The Mediating Role of Work Flow in The Relationship Between Need Satisfaction and Subjective Well-Being

Abstract

Work life, as a significant part of adulthood, interacts with individuals' basic psychological needs and subjective well-being. This study examines the mediating role of work-related flow experiences in the relationship between the satisfaction of basic work-related needs and subjective well-being. Planned as a cross-sectional survey study, this research reached 183 participants over the age of 18 and actively employed, through online data collection in line with the stated purpose. We utilized the Demographic Information Form, the Work-Related Basic Need Satisfaction Scale, Satisfaction With Life Scale, Positive and Negative Affect Schedule (The PANAS Scale) and The Work-Related Flow Inventory as measurement tools. Correlation, regression, and Hayes Process Macro mediation analyses revealed that competence, autonomy, and relatedness—fundamental psychological needs in the workplace—were positively and significantly associated with both work flow and subjective well-being. As a result of the correlation, regression, and Hayes Process Macro mediation analyses, it was found that the basic work-related needs of competence, autonomy, and relatedness were in a positive and significant relationship with work flow and subjective well-being; that the satisfaction of these needs and the flow experience at work explained 38% of subjective well-being; that psychological need satisfaction and work flow experience positively and significantly predicted subjective well-being; and that work flow experience played a mediating role in this relationship. As a result, the findings of the study show that since the work flow experience mediates the relationship between the satisfaction of psychological needs and subjective well-being, especially employers, by enabling their employees to make decisions freely, can support the need for autonomy, by allowing them to engage in trust-based interactions with other employees in the workplace, can support the need for relatedness, and by helping them feel competent in relation to the tasks in the work environment, can support the need for competence, and thus may contribute to employees’ subjective well-being.

Keywords

• Psychological need satisfaction
• Subjective well-being
• Work flow
• Work

İhtiyaç Doyumu ve Öznel İyi Oluş İlişkisinde İş Akışının Aracı Rolü

Abstract

Çalışma hayatı, yetişkin yaşantısının önemli bir parçası olarak kişilerin temel psikolojik ihtiyaçları ve öznel iyi oluş durumları ile etkileşim içindedir. Bu çalışmada ise kişilerin işle ilgili temel ihtiyaç doyumlarının öznel iyi oluşlarıyla olan ilişkisinde işle ilgili akış yaşantılarının aracı rolü araştırılmıştır. Kesitsel bir anket çalışması olarak planlanan bu araştırmada belirtilmiş amaç doğrultusunda online veri toplama yoluyla 18 yaş üstünde ve aktif olarak iş sahibi 183 katılımcıya ulaşılmıştır. Katılımcılar Demografik Bilgi Formu, İşle İlgili Temel İhtiyaç Doyumu Ölçeği, Yaşam Doyumu Ölçeği, Pozitif- Negatif Duygu Ölçeği ve Çalışmada Akış Deneyimi Ölçeğini tamamlamışlardır. Yapılan korelasyon, regresyon ve Hayes Process Macro aracılık analizleri sonucunda işle ilgili yeterlik, özerklik ve ilişkililik temel ihtiyaçlarının; iş akışı ve öznel iyi oluşla pozitif yönde ve anlamlı bir ilişki içerisinde olduğu; yeterlik, özerklik ve ilişkililik psikolojik ihtiyaçlarının doyumunun ve işte akış deneyiminin, öznel iyi oluşun %38’ini açıkladığı, psikolojik ihtiyaçların doyumunun ve işte akış deneyiminin öznel iyi oluşu pozitif yönde anlamlı bir şekilde yordadığı; iş akış deneyiminin, işle ilgili temel ihtiyaçların (yeterlik, özerklik ve ilişkililik) öznel iyi oluşla olan ilişkisinde aracı rol oynadığı bulunmuştur. Sonuç olarak çalışmanın bulguları göstermektedir ki iş akış yaşantısı, psikolojik ihtiyaçların doyumuyla öznel iyi oluş arasında aracı rol oynadığı için özellikle işverenler çalışanlarının özgürce karar alabilmelerini sağlayarak özerklik ihtiyacını, iş ortamındaki diğer çalışanlarla güven ilişkisine dayalı etkileşimler gerçekleştirebilmesini sağlayarak ilişkililik ihtiyacını, iş ortamındaki görevlerle ilgili kendini yeterli hissetmesi ile yeterlik ihtiyacını karşılamalarına destek olmaları çalışanların öznel iyi oluşlarına katkı sağlayabilir.

