Examination of the interaction effect of stress in the relationship between value congruence and intrinsic work motivation

Abstract

The purpose of this study is to observe whether workplace stress could act as a moderator in the relationship between value congruence and intrinsic motivation. According to theoretical perspectives, stress-related psychological demands should attenuate the positive effect of value congruence-related psychological resources on motivation. 294 subjects participated in this study by completing questionnaires on our three variables of interest on the Prolific platform. The results did not show an interaction effect by stress on the relationship between value congruence and intrinsic motivation. Moreover, an equivalence test indicated that the moderation effect size was too small to influence the practical level. In conclusion, the hypothesis postulating a moderating link of stress on the relationship between value congruence and intrinsic motivation was not confirmed.