Work motivation in three-way interaction with organizational justice across four different managerial positions

Purpose The current study aims to propose a novel three-way interaction of work motivation (intrinsic/extrinsic) and work environment (organizational justice), in a Romanian context. Moreover, as managers and employees do not have the same needs, workloads and performance assessments, so the research model is tested in four groups: employees, office managers, department managers and executives. Additionally, a minor goal is to replicate known relationships in the literature in a non-Western country. Design/methodology/approach To this end, a total sample of N = 3,287 Romanian participants was obtained, using established, valid and known measures. Statistical analyses included common-method bias analysis, zero-order Pearson correlations and linear regressions with bootstrapping. Findings Results support the hypothesized three-way interaction, such that only when both motivations are high does the work environment have a profound effect on organizational outcomes, but when both are low, the employee becomes indifferent to the work. Originality/value Workplace fairness and work motivation are topics concerning employees and managers alike. While their roles in contributing to reduce work misbehaviors and increase extra role behaviors have been outlined in the past as, they may interact in surprising ways, and differently in every managerial level. On one hand, the current article replicates established associations but, on the other hand, it does so from a non-Western perspective and with the not-yet-researched addition of a three-way interaction between work environment (i.e. perceptions of organizational justice) and the individual's motivational dispositions (i.e. intrinsic and extrinsic work motivations).