Causality Orientations in the Work Setting: Scale Development and Validation

Individual differences have long been acknowledged as being central to the study of motivation. Selfdetermination theory (SDT; Deci and Ryan, 2000; Ryan and Deci, 2017), which is a meta-theory of human motivation, focuses on the satisfaction of basic human psychological needs and the quality of motivation to explain human growth, functioning, and wellness. Consistent with the organismic-dialectic approach of SDT, motivation is seen as a function of both the social context and people’s individual differences. These individual differences have been internalized into self-regulatory orientations in response to persistent social-contextual influences. Causality orientations theory (COT) was formulated as part of the SDT meta-theory to account for such individual differences. Specifically, COT concerns individual differences or ‘surface traits’ in motivational orientations or general regulatory styles. These orientations index aspects of personality related to people’s tendencies to experience or interpret events in a social context in different ways and to behave accordingly (Gagné and Deci, 2005; Reeve, Jang and Jang, 2018; Vansteenkiste, Niemiec and Soenens, 2010). Hence, the nature of one’s causality orientations can influence one’s motivational processes. Numerous studies have supported the application of SDT to the work context (for a review, see Deci, Olafsen and Ryan, 2017; Olafsen and Deci, in press). However, despite the theoretical contribution of individual differences in SDT to predicting work motivation, work behavior, work attitudes, and employee work-related health, only a handful of studies have been conducted on the topic of causality orientations in the work setting. In these studies, the General Causality Orientations Scale (GCOS; Deci and Ryan, 1985) has been used most frequently. This scale assesses causality orientations based on situations drawn from interpersonal, work, and informal contexts. Domain specific scales have been recommended for more specific and accurate measurements of causality orientations (Deci and Ryan, 1985), as they can focus on narrower classes of situations and be more suitable for predicting specific behaviors in given contexts (e.g., work). In particular, to better understand the underlying processes of motivated behavior in the work domain, it is important to provide an assessment tool that measures motivational aspects related to the individual characteristics of SDT within this context. The aim of the current study is to extend the literature on SDT in the work domain by developing a valid measure of these individual characteristics for work settings. A valid measurement tool that emphasizes all types of causality orientations is important for future studies focusing on individual differences in the initiation and maintenance of work motivation. Thus, the present study contributes to our current and future understanding of causality orientations at work.