A Symphony of Fire, Ice, and Fog: How Leaders' Interpersonal Styles Shape Psychological Needs and Motivation

Understanding the socio-contextual factors associated with self-determined motivation is crucial for addressing work-related well-being challenges. Leadership behaviors that support, thwart, or neglect employees' psychological needs play a pivotal role in shaping these motivational dynamics. Building on this understanding, this study investigated how different need-oriented leadership behaviors-supportive, thwarting, and indifferent-relate to motivation through various pathways. The study sample surveyed 353 Norwegian employees using the Tripartite Measure of Interpersonal Behaviors-Supervisor (TMIB-S) scale, Psychological Need States at Work Scale (PNSW-S), and the Multidimensional Work Motivation Scale (MWMS). In the bright path, need-supportive behaviors were associated with psychological need fulfillment, aligning with self-determined motivation. In the dark pathway, results indicated need-thwarting behaviors associated with competence frustration, which corresponded with higher introjected regulation. In the dim pathway, need-indifferent behaviors were linked to external regulation and amotivation through need unfulfillment. Cross-path analyses suggested that need frustration may be less detrimental to motivation than need unfulfillment. Our research contributes to self-determination theory and leadership literature by clarifying how three distinct pathways relate to motivation. Practically, these findings underscore the importance of understanding and addressing the nuanced roles of different leader behaviors to effectively manage and foster motivation in organizational settings.