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Behavioral Sciences
Special Issues
Work Motivation, Engagement, and Psychological Health
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Work Motivation, Engagement, and Psychological Health

A special issue of Behavioral Sciences (ISSN 2076-328X). This special issue belongs to the section "Organizational Behaviors".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 30 November 2025 | Viewed by 7970

Special Issue Editor

Dr. Zheni Wang

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
School of Business, Southern Connecticut State University, New Haven, CT 06515, USA
Interests: work motivation; leadership; cross-cultural studies; creativity; innovation; entrepreneurship

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Employee motivation and engagement are at the center of organizational competitiveness dynamics, especially as business structure and processes become flat and organic, as is the case currently. Management scholars and practitioners are calling for actionable insights, interventions, and evidence-based management practices to motivate and engage employees from time to time for tangible and sustainable outcomes. The psychological health of employees, including the promotion of well-being and prevention of ill-being, also serves as the foundation of employees’ performance and creativity at work. This Special Issue invites you, your colleagues, and your PhD students to contribute to this important area of research with fresh and innovative empirical and theoretical contributions. 

Dr. Zheni Wang
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Behavioral Sciences is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2200 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • work motivation
  • work engagement
  • flexible work
  • motivation profile
  • changes in motivation
  • psychological health
  • employee well-being
  • motivational training and development
  • longitudinal/temporal patterns in motivation and health

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Published Papers (8 papers)

