Need Satisfaction, Motivation, and Well-Being in the Work Organizations of a Former Eastern Bloc Country: A Cross-Cultural Study of Self-Determination
Abstract
Past studies in U.S. work organizations have supported a model derived from self-determination theory in which autonomy-supportive work climates predict satisfaction of the intrinsic needs for competence, autonomy, and relatedness, which in turn predict task motivation and psychological adjustment on the job. To test this model cross-culturally, the authors studied employees of state-owned companies in Bulgaria, a country that has traditionally had a central-planning economy, a totalitarian political system, and collectivist values. A sample from a privately owned American corporation was used for comparison purposes. Results using structural equation modeling suggested that the model fit the data from each country, that the constructs were equivalent across countries, and that some paths of the structural model fit equivalently for the two countries but that county moderated the other paths.
Integrity signals
Registry
Cites
Statistics
Claims the paper makes
Claims other papers make about this one
Each is checked against this paper’s own text: does it say what the citing paper says it does?
SDT posits that work climates that fulfill the three basic psychological needs can facilitate work engagement and motivation.
“SDT posits that work climates that fulfill the three basic psychological needs can facilitate work engagement and motivation (Deci et al., 2001).”
From Fostering Employee Trust via Effective Supervisory Communication during the COVID-19 Pandemic: Through the Lens of Motivating Language Theory (2022) · cites this paper as Deci et al., 2001
Studies of relatedness show it relates to well-being in diverse cultures.
“Studies of relatedness, as this construct is defined in self-determination theory, show it relates to well-being in di- verse cultures”
From Implications of an Emerging Integration of Universal and Culturally Specific Psychologies (2006) · cites this paper as Deci et al., 2001
Cites
Structural equation modeling in practice: A review and recommended two-step approach
Anderson, J. C., & Gerbing, D. W. (1988) · Psychological Bulletin · doi:10.1037/0033-2909.103.3.411 · Cited by 41,941 · see citing works
Ryan, R. M., & Deci, E. L. (2000) · American Psychologist · doi:10.1037//0003-066x.55.1.68 · Cited by 27,815 · see citing works
Self-citationComparative fit indexes in structural models.
Bentler, P. M. (1990) · Psychological Bulletin · doi:10.1037/0033-2909.107.2.238 · Cited by 25,266 · see citing works
The need to belong: Desire for interpersonal attachments as a fundamental human motivation.
Baumeister, R. F., & Leary, M. R. (1995) · Psychological Bulletin · doi:10.1037//0033-2909.117.3.497 · Cited by 23,245 · see citing works
Structural model evaluation and modification: An interval estimation approach
Steiger, J. H. (1990) · Multivariate Behavioral Research · doi:10.1207/s15327906mbr2502_4 · Cited by 7,408 · see citing works
Development of the Job Diagnostic Survey.
Hackman, J. R., & Oldham, G. R. (1975) · Journal of Applied Psychology · doi:10.1037/h0076546 · Cited by 7,246 · see citing works
Deci, E. L. (1975) · doi:10.1007/978-1-4613-4446-9 · Cited by 2,911 · see citing works
Self-citationIs there a universal need for positive self-regard?
Heine, S. J., Lehman, D. R., Markus, H. R., & Kitayama, S. (1999) · Psychological Review · doi:10.1037/0033-295x.106.4.766 · Cited by 2,247 · see citing works
Harlow, H. F. (1958) · American Psychologist · doi:10.1037/h0047884 · Cited by 2,022 · cited 2× · see citing works
“, Skinner, 1995; White, 1959); autonomy requires experiencing choice and feeling like the initiator of one’s own actions (deCharms, 1968; Deci, 1975); and relatedness requires a sense of mutual respect, caring, and reliance with others (Baumeister & Leary, 1995; Harlow, 1958).”
Background
Flagged first, then by citations
Cited by
Sorted by citations
On Happiness and Human Potentials: A Review of Research on Hedonic and Eudaimonic Well-Being
Ryan, R. M., & Deci, E. L. (2001) · Annual Review of Psychology · doi:10.1146/annurev.psych.52.1.141 · Cited by 11,567 · see citing works
Self-citationSelf‐determination theory and work motivation
Gagné, M., & Deci, E. L. (2005) · Journal of Organizational Behavior · doi:10.1002/job.322 · Cited by 7,757 · see citing works
Self-citationFacilitating optimal motivation and psychological well-being across life's domains.
