Remote Work Autonomy and Productivity: The Mediating Role of Intrinsic Motivation
Keywords:
Remote work autonomy, intrinsic motivation, productivityAbstract
This study aimed to investigate the relationship between remote work autonomy and employee productivity, and to examine whether intrinsic motivation mediates this relationship among remote workers. A descriptive correlational research design was employed with a sample of 394 remote employees from various sectors in Bulgaria, selected based on Krejcie and Morgan’s sample size table. Standardized measurement tools were used to assess remote work autonomy (Work Design Questionnaire – autonomy subscale), intrinsic motivation (Work Extrinsic and Intrinsic Motivation Scale – WEIMS), and productivity (Individual Work Performance Questionnaire – IWPQ). Data were analyzed using SPSS-27 for Pearson correlation and AMOS-21 for Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) to test direct and indirect relationships between variables and assess model fit. Pearson correlation analysis revealed significant positive associations among all study variables: remote work autonomy and intrinsic motivation (r = .41, p = .001), remote work autonomy and productivity (r = .38, p = .002), and intrinsic motivation and productivity (r = .46, p < .001). SEM results indicated that remote work autonomy had both a direct effect on productivity (β = 0.38, p = .002) and an indirect effect through intrinsic motivation (β = 0.19, p = .003), with a total effect of β = 0.57 (p < .001). The model showed a good fit to the data (χ²/df = 2.08, CFI = .96, RMSEA = .053, TLI = .95). The findings demonstrate that intrinsic motivation partially mediates the relationship between remote work autonomy and productivity, highlighting the critical role of psychological motivation in optimizing performance in autonomous work environments. Organizations should focus on fostering both structural autonomy and motivational support to enhance remote employee productivity.
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