The hidden cost of flexible work: Low situational strength as characteristic of contemporary knowledge-work and its opposing effects on intrinsic motivation

The ongoing shifts in society, driven by digitalization and globalization, have resulted in increased work flexibility, particularly in terms of when, where, and how tasks are performed (Allvin et al., 2013; Eurofound, 2020). This trend, accelerated by the COVID-19 pandemic, is especially evident in knowledge-intensive sectors, where employees experience greater flexibility compared to previous generations. Flexible work reduces situational constraints, allowing workers more autonomy and thus control, but also introduces the challenge of less clarity regarding tasks and expectations. This phenomenon has led to comparisons between flexible employees and self-employed workers, who experience similar levels of control.

Our research aims to address gaps in understanding how work flexibility impacts motivation, performance, and well-being, focusing on both employed and self-employed workers. Research on the psychological effects of work flexibility has produced mixed results, especially regarding its impact on performance and well-being. Past studies have overlooked key factors such as intrinsic work motivation. Intrinsic work motivation refers to one’s personal interest in and enjoyment of work activities (Gagné & Deci, 2005) and was marked as the most important type of motivation for workers’ well-being (Van den Broeck et al., 2021). Based on the theory of situational strength (Meyer et al., 2010), we assume that flexible working conditions promote intrinsic motivation through more control but can also reduce intrinsic motivation through unclear work expectations due to less information.

Consequently, we hypothesize that lower situational strength can both enhance perceived control and decrease clarity at work, which can have both positive and negative effects on intrinsic motivation. However, decreased clarity may be compensated by means of personal (e.g., experience) and social resources (e.g., informational support) that may buffer the hidden cost of work flexibility on unclarity. To test these hypotheses, we conduct five work packages over the course of three years, including interviews, questionnaire development and validation, a longitudinal panel study, and an experimental vignette study.

The project will be the first to investigate intrinsic work motivation from a situational strength perspective. This will allow us to outline a psychological model of work motivation that is salient in a flexible world of work and urgently needed if we are to understand the performance and well-being outcomes of employees and the self-employed.

Dates and Facts

  • Duration: 2025-2028
  • Project funding source: FWF Einzelprojekt
  • Project team: Christian Korunka, Julia Schöllbauer, Ada Sil Patterer (all Work and Organizational Psychology)