Deci, E. L., & Ryan, R. M. (2008) · Canadian Psychology / Psychologie canadienne · doi:10.1037/0708-5591.49.1.14 · Cited by 2,900 · see citing works
Self-citationBasic psychological need satisfaction, need frustration, and need strength across four cultures
Chen, B., Vansteenkiste, M., Beyers, W., Boone, L., Deci, E. L., Van der Kaap-Deeder, J., Duriez, B., Lens, W., Matos, L., Mouratidis, A., et al. (2015) · Motivation and Emotion · doi:10.1007/s11031-014-9450-1 · Cited by 2,507 · see citing works
Self-citationVansteenkiste, M., & Ryan, R. M. (2013) · Journal of Psychotherapy Integration · doi:10.1037/a0032359 · Cited by 2,170 · see citing works
Self-citationBaard, P. P., Deci, E. L., & Ryan, R. M. (2004) · Journal of Applied Social Psychology · doi:10.1111/j.1559-1816.2004.tb02690.x · Cited by 1,886 · see citing works
Self-citationREEVE, J. (2009) · Educational Psychologist · doi:10.1080/00461520903028990 · Cited by 1,728 · see citing works
A Review of Self-Determination Theory’s Basic Psychological Needs at Work
Van den Broeck, A., Ferris, D. L., Chang, C.-H., & Rosen, C. C. (2016) · Journal of Management · doi:10.1177/0149206316632058 · Cited by 1,465 · see citing works
The role of autonomy support and autonomy orientation in prosocial behavior engagement
Gagné, M. (2003) · Motivation and Emotion · doi:10.1023/a:1025007614869 · Cited by 1,397 · see citing works
Self-citationChirkov, V., Ryan, R. M., Kim, Y., & Kaplan, U. (2003) · Journal of Personality and Social Psychology · doi:10.1037/0022-3514.84.1.97 · Cited by 1,425 · see citing works
Self-citationVan den Broeck, A., Vansteenkiste, M., De Witte, H., Soenens, B., & Lens, W. (2010) · Journal of Occupational and Organizational Psychology · doi:10.1348/096317909x481382 · Cited by 1,305 · see citing works
Gagné, M., Forest, J., Vansteenkiste, M., Crevier-Braud, L., van den Broeck, A., Aspeli, A. K., Bellerose, J., Benabou, C., Chemolli, E., Güntert, S. T., et al. (2015) · European Journal of Work and Organizational Psychology · doi:10.1080/1359432x.2013.877892 · Cited by 1,051 · see citing works
Self-citationVansteenkiste, M., Neyrinck, B., Niemiec, C. P., Soenens, B., De Witte, H., & Van den Broeck, A. (2007) · Journal of Occupational and Organizational Psychology · doi:10.1348/096317906x111024 · Cited by 750 · see citing works
Experiences of Autonomy and Control Among Chinese Learners: Vitalizing or Immobilizing?
Vansteenkiste, M., Zhou, M., Lens, W., & Soenens, B. (2005) · Journal of Educational Psychology · doi:10.1037/0022-0663.97.3.468 · Cited by 725 · see citing works
Jang, H., Reeve, J., Ryan, R. M., & Kim, A. (2009) · Journal of Educational Psychology · doi:10.1037/a0014241 · Cited by 713 · see citing works
Self-citationVlachopoulos, S. P., & Michailidou, S. (2006) · Measurement in Physical Education and Exercise Science · doi:10.1207/s15327841mpee1003_4 · Cited by 661 · see citing works
A model of knowledge‐sharing motivation
Gagné, M. (2009) · Human Resource Management · doi:10.1002/hrm.20298 · Cited by 608 · see citing works
Self-citationReinboth, M., Duda, J. L., & Ntoumanis, N. (2004) · Motivation and Emotion · doi:10.1023/b:moem.0000040156.81924.b8 · Cited by 546 · see citing works
Chiniara, M., & Bentein, K. (2016) · The Leadership Quarterly · doi:10.1016/j.leaqua.2015.08.004 · Cited by 544 · see citing works
van Dierendonck, D., Stam, D., Boersma, P., de Windt, N., & Alkema, J. (2014) · The Leadership Quarterly · doi:10.1016/j.leaqua.2013.11.014 · Cited by 525 · see citing works
The path taken: Consequences of attaining intrinsic and extrinsic aspirations in post-college life
Niemiec, C. P., Ryan, R. M., & Deci, E. L. (2009) · Journal of Research in Personality · doi:10.1016/j.jrp.2008.09.001 · Cited by 509 · see citing works
“…would be mediated by change in basic psychological need satisfaction.3 However, there is support for the relation of basic psychological need satisfaction to psychological health (e.g., Deci et al., 2001; Niemiec et al., 2006; Ryan, Deci, Grolnick, & La Guardia, 2006; Vansteenkiste et al., 2007).”