Keywords

• Psikolojik ihtiyaç doyumu
• Öznel iyi oluş
• İş akışı
• İş

References

1. Aguilar Silvan, Y. (2018). Motivation in Los Angeles Factories: Mamá y Papá-What Gets You Up in the Morning. Aleph, UCLA Undergraduate Research Journal for the Humanities and Social Sciences, 157-176.
2. Akman, E. (2018). Sağlık profesyonellerinde akış deneyiminin öznel iyi oluş üzerine etkisi: Bir kamu ve özel hastane örneği. Yüksek Lisans Tezi. İstanbul: Marmara Üniversitesi Sağlık Bilimleri Enstitüsü.
3. Amabile, T.M., Hill, K.G., Hennessey, B.A. ve Tighe, E.M. (1994). The work preference inventory: assessing intrinsic and extrinsic motivational orientations. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 66(5), 950-967.
4. American Psychiatric Association. (2022). Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders (5th ed., text rev.).
5. Armstrong, R.A. (2019). Should Pearson's correlation coefficient be avoided?. Ophthalmic and Physiological Optics, 39(5), 316-327.
6. Atalı, Y. ve Siyez, D.M. (2023). İş akışı deneyimi (Work flow experience). Kariyer Psikolojik Danışmanlığı Dergisi, 6(2), 86-100.
7. Bakker, A.B. (2005). Flow among music teachers and their students: The crossover of peak experiences. Journal of Vocational Behavior, 66, 26-44.
8. Bakker, A.B. (2008). The work-related flow inventory: Construction and initial validation of the WOLF. Journal of Vocational Behavior, 72(3), 400-414.

