Illegitimate Tasks and Work Motivation
Examining the Full Continuum of Self‐Determination
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 7167138 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Petri Karkkola (0000-0003-3414-0020, School of Educational Sciences and Psychology University of Eastern Finland Joensuu Finland, corresponding author) |
| Year | 2026 |
| Volume | 67 |
| Issue | 1 |
| Pages | 214-229 |
| Publication date | 2026-02-01 |
| Peer Reviewed | Yes |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Scandinavian Journal of Psychology (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 0036-5564 • E-ISSN: 1467-9450 |
| Publisher | Wiley (PUBLISHER • GB) |
| DOI | 10.1111/sjop.70025 |
| PMID | 40922054 |
| OpenAlex | W4414082588 |
| Language | EN |
| References cited | 51 |
Illegitimate tasks are tasks that are perceived as unnecessary or unreasonable. They act as stressors and are expected to induce various strains on employees, including motivational strains. In previous studies, only the association between illegitimate tasks and intrinsic motivation was examined. In the present three‐wave longitudinal study, the examination was expanded to include the full motivational continuum described in self‐determination theory. Structural equation modeling was used to examine both cross‐sectional and longitudinal associations between illegitimate tasks and behavioral regulations among Finnish working adults. In addition to intrinsic motivation, illegitimate tasks were observed to also be strongly associated with amotivation and more moderately associated with external regulation, introjected regulation, and identified regulation in the expected directions. In longitudinal analyses, illegitimate tasks were observed to predict an increase in amotivation and a decrease in autonomous motivation; introjected regulation was observed to predict an increase in illegitimate tasks; and autonomous motivation was observed to predict a decrease in illegitimate tasks. Illegitimate tasks and motivation described in self‐determination theory may have reciprocal associations over time. Examining other behavioral regulatory styles in addition to intrinsic motivation is recommended
Amotivation · Intrinsic motivation · Reciprocal · Self-determination theory · Stressor · Structural equation modeling · Job Satisfaction and Organizational Behavior · Motivation and Self-Concept in Sports · Work-Family Balance Challenges
Self-Determination Theory
A Review of Self-Determination Theory’s Basic Psychological Needs at Work
Beyond intrinsic and extrinsic motivation
The Multidimensional Work Motivation Scale
Exploratory Structural Equation Modeling
Illegitimate tasks as a source of work stress
Leader autonomy support in the workplace
Intra-individual Response Variability as an Indicator of Insufficient Effort Responding
Sensitivity of Goodness of Fit Indexes to Lack of Measurement Invariance
Doing It Purposely? Mediation of Moral Disengagement in the Relationship Between Illegitimate Tasks and Counterproductive Work Behavior
Self-Determination Theory in Work Organizations
How Does High-Performance Work System Prompt Job Crafting through Autonomous Motivation
Scales for the measurement of some work attitudes and aspects of psychological well‐being
Extending the Boundaries of Illegitimate Tasks
That is my job
Testing a continuum structure of self-determined motivation
| Citation velocity | historical |
|---|---|
| Highly cited | No |