BackgroundSelf-citationSheldon, K. M., & Hilpert, J. C. (2012) · Motivation and Emotion · doi:10.1007/s11031-012-9279-4 · Cited by 487 · see citing works
A test of self-determination theory in the exercise domain
Edmunds, J., Ntoumanis, N., & Duda, J. L. (2006) · Journal of Applied Social Psychology · doi:10.1111/j.0021-9029.2006.00102.x · Cited by 482 · see citing works
It's not just the amount that counts: Balanced need-satisfaction also affects well-being
Sheldon, K. M., & Niemiec, C. P. (2006) · Journal of Personality and Social Psychology · doi:10.1037/0022-3514.91.2.331 · Cited by 454 · see citing works
Leroy, H., Anseel, F., Gardner, W. L., & Sels, L. (2015) · Journal of Management · doi:10.1177/0149206312457822 · Cited by 447 · see citing works
Testing a continuum structure of self-determined motivation: A meta-analysis.
Howard, J. L., Gagné, M., & Bureau, J. S. (2017) · Psychological Bulletin · doi:10.1037/bul0000125 · Cited by 447 · see citing works
Self-citationPeng, W., Lin, J.-H., Pfeiffer, K. A., & Winn, B. (2012) · Media Psychology · doi:10.1080/15213269.2012.673850 · Cited by 426 · see citing works
Leader autonomy support in the workplace: A meta-analytic review
Slemp, G. R., Kern, M. L., Patrick, K. J., & Ryan, R. M. (2018) · Motivation and Emotion · doi:10.1007/s11031-018-9698-y · Cited by 407 · see citing works
Self-citationAutonomy and Need Satisfaction in Close Relationships: Relationships Motivation Theory
Deci, E. L., & Ryan, R. M. (2014) · Human Motivation and Interpersonal Relationships · doi:10.1007/978-94-017-8542-6_3 · Cited by 418 · see citing works
Self-citationWei, M., Shaffer, P. A., Young, S. K., & Zakalik, R. A. (2005) · Journal of Counseling Psychology · doi:10.1037/0022-0167.52.4.591 · Cited by 390 · see citing works
Need Satisfaction and Well-Being: Testing Self-Determination Theory in Eight Cultures
Church, A. T., Katigbak, M. S., Locke, K. D., Zhang, H., Shen, J., de Jesús Vargas-Flores, J., Ibáñez-Reyes, J., Tanaka-Matsumi, J., Curtis, G. J., Cabrera, H. F., et al. (2013) · Journal of Cross-Cultural Psychology · doi:10.1177/0022022112466590 · Cited by 335 · see citing works
Hagger, M. S., Chatzisarantis, N. L. D., Barkoukis, V., Wang, C. K. J., & Baranowski, J. (2005) · Journal of Educational Psychology · doi:10.1037/0022-0663.97.3.376 · Cited by 317 · see citing works
Gillet, N., Gagné, M., Sauvagère, S., & Fouquereau, E. (2013) · European Journal of Work and Organizational Psychology · doi:10.1080/1359432x.2012.665228 · Cited by 295 · see citing works
Self-citationMindfulness at work: antecedents and consequences of employee awareness and absent-mindedness
Reb, J., Narayanan, J., & Ho, Z. W. (2015) · Mindfulness · doi:10.1007/s12671-013-0236-4 · Cited by 277 · see citing works
Qin, X., Huang, M., Johnson, R. E., Hu, Q., & Ju, D. (2018) · Academy of Management Journal · doi:10.5465/amj.2016.1325 · Cited by 244 · see citing works