9. Bakker, A.B. ve Van Woerkom, M. (2017). Flow at work: A self-determination perspective. Occupational Health Science, 1, 47-65.
10. Barnett, L.A. (2007). The nature of playfulness in young adults. Personality and Individual Differences, 43, 949-958.
11. Berlyne, D.E. (1960). Conflict, arousal, and curiosity. McGraw-Hill Book Company.
12. Black, A.E. ve Deci, E.L. (2000). The effects of instructors’ autonomy support and students’ autonomous motivation on learning organic chemistry: A self-determination theory perspective. Science Education, 84, 740-756.
13. Bodin Danielsson, C. ve Theorell, T. (2019). Office employees’ perception of workspace contribution: A gender and office design perspective. Environment and Behavior, 51(9-10), 995-1026.
14. Bradburn, N.M. (1969). The structure of psychological well-being. Aldine.
15. Chen, B., Vansteenkiste, M., Beyers, W., Boone, L., Deci, E.L., et al. (2015). Basic psychological need satisfaction, need frustration, and need strength across four cultures. Motivation and Emotion, 39(2), 216-236.
16. Chiniara, M. ve Bentein, K. (2016). Linking servant leadership to individual performance: Differentiating the mediating role of autonomy, competence and relatedness need satisfaction. The Leadership Quarterly, 27(1), 124-141.
17. Couper, M.P. (2000). "Web surveys: A review of issues and approaches." Public Opinion Quarterly, 64(4), 464-494.
18. Csikszentmihalyi, M. (1975). Beyond boredom and anxiety. Jossey-Bass.
19. Csikszentmihalyi, M. (1990). Flow: The psychology of optimal experience. Journal of Leisure Research, 24(1), 93-94.
20. Csikszentmihalyi, M. (2014). Toward a psychology of optimal experience. Flow and the foundations of positive psychology (pp.209-226). Springer.
21. Çelikkanat, S. (2021). Çalışma koşulları ve duygusal tükenmenin fiziksel ve zihinsel sağlık semptomlarına etkisinin incelenmesi: Hastane öncesi sağlık personeli üzerine bir araştırma. Management and Political Sciences Review, 3(1), 91-106.
22. de Jong, L.H., Favier, R.P., Van der Vleuten, C.P. ve Bok, H.G. (2017). Students’ motivation toward feedback-seeking in the clinical workplace. Medical Teacher, 39(9), 954-958.
23. Deci, E.L. ve Ryan, R.M. (2000). The “what” and “why” of goal pursuits: Human needs and the self-determination of behavior. Psychological Inquiry, 11(4), 227-268.
24. Diener, E. (1984). Subjective well-being. Psychological Bulletin, 95(3), 542-575.
25. Diener, E. ve Ryan, K. (2009). Subjective well-being: A general overview. South African Journal of Psychology, 39(4), 391-406.
26. Diener, E., Emmors, R.A., Larsen, R.J., Griffin, S. (1985). The Satisfaction with Life Scale. Journal of Personality Assessment, 49, 1, 71-75.
27. Doménech-Betoret, F., Lloret-Segura, S. ve Gómez-Artiga, A. (2015). Teacher support resources, need satisfaction and well-being. The Spanish Journal of Psychology, 18.
28. Dumas, M., La Rosa, M., Mendling, J. ve Reijers, H. A. (2018). Fundamentals of business process management. Springer.
29. Eryılmaz, A. ve Doğan, T. (2012). Akademisyenlerde işle ilgili temel ihtiyaç doyumu ve öznel iyi oluş. Ege Akademik Bakış, 12(3), 383-389.
30. Eryılmaz, A. ve Ercan, L. (2011). Öznel iyi oluşun cinsiyet, yaş grupları ve kişilik özellikleri açısından incelenmesi. Turkish Psychological Counseling & Guidance Journal, 4(36), 139-151.
31. Gagné, M. ve Deci, E.L. (2005). Self‐determination theory and work motivation. Journal of Organizational Behavior, 26(4), 331-362.
32. Gençöz, T. (2000). Pozitif ve Negatif Duygu Ölçeği: Geçerlik ve güvenirlik çalışması. Türk Psikoloji Dergisi, 15(46), 19-26.
33. Ghani, J.A. ve Deshpande, S.P. (1994). Task characteristics and the experience of optimal flow in human-computer interaction. The Journal of Psychology, 128(4), 381-391.
34. Gido, J. ve Clements, J.P. (2021). Successful project management. Cengage Learning.
35. Grolnick, W.S. ve Ryan, R.M. (1989). Parent styles associated with children’s self-regulation and competence in school. Journal of Educational Psychology, 81, 143-154.
36. Guay, F. (2022). Applying self-determination theory to education: Regulations types, psychological needs, and autonomy supporting behaviors. Canadian Journal of School Psychology, 37(1), 75-92.