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Research

16 pages, 518 KiB  
Article
How Does Accountability Exacerbate Job Burnout in the Public Sector? Exploratory Research in Production Supervision in China
by Zhiyi Fang and Qilin Zhang
Behav. Sci. 2025, 15(6), 747; https://doi.org/10.3390/bs15060747 - 29 May 2025
Viewed by 209
Abstract
With the advancement of behavioral public administration, the methodological innovation it introduces offers robust support for investigating the relationship between accountability and individuals’ behavior in the public sector. This paper investigates the link between individuals’ felt accountability and job burnout within China’s industrial [...] Read more.
With the advancement of behavioral public administration, the methodological innovation it introduces offers robust support for investigating the relationship between accountability and individuals’ behavior in the public sector. This paper investigates the link between individuals’ felt accountability and job burnout within China’s industrial production context. We develop and validate a novel theoretical model grounded in cognitive stress theory using survey data collected from public sector safety supervision regulators. The results indicate that the regulators’ felt accountability significantly impacts their job burnout, while threat appraisal played a mediating role in this relationship. Public service motivation negatively moderates the effect, with a more substantial effect observed at higher levels of motivation. This paper contributes to the development of felt accountability theory and promotes interdisciplinary dialogue. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Work Motivation, Engagement, and Psychological Health)
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21 pages, 718 KiB  
Article
Social Capital and Job Performance: A Moderated Mediation Model of Organizational Citizenship Behaviors and Psychological Capital
by Qi Cao, Chun-Fu Chen, Hui-Ling Hu and Yueh-Chih Hsiao
Behav. Sci. 2025, 15(6), 714; https://doi.org/10.3390/bs15060714 - 22 May 2025
Viewed by 437
Abstract
Taiwan’s high-tech industry is experiencing rapid labor restructuring driven by automation and technological advancement, resulting in increased job demands and workplace stress. In this context, identifying mechanisms that sustain employee performance has become a critical concern. Drawing on the concept of social capital [...] Read more.
Taiwan’s high-tech industry is experiencing rapid labor restructuring driven by automation and technological advancement, resulting in increased job demands and workplace stress. In this context, identifying mechanisms that sustain employee performance has become a critical concern. Drawing on the concept of social capital and grounded in Conservation of Resources (COR) theory, this study investigates whether social capital indirectly enhances job performance through organizational citizenship behavior. In addition, psychological capital is introduced as a moderating variable to examine the boundary conditions of this mediation process. Data were collected from 327 employees working in Taiwan’s high-tech sector and analyzed using PROCESS Model 14. The results indicate that social capital positively influences job performance only through the mediating effect of organizational citizenship behavior. Moreover, this indirect effect is strengthened when individuals possess higher levels of psychological capital. Based on these findings, the study concludes by discussing theoretical contributions and practical implications for organizations operating in high-pressure, innovation-driven environments. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Work Motivation, Engagement, and Psychological Health)
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19 pages, 1283 KiB  
Article
What Turns Task Crafters into High Performers? Affective Commitment and Strategic Alignment as Critical Levers
by Inyong Shin, Jong Gyu Park and Heesun Chae
Behav. Sci. 2025, 15(5), 678; https://doi.org/10.3390/bs15050678 - 15 May 2025
Viewed by 186
Abstract
Considering that the impacts of task crafting on task performance are not uniform and may depend on goal congruence, this study attempted to explore the roles of affective commitment in individual–organizational goal congruence and strategic alignment in job–organizational goal congruence. Drawing on conservation [...] Read more.
Considering that the impacts of task crafting on task performance are not uniform and may depend on goal congruence, this study attempted to explore the roles of affective commitment in individual–organizational goal congruence and strategic alignment in job–organizational goal congruence. Drawing on conservation of resources theory, we anticipated that affective commitment as a motivational resource and strategic alignment as an organizational resource would be critical levers for task crafting to affect task performance. Using a time-lagged design with two data-collection points, we conducted a multilevel analysis of data from 138 subordinates and 50 supervisors. As a result, we found that task crafting had the strongest positive effect on task performance when both affective commitment and strategic alignment were high. This study offers new insights regarding task crafting by identifying how employees can be effectively proactive. It also expands the theoretical application of conservation of resources theory by specifying how different types of resources interact to improve performance. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Work Motivation, Engagement, and Psychological Health)
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22 pages, 1206 KiB  
Article
When Cultural Resources Amplify Psychological Strain: Off-Work Music Listening, Homophily, and the Homesickness–Burnout Link Among Migrant Workers
by Chenyuan Gu, Zhuang Ma, Xiaoying Li, Jianjun Zhang and Qihai Huang
Behav. Sci. 2025, 15(5), 666; https://doi.org/10.3390/bs15050666 - 13 May 2025
Viewed by 418
Abstract
Hundreds of millions of migrants experience frequent homesickness that affects their psychological wellbeing. This study integrates the job-demands–resources model and temporal comparison theory to examine how music listening and similar activities involving coworker homophily and roommate homophily influence the relationship between homesickness and [...] Read more.
Hundreds of millions of migrants experience frequent homesickness that affects their psychological wellbeing. This study integrates the job-demands–resources model and temporal comparison theory to examine how music listening and similar activities involving coworker homophily and roommate homophily influence the relationship between homesickness and burnout. Our analysis of survey data from 2493 migrant workers reveals that off-work music listening strengthens the positive relationship between homesickness and burnout. Furthermore, coworker homophily and roommate homophily enhance the strength of the interaction between off-work music listening and homesickness as a predictor of burnout. Our findings demonstrate how seemingly supportive job resources can transform into psychological demands and thus have important theoretical and managerial implications. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Work Motivation, Engagement, and Psychological Health)
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17 pages, 786 KiB  
Article
How Empowering Leadership Drives Proactivity in the Chinese IT Industry: Mediation Through Team Job Crafting and Psychological Safety with ICT Knowledge as a Moderator
by Juanxiu Piao and Juhee Hahn
Behav. Sci. 2025, 15(5), 609; https://doi.org/10.3390/bs15050609 - 1 May 2025
Viewed by 455
Abstract
In China’s rapidly digitizing IT industry, empowering leadership has become a crucial catalyst for workplace proactivity; however, the mechanisms linking leadership practices to individual proactive behaviors remain underexplored. This study addresses this gap by proposing a multi-level framework that integrates team processes and [...] Read more.