Sulea, C., van Beek, I., Sarbescu, P., Virga, D., & Schaufeli, W. B. (2015) · Learning and Individual Differences · doi:10.1016/j.lindif.2015.08.018 · Cited by 221 · see citing works
The weekend matters: relationships between stress recovery and affective experiences
Fritz, C., Sonnentag, S., Spector, P. E., & McInroe, J. A. (2010) · Journal of Organizational Behavior · doi:10.1002/job.672 · Cited by 216 · see citing works
Performance, incentives, and needs for autonomy, competence, and relatedness: A meta-analysis
Cerasoli, C. P., Nicklin, J. M., & Nassrelgrgawi, A. S. (2016) · Motivation and Emotion · doi:10.1007/s11031-016-9578-2 · Cited by 202 · see citing works
Obsessive Passion: A Compensatory Response to Unsatisfied Needs
Lalande, D., Vallerand, R. J., Lafrenière, M. K., Verner‐Filion, J., Laurent, F., Forest, J., & Paquet, Y. (2017) · Journal of Personality · doi:10.1111/jopy.12229 · Cited by 195 · see citing works
Lynch, M. F., Plant, R. W., & Ryan, R. M. (2005) · Professional Psychology: Research and Practice · doi:10.1037/0735-7028.36.4.415 · Cited by 194 · see citing works
Self-citationA meta-analysis of autonomous and controlled forms of teacher motivation
Slemp, G. R., Field, J. G., & Cho, A. S. H. (2020) · Journal of Vocational Behavior · doi:10.1016/j.jvb.2020.103459 · Cited by 179 · see citing works
Vansteenkiste, M., Lens, W., Soenens, B., & Luyckx, K. (2006) · Motivation and Emotion · doi:10.1007/s11031-006-9041-x · Cited by 177 · see citing works
Stress in remote work: two studies testing the Demand-Control-Person model
Perry, S. J., Rubino, C., & Hunter, E. M. (2018) · European Journal of Work and Organizational Psychology · doi:10.1080/1359432x.2018.1487402 · Cited by 169 · see citing works
Nishimura, T., & Suzuki, T. (2016) · Japanese Psychological Research · doi:10.1111/jpr.12131 · Cited by 148 · see citing works
Holzberger, D., Philipp, A., & Kunter, M. (2014) · Contemporary Educational Psychology · doi:10.1016/j.cedpsych.2014.02.001 · Cited by 144 · see citing works
Young, H. R., Glerum, D. R., Joseph, D. L., & McCord, M. A. (2021) · Journal of Management · doi:10.1177/0149206320908646 · Cited by 143 · see citing works
Curran, T., Hill, A. P., & Niemiec, C. P. (2013) · Journal of Sport and Exercise Psychology · doi:10.1123/jsep.35.1.30 · Cited by 129 · see citing works
Unanue, W., Dittmar, H., Vignoles, V. L., & Vansteenkiste, M. (2014) · European Journal of Personality · doi:10.1002/per.1954 · Cited by 124 · see citing works
Erez, M. (2010) · Journal of Organizational Behavior · doi:10.1002/job.651 · Cited by 126 · see citing works
Men, L. R., Qin, Y. S., & Jin, J. (2022) · International Journal of Business Communication · doi:10.1177/23294884211020491 · Cited by 121 · see citing works
“…show authentic care and take employee input into consideration, it can reduce anxiety and cultivate a stronger sense of belongingness to the organization among employees during the pandemic, thus satisfying their psychological need for relatedness (Deci et al., 2001; Weinstein & Ryan, 2010).”