37. Hammer, M. ve Champy, J. (2009). Reengineering the corporation: A manifesto for business revolution. Harper Business.
38. Hayes, A.F. (2013). Introduction to mediation, moderation, and conditional process analysis: A regression based approach. The Guilford Press.
39. Hood, C. ve Patton, R. (2022). Exploring the role of psychological need fulfilment on stress, job satisfaction and turnover intention in support staff working in inpatient mental health hospitals in the NHS: A self-determination theory perspective. Journal of Mental Health, 31(5), 692-698. Hossain, M.S. ve Zhou, X. (2018). Impact of m-payments on purchase intention and customer satisfaction: Perceived flow as mediator. International Journal of Science and Business, 2(3), 503-517.
40. Houghton, J.D. ve Neck, C.P. (2002). The revised self-leadership questionnaire: testing a hierarchical factor structure for self-leadership. Journal of Managerial Psychology, 17, 672-691.
41. Howard, J., Gagné, M., Morin, A.J.S. ve Van den Broeck, A. (2016). Motivation profiles at work: A self-determination theory approach. Journal of Vocational Behavior, 95, 74-89.
42. Hunt, J. (1965). Intrinsic motivation and its role in development. In: Nebraska symposium on motivation (Vol 12, pp.189-282). University of Nebraska Press.
43. Ilies, R., Wagner, D., Wilson, K., Ceja, L., Johnson, M., DeRue, S. ve Ilgen, D. (2017). Flow at work and basic psychological needs: Effects on well‐being. Applied Psychology, 66(1), 3-24.
44. İlhan, T. ve Özbay, Y. (2010). Yaşam amaçlarının ve psikolojik ihtiyaç doyumunun öznel iyi oluş üzerindeki yordayıcı rolü. Turkish Psychological Counseling & Guidance Journal, 4(34), 109-118.
45. Jin, B. ve Kim, J. (2017). Grit, basic needs satisfaction, and subjective well-being. Journal of Individual Differences, 38(1), 29-35.
46. Johnson, R.B. ve Christensen, L. (2019). Educational research: Quantitative, qualitative, and mixed approaches. Sage Publications.
47. Kahn, W.A. (1992). To be fully there: Psychological presence at work. Human Relations, 45(4), 321-349.
48. Karabacak Çelik, A. (2021). Psikolojik ihtiyaç doyumu ile iyi oluş arasında akademik öz-yeterlik akademik motivasyon ve akış yaşantılarının aracı rolü. Doktora Tezi. Samsun: Ondokuz Mayıs Üniversitesi Lisansüstü Eğitim Enstitüsü.
49. Kermen, U. ve Sarı, T. (2014). Üniversite öğrencilerinde ihtiyaç doyumu ve öznel iyi oluş arasındaki ilişkinin incelenmesi. Abant İzzet Baysal Üniversitesi Eğitim Fakültesi Dergisi, 14(2), 175-185.
50. Kompier, M. (2002). The psychosocial work environment and health-what do we know and where should we go? Scandinavian Journal of Work, Environment & Health, 28(1), 1-4.
51. Köker, S. (1991). Normal ve sorunlu ergenlerin yaşam doyumu düzeyinin karşılaştırılması. Yüksek Lisans Tezi. Ankara: Ankara Üniversitesi Sosyal Bilimler Enstitüsü.
52. Liu, W., Lu, H., Li, P., van der Linden, D., & Bakker, A.B. (2023). Antecedents and outcomes of work-related flow: A meta-analysis. Journal of Vocational Behavior, 144, 103891.
53. Lucas, R.E. ve Diener, E. (2008). Subjective well-being. In: Handbook of emotions (Ed: Michael Lewis, Jeannette M. Haviland-Jones, Lisa Feldman Barrett). The Guilford Press. pp.471-484.
54. Martela, F. ve Riekki, T.J. (2018). Autonomy, competence, relatedness, and beneficence: A multicultural comparison of the four pathways to meaningful work. Frontiers in Psychology, 9, 1157.
55. Messmann, G., Evers, A. ve Kreijns, K. (2021). The role of basic psychological needs satisfaction in the relationship between transformational leadership and innovative work behavior. Human Resource Development Quarterly, 33(1), 29-45.
56. Milyavskaya, M., Gingras, I., Mageau, G.A., Koestner, R., Gagnon, H., Fang, J. ve Boiché, J. (2009). Balance across contexts: Importance of balanced need satisfaction across various life domains. Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, 35(8), 1031-1045.
57. Moon J. ve Kim, Y. (2001), Extending the TAM for a World-Wide-Web context. Inf Manag 38(4): 217-230.
