Job Characteristics as a Determinant of Intrinsic Motivation: An Empirical Study of Generation Z

Work motivation has received extensive attention by both management practitioners and researchers over the years. Various theoretical perspectives have been rigorously proposed, evaluated, and revised. In this article, we consider the job design perspective of work motivation to explain intrinsic motivation in an emerging workforce. Specifically, the focus of this paper is an empirical study that investigates the role of motivating job characteristics in intrinsically motivating Generation Z employees. Around 317 respondents were surveyed. Linear regression analysis, followed by Partial Least Square-Structural Equation Modelling (PLS-SEM) and Bootstrapping analysis, revealed job characteristics to be a significant determinant of intrinsic motivation. The results are explained through three perspectives – employee, organisational context, and task. Overall, the findings suggest that job characteristics significantly predict intrinsic motivation in this generational cohort. The results have important implications for human resource management theory and practice. This paper advances the understanding of work motivation by considering the individual and relational features of work, i.e., task characteristics important to the individual, as well as relationship with co-workers, in explaining intrinsic motivation. From the managerial standpoint, the findings of the study have implications for the design of various human resource practices, such as job analysis and design, learning and development, and performance management.