BackgroundInfluentialSánchez-Oliva, D., Morin, A. J. S., Teixeira, P. J., Carraça, E. V., Palmeira, A. L., & Silva, M. N. (2017) · Journal of Vocational Behavior · doi:10.1016/j.jvb.2016.12.001 · Cited by 111 · see citing works
Trépanier, S.-G., Fernet, C., & Austin, S. (2016) · European Journal of Work and Organizational Psychology · doi:10.1080/1359432x.2015.1132200 · Cited by 102 · see citing works
Garn, A. C., Morin, A. J. S., & Lonsdale, C. (2019) · Journal of Educational Psychology · doi:10.1037/edu0000283 · Cited by 92 · see citing works
Campbell, R., Vansteenkiste, M., Delesie, L. M., Mariman, A. N., Soenens, B., Tobback, E., Van der Kaap-Deeder, J., & Vogelaers, D. P. (2015) · Personality and Individual Differences · doi:10.1016/j.paid.2015.01.003 · Cited by 94 · see citing works
Philippe, F. L., Koestner, R., Beaulieu-Pelletier, G., & Lecours, S. (2011) · Journal of Personality · doi:10.1111/j.1467-6494.2010.00710.x · Cited by 86 · see citing works
The role of basic need fulfillment in academic dishonesty: A self-determination theory perspective
Kanat-Maymon, Y., Benjamin, M., Stavsky, A., Shoshani, A., & Roth, G. (2015) · Contemporary Educational Psychology · doi:10.1016/j.cedpsych.2015.08.002 · Cited by 89 · see citing works
Milyavskaya, M., Nadolny, D., & Koestner, R. (2014) · Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin · doi:10.1177/0146167214524445 · Cited by 85 · see citing works
Abusive supervision, thwarted belongingness, and workplace safety: a group engagement perspective
Yang, L.-Q., Zheng, X., Liu, X., Lu, C.-Q., & Schaubroeck, J. M. (2020) · Journal of Applied Psychology · doi:10.1037/apl0000436 · Cited by 69 · see citing works
Fedesco, H. N., Bonem, E. M., Wang, C., & Henares, R. (2019) · Motivation and Emotion · doi:10.1007/s11031-019-09765-x · Cited by 67 · see citing works
Warner, M. A., & Hausdorf, P. A. (2009) · Journal of Managerial Psychology · doi:10.1108/02683940910952732 · Cited by 64 · see citing works
How does frustration make you feel? A motivational analysis in exercise context
Teixeira, D. S., Silva, M. N., & Palmeira, A. L. (2018) · Motivation and Emotion · doi:10.1007/s11031-018-9690-6 · Cited by 60 · see citing works
Legault, L., Ray, K., Hudgins, A., Pelosi, M., & Shannon, W. (2017) · Motivation and Emotion · doi:10.1007/s11031-016-9593-3 · Cited by 58 · see citing works
Reverse mentoring, job crafting and work-outcomes: the mediating role of work engagement
Garg, N., Murphy, W., & Singh, P. (2021) · Career Development International · doi:10.1108/cdi-09-2020-0233 · Cited by 57 · see citing works
Goldfarb, Y., Gal, E., & Golan, O. (2022) · Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders · doi:10.1007/s10803-021-04902-3 · Cited by 51 · see citing works
Selvi, K., & Bozo, Ö. (2020) · Motivation and Emotion · doi:10.1007/s11031-019-09805-6 · Cited by 51 · see citing works
Tucker, R. P., & Wingate, L. R. (2014) · Archives of Suicide Research · doi:10.1080/13811118.2013.824839 · Cited by 46 · see citing works
Goemaere, S., Van Caelenberg, T., Beyers, W., Binsted, K., & Vansteenkiste, M. (2019) · Acta Astronautica · doi:10.1016/j.actaastro.2019.03.059 · Cited by 42 · see citing works
Gagné, M., Morin, A. J. S., Schabram, K., Wang, Z. N., Chemolli, E., & Briand, M. (2020) · Journal of Business and Psychology · doi:10.1007/s10869-019-09649-4 · Cited by 41 · see citing works
Self-citationImplications of an Emerging Integration of Universal and Culturally Specific Psychologies
Smith, G. T., Spillane, N. S., & Annus, A. M. (2006) · Perspectives on Psychological Science · doi:10.1111/j.1745-6916.2006.00013.x · Cited by 35 · see citing works
Belay, S., & Melesse, T. (2024) · SAGE Open · doi:10.1177/21582440241281855 · Cited by 28 · see citing works
“Research on teachers’ motivation to participate in CPD has systematically revealed that controlled motivation has been negatively associated with outcomes or shows zero effects (Deci et al., 2001; Gagne´ et al., 2010).”