In China’s rapidly digitizing IT industry, empowering leadership has become a crucial catalyst for workplace proactivity; however, the mechanisms linking leadership practices to individual proactive behaviors remain underexplored. This study addresses this gap by proposing a multi-level framework that integrates team processes and technological contexts. Based on the job demands–resources theory, the research examines the mechanisms of empowering leadership through parallel team-level pathways and the influence of digital infrastructure on these dynamics. Data were gathered in three phases from 510 employees across 74 teams in seven IT firms. Hierarchical analyses with SPSS 27.0, AMOS 28.0, and HLM 6.08 revealed three pathways: empowering leadership significantly enhances workplace proactivity, with team job crafting and psychological safety serving as sequential mediators. Moreover, access to knowledge via ICT moderates the relationship between team job crafting and workplace proactivity. This study theoretically contests sequential mediation assumptions by demonstrating parallel, non-overlapping mechanisms and redefines ICT’s role as a contextual enhancer in digital workplaces. Practically, it offers organizations a modular strategy: leaders can prioritize either job crafting systems or psychological safety climates to foster proactivity, depending on their team’s technological readiness. These insights offer practical recommendations for optimizing leadership practices in high-pressure IT environments, where digital tools and team dynamics influence employee initiative. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Work Motivation, Engagement, and Psychological Health)
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14 pages, 450 KiB  
Article
The Influence of Work Engagement on Employee Affect and Creativity: Insights from Occupational Mental Health
by Lan Ye, Yanwei Li, Na Zhang and Jian Zhang
Behav. Sci. 2024, 14(12), 1217; https://doi.org/10.3390/bs14121217 - 18 Dec 2024
Viewed by 1681
Abstract
Affect plays a pivotal role in shaping employees’ work performance and mental health, with growing recognition of its capacity to drive creativity. However, the differential impacts of positive and negative affect on creative performance remain a subject of debate. This study aims to [...] Read more.
Affect plays a pivotal role in shaping employees’ work performance and mental health, with growing recognition of its capacity to drive creativity. However, the differential impacts of positive and negative affect on creative performance remain a subject of debate. This study aims to compare the relationships between high- and low-arousal affect, as well as PANA dimensions of affect, and creative performance, emphasizing the mediating role of work engagement from an occupational mental health perspective. A survey was conducted involving 278 employees and their managers across 25 companies in China. The findings reveal significant associations between high-arousal positive affect, low-arousal positive affect, high-arousal negative affect, and low-arousal negative affect with both work engagement and creative performance. Moreover, the results indicate that work engagement partially mediates the relationship between high-arousal affect and creative performance while fully mediating the relationship between low-arousal affect and creativity. These findings underscore the importance of occupational mental health—particularly work engagement—in fostering employee creativity and highlight its critical role in organizational management strategies. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Work Motivation, Engagement, and Psychological Health)
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17 pages, 1034 KiB  
Article
Motivation for and Challenges in Teacher Research in Underdeveloped Areas of Northwest China: An Exploratory Study
by Na Zhou, Xin Liu, Xinglin Jin, Tongji Li, Chenjing Wang and Wilfried Admiraal
Behav. Sci. 2024, 14(11), 1064; https://doi.org/10.3390/bs14111064 - 7 Nov 2024
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1356
Abstract
This study explored the motivations and challenges vocational teachers (VTs) face in conducting research in underdeveloped regions of Northwest China. We invited 49 vocational teachers from Qinghai province to participate in the questionnaire survey, with their motivation measured using scale items and their [...] Read more.
This study explored the motivations and challenges vocational teachers (VTs) face in conducting research in underdeveloped regions of Northwest China. We invited 49 vocational teachers from Qinghai province to participate in the questionnaire survey, with their motivation measured using scale items and their challenges measured using open-ended questions. After data collection, latent profile analysis (LPA) was used to explore the participants’ motivational profiles, and three types were identified, i.e., high autonomous and controlled motivation, high autonomous and low controlled motivation, and low autonomous motivation. In addition, we conducted a qualitative analysis of the challenges in teacher research. As a result, five categories of challenges that might hinder Chinese vocational teachers in conducting research were observed (i.e., researcher identity, research knowledge and skills, research climate in schools, workload and family care, and resources and financial support). Teachers with the profile of highly autonomous and controlled motivation were more likely to face challenges related to a lack of resources and financial support and the research climate. Workload and family care appeared to be significant challenges for teachers with the profile of highly autonomous but less controlled motivation. In contrast, a lack of research knowledge and skills was a common perceived challenge across all profiles. These results suggest that although vocational teachers express relatively high motivation in conducting research, the significance of institutional development programmes and external research support for research activities remains crucial. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Work Motivation, Engagement, and Psychological Health)
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11 pages, 456 KiB  
Article
Bridging Employees’ Perceptions of Corporate Social Responsibility, Sense-Making for Meaningfulness, and Work Engagement for Successful Self-Regulation
by Zheni Wang, Steve Carroll and Eric H. Wang
Behav. Sci. 2024, 14(11), 1014; https://doi.org/10.3390/bs14111014 - 31 Oct 2024
Viewed by 1592
Abstract
In response to calls for research on the psychological mechanisms, such as perceptions and attitudes toward corporate citizenship, in promoting positive outcomes at work, this research presents a novel approach by empirically testing a calling conditioned path model from P perception of corporate [...] Read more.
In response to calls for research on the psychological mechanisms, such as perceptions and attitudes toward corporate citizenship, in promoting positive outcomes at work, this research presents a novel approach by empirically testing a calling conditioned path model from P perception of corporate CSR (P-CSR) to work engagement via meaningfulness under the theoretical framework of self-determination theory. Survey data collected from 224 corporate employees in the US were tested using the PROCESS plugin (version 4.3) in SPSS. The regression results supported the positive direct and indirect paths from employees’ P-CSR to meaningfulness and work engagement but not the conditioning effect of calling work orientation. This study’s unique findings, limitations, future research, and implications are discussed, expanding micro-CSR research and unboxing the management assumptions of employees as purposeful autonomous agents seeking consistent interpretations and authentic perceptions of organizational CSR activities during their sense-making processes. Non-confirming of the calling conditioning the path model shed light on it being a dynamic multi-dimensional and multi-level construct to be further researched. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Work Motivation, Engagement, and Psychological Health)
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