choices: A theory of vocational personalities and work environments. Psychological Assessment Resources. https://doi.org/10.1080/00220973.1985.11071939

26.

Huang

Shen

Yuan

(2022). How decent work affects affective commitment among Chinese employees: The roles of psychological safety and labor relations climate. Journal of Career Assessment, 30(1), 157–180. https://doi.org/10.1177/10690727211029673

27.

International Labour Organization . (2013). Decent work indicators: Concepts and definitions. https://www.ilo.org/integration/resources/pubs/WCMS_229374/lang--en/index.htm.

28.

International Labour Organization . (2022). Decent work and the social solidarity economy. https://www.ilo.org/wcmsp5/groups/public/–ed_norm/–relconf/documents/meetingdocument/wcms_841023.pdf

29.

Kim

H. J.

Duffy

R. D.

Lee

K. H

. (2019). Application of the psychology of working theory with Korean emerging adults. Journal of Counseling Psychology, 66(6), 701. https://doi.org/10.1037/cou0000368

30.

Kim

H. J.

McNeil-Young

V. A.

Wang

Duffy

R. D.

Underill

B. D.

(2022). Women of Color and decent work: An examination of psychology of working theory. The Career Development Quarterly, 70(2), 125–137. https://doi.org/10.1002/cdq.12291

31.

Lee

R. T.

Brotheridge

C. M.

(2006). When prey turns predatory: Workplace bullying as a predictor of counteraggression/bullying, coping, and well-being. European Journal of Work and Organizational Psychology, 15(3), 352–377. https://doi.org/10.1080/13594320600636531

32.

Manganelli

Thibault-Landry

Forest

Carpentier

(2018). Self-determination theory can help you generate performance and well-being in the workplace: A review of the literature. Advances in Developing Human Resources, 20(2), 227–240. https://doi.org/10.1177/1523422318757210

33.

Masdonati

Massoudi

Blustein

D. L.

Duffy

R. D.

(2022). Moving toward decent work: Application of the psychology of working theory to the school-to-work transition. Journal of Career Development, 49(1), 41–59. https://doi.org/10.1177/0894845321991681

34.

Strauss

Parker

S.K.

(2014). Effective and sustained proactivity in the workplace. The Oxford Handbook of Work Engagement, Motivation, and Self-Determination Theory. Oxford University Press. https://doi.org/10.1093/oxfordhb/9780199794911.013.007

35.

Super

D. E.

(1980). A life-span, life-space approach to career development. Journal of Vocational Behavior, 16(3), 282–298. https://doi.org/10.1016/0001-8791(80)90056-1

36.

Tebbe

E. A.

Allan

B. A.

Bell

H. L.

(2019). Work and well-being in TGNC adults: The moderating effect of workplace protections. Journal of Counseling Psychology, 66(1), 1–13. https://doi.org/10.1037/cou0000308

37.

Van den Broeck

Ferris

D. L.

Chang

C. H.

Rosen

C. C.

(2016). A review of self-determination theory’s basic psychological needs at work. Journal of Management, 42(5), 1195–1229. https://doi.org/10.1177/0149206316632058

38.

Vega

Comer

D. R.

(2005). Sticks and stones may break your bones, but words can break your spirit: Bullying in the workplace. Journal of Business Ethics, 58(1), 101–109. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10551-005-1422-7