58. Olafsen, A.H., Niemiec, C.P., Halvari, H., Deci, E.L. ve Williams, G.C. (2017). On the dark side of work: A longitudinal analysis using self-determination theory. European Journal of Work and Organizational Psychology, 26(2), 275-285.
59. Paulhus, D.L. (1991). "Measurement and control of response biases." İçinde J.P. Robinson, P. R. Shaver, & L. S. Wrightsman (Eds.), Measures of personality and social psychological attitudes (ss. 17-59). Academic Press.
60. Pavot, W. (2008). The assessment of subjective well-being. The Science of Subjective Well-Being, 124-140.
61. Perttula, A., Kiili, K., Lindstedt, A., & Tuomi, P. (2017). Flow experience in game based learning–a systematic literature review. International Journal of Serious Games, 4(1), 57-72.
62. Podsakoff, P.M., MacKenzie, S.B., Lee, J.Y. ve Podsakoff, N.P. (2003). "Common method biases in behavioral research: A critical review of the literature and recommended remedies." Journal of Applied Psychology, 88(5), 879-903.
63. Rogatko, T.P. (2009). The influence of flow on positive affect in college students. Journal of Happiness Studies, 10, 133-148.
64. Roussillon Soyer, C., Balkin, D.B. ve Fall, A. (2022). Unpacking the effect of autonomous motivation on workplace performance: Engagement and distributive justice matter!. European Management Review, 19(1), 138-153.
65. Ryan, R. (2009). Self determination theory and well being. Social Psychology, 84(822), 848.
66. Ryan, R.M. ve Deci, E.L. (2017). Self-determination theory: Basic psychological needs in motivation, development, and wellness. The Guilford Press.
67. Ryan, R.M., Duineveld, J.J., Di Domenico, S.I., Ryan, W.S., Steward, B.A., & Bradshaw, E.L. (2022). We know this much is (meta-analytically) true: A meta-review of meta-analytic findings evaluating self-determination theory. Psychological Bulletin, 148(11-12), 813-842.
68. Sahoo, F.M. (2015). Flow experience and workplace well-being. Journal of the Indian Academy of Applied Psychology, 41(2), 189-198.
69. Salanova, M., Bakker, A.B. ve Llorens, S. (2006). Flow at work: Evidence for an upward spiral of personal and organizational resources. Journal of Happiness Studies, 7(1), 1-22.
70. Scharp, Y.S., Bakker, A.B., & Breevaart, K. (2022). Playful work design and employee work engagement: A self-determination perspective. Journal of Vocational Behavior, 134, 103693.
71. Schultz, P.P., Ryan, R.M., Niemiec, C.P., Legate, N. ve Williams, G.C. (2014). Mindfulness, work climate, and psychological need satisfaction in employee well-being. Mindfulness, 6(5), 971-985.
72. Setia, M.S. (2016). Methodology series module 3: Cross-sectional studies. Indian Journal of Dermatology, 61(3), 261-264.
73. Shah, T.A., Parray, Z.A. ve ul Islam, S. (2023). The empirical relationship between transformational leadership and job attitudes: mediating role of psychological capital–a study of healthcare in India. International Journal of Public Leadership, 19(1), 45-63.
74. Sheldon, K.M. ve Bettencourt, B.A. (2002). Psychological need‐satisfaction and subjective well‐being within social groups. British Journal of Social Psychology, 41(1), 25-38.
75. Sheldon, K.M., Elliot, A.J., Ryan, R.M., Chirkov, V., Kim, Y., Wu, C., ... ve Sun, Z. (2004). Self-concordance and subjective well-being in four cultures. Journal of Cross-Cultural Psychology, 35(2), 209-223.
76. Slemp, G.R., Lee, M.A. ve Mossman, L.H. (2021). Interventions to support autonomy, competence, and relatedness needs in organizations: A systematic review with recommendations for research and practice. Journal of Occupational and Organizational Psychology, 94(2), 427-457.
77. Tabachnick, B.G. ve Fidell, L.S. (2013). Using Multivariate Statistics (6th ed.). Boston, MA: Pearson.
78. Tang, M., Wang, D. ve Alain Guerrien. (2019). A systematic review and meta‐analysis on basic psychological need satisfaction, motivation, and well‐being in later life: Contributions of self‐determination theory. PsyCh Journal, 9(1), 5-33.
79. Taylor, J.R. ve Van Every, E.J. (2010). The situated organization: Case studies in the pragmatics of communication research. Routledge.
80. Thibault Landry, A. ve Whillans, A. (2018). The power of workplace rewards: Using self-determination theory to understand why reward satisfaction matters for workers around the world. Compensation & Benefits Review, 50(3), 123-148.