Klain, I. P., de Matos, D. G., Leitão, J. C., Cid, L., & Moutão, J. (2015) · Journal of Human Kinetics · doi:10.1515/hukin-2015-0052 · Cited by 25 · see citing works
The role of rapport in satisfying one’s basic psychological needs
Baker, Z. G., Watlington, E. M., & Knee, C. R. (2020) · Motivation and Emotion · doi:10.1007/s11031-020-09819-5 · Cited by 23 · see citing works
Motivational foundations of self-control and mindfulness and their role in study–leisure conflicts
Grund, A., & Senker, K. (2018) · Learning and Individual Differences · doi:10.1016/j.lindif.2018.10.007 · Cited by 24 · see citing works
Tavernier, R., Hill, G. C., & Adrien, T. V. (2019) · Sleep Health · doi:10.1016/j.sleh.2019.02.007 · Cited by 22 · see citing works
Challenging assignments and activating mood: the influence of goal orientation
Preenen, P. T. Y., Van Vianen, A. E. M., & De Pater, I. E. (2014) · Journal of Applied Social Psychology · doi:10.1111/jasp.12256 · Cited by 20 · see citing works
Linking psychological need experiences to daily and recurring dreams
Weinstein, N., Campbell, R., & Vansteenkiste, M. (2018) · Motivation and Emotion · doi:10.1007/s11031-017-9656-0 · Cited by 14 · see citing works
van Egmond, M. C., Omarshah, T., Navarrete Berges, A., Benton, J., Zalira, U., & Morrell, F. (2020) · Motivation and Emotion · doi:10.1007/s11031-019-09808-3 · Cited by 8 · see citing works
- Authors
- Deci, E. L., Ryan, R. M., Gagné, M., Leone, D. R., Usunov, J., & Kornazheva, B. P.
- Affiliations
- University of Rochester (US)
- Concordia University (CA)
- Connecticut Valley Hospital (US)
- Top Management Advisors
- Center for Counseling and Psychotherapy
- Corresponding author
- Deci, Edward L.
- Venue
- Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin
- Publisher
- SAGE Publications
- Published
- 2001-08
- Volume
- 27
- Issue
- 8
- Pages
- 930-942
- ISSN
- 0146-1672 (ISSN-L)
- 1552-7433
- OpenAlex
- W2119818578
- Cited by
- 1,890
- References
- 9
- Citations by year
- 2026: 66 · 2025: 108 · 2024: 138 · 2023: 152 · 2022: 141 · 2021: 112 · 2020: 145 · 2019: 132 · 2018: 118 · 2017: 105 · 2016: 98 · 2015: 90 · 2014: 84 · 2013: 87 · 2012: 68
- FWCI
- 9.88
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin (publishedVersion)
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Social Psychology › Motivation and Self-Concept in Sports
- Social Sciences › Business, Management and Accounting › Organizational Behavior and Human Resource Management › Job Satisfaction and Organizational Behavior
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Applied Psychology › Human Behavior and Motivation
- Keywords
- self-determination theory, need satisfaction, intrinsic motivation, psychological well-being, autonomy, competence, relatedness, cross-cultural comparison, state-owned enterprises, Bulgaria, former Eastern Bloc, collectivism, task motivation
About these checks
Registry, retraction, Cites and statistics results are computed, not judged, with one exception: a printed reference that no index lists is read once by a model before it counts as a citation error. Claims are extracted by a model and kept only when their quote appears verbatim in the text; each cited source is then checked, with a model’s help, for whether it says what the claim relies on. Those verdicts can be wrong — read the claim’s quote and the cited source before relying on one.
Statistics and arithmetic are recomputed, not judged.
Confidence bands are shown only for fields calibrated on our annotated test set. None is calibrated yet, so no band is shown.
What counts as a claim ›How we measure confidence ›How we check this ›
Are you an author, or do you see a problem with this page? Request a review