81. Tian, L., Chen, H. ve Huebner, E.S. (2014). The longitudinal relationships between basic psychological needs satisfaction at school and school-related subjective well-being in adolescents. Social Indicators Research, 119, 353-372.
82. Tims, M., Bakker, A.B. ve Derks, D. (2013). The impact of job crafting on job demands, job resources, and well-being. Journal of Occupational Health Psychology, 18, 230-240.
83. Timuroğlu, E. (2018). İş yaşamında temel psikolojik ihtiyaçların duygulanım, anksiyete ve depresyon ile ilişkisi. Yüksek Lisans Tezi. İstanbul: İstanbul Arel Üniversitesi Sosyal Bilimler Enstitüsü.
84. Turan, N. (2019). Akış deneyimi üzerine genel bir literatür taraması. Pamukkale Üniversitesi Sosyal Bilimler Enstitüsü Dergisi, 37, 181-199.
85. Turan, N. ve Pala, O. (2021). Çalışmada Akış Deneyimi Ölçeğinin (ÇADÖ) Türkçe uyarlaması: Geçerlik ve güvenirlik çalışması. Ankara Üniversitesi Sosyal Bilimler Fakültesi Dergisi, 76(1), 387-404.
86. Türkdoğan, T. ve Duru, E. (2012). The role of basic needs fulfillment in prediction of subjective well-being among university students. Educational Sciences: Theory and Practice, 12(4), 2440-2446.
87. Uri, C. (2018). Work-related Basic Need Satisfaction Scale: Analysis of construct validity and reliability in Turkish. Çukurova Üniversitesi Sosyal Bilimler Enstitüsü Dergisi, 27, 13-25.
88. Ünal-Karagüven, M.H., Karaman-Ekşioğlu, M. ve Gül, Ç. (2020). Özerklik Teorisi ve Sosyal İlişki Gereksinimi Ölçeğinin Türkçeye adaptasyonu. IBAD Sosyal Bilimler Dergisi, (6), 366-377.
89. Van den Broeck, A., Ferris, D.L., Chang, C.H. ve Rosen, C.C. (2021). A review of self-determination theory’s basic psychological needs at work. Journal of Management, 47(7), 1780-1811.
90. Van den Broeck, A., Howard, J.L., Van Vaerenbergh, Y., Leroy, H. ve Gagné, M. (2021). Beyond intrinsic and extrinsic motivation: A meta-analysis on self-determination theory’s multidimensional conceptualization of work motivation. Organizational Psychology Review, 11(3), 240-273.
91. Van den Broeck, A., Vansteenkiste, M., De Witte, H., Soenens, B. ve Lens, W. (2010). Capturing autonomy, competence, and relatedness at work: Construction and initial validation of the Work-Related Basic Need Satisfaction Scale. Journal of Occupational and Organizational Psychology, 83(4), 981-1002.
92. van Hooff, M.L. ve De Pater, I.E. (2019). Daily associations between basic psychological need satisfaction and well‐being at work: The moderating role of need strength. Journal of Occupational and Organizational Psychology, 92(4), 1027-1035.
93. Vansteenkiste, M., Niemiec, C.P. ve Soenens, B. (2010). The development of the five mini-theories of self-determination theory: An historical overview, emerging trends, and future directions. The decade ahead: Theoretical perspectives on motivation and achievement (Advances in Motivation and Achievement, Vol. 16 Part A), Emerald Group Publishing Limited, Leeds, pp.105-165.
94. Vuran, S., Aydın, O., Uysal, H. ve Şahin, V. (2022). Müdahaleye yanıt: Boylamsal çalışmaların bir sistematik derlemesi. Hacettepe Üniversitesi Eğitim Fakültesi Dergisi, 37(1). 403-423.
95. Watson, D., Clark, L.A. ve Tellegen, A. (1988). Development and validation of brief measures of positive and negative affect: The PANAS Scales. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 54(6), 1063-1070.
96. Wu, J., Xie, M., Lai, Y., Mao, Y. ve Harmat, L. (2021). Flow as a key predictor of subjective well-being among Chinese university students: A chain mediating model. Frontiers in Psychology, 12, 743906.
97. Yeloğlu, Ç.H. ve Hocaoğlu, Ç. (2017). Önemli bir ruh sağlığı sorunu: Bipolar bozukluk. Mustafa Kemal Üniversitesi Tıp Dergisi, 8(30), 41-54.
98. Yu, P., Wu, J.J., Chen, I. ve Lin, Y.T. (2007). Is playfulness a benefit to work? Empirical evidence of professionals in Taiwan. International Journal of Technology Measurement, 39(3), 412-429.
99. Yukl, G. (2013). Leadership in organizations (8th ed.). Pearson.
100. Zito, M., Cortese, C.G. ve Colombo, L. (2019). The role of resources and flow at work in well-being. Sage Open, 9(2), 1-12.