Drawing on self-determination theory (SDT) and Herzberg's
two-factor theory, this study examines how extrinsic motivation, which
arises from the conditions surrounding work, and intrinsic motivation,
which arises from the work itself, are jointly associated with employees'
innovative work behavior (IWB), and whether one form is more strongly
associated with IWB than the other. It responds to the tendency of earlier
research to study a single motivational form, which leaves the combined and
relative contributions of the two forms unclear.
Design/methodology/approach – A cross-sectional census survey was
conducted in 2026 among all 144 employees of a private-sector population,
which gave a response rate of 100%. Using structural equation modeling
(PLS-SEM) in SmartPLS 4, using 5,000 bootstrap resamples.
Originality – The study estimates extrinsic and intrinsic motivation,
specified through the two-factor and self-determination perspectives,
simultaneously in a single parsimonious PLS-SEM model, and
complements the usual path coefficients with effect sizes and a formal
comparison of the two paths. Using a fully enumerated private-sector
population, it offers context-specific evidence on how motivation arising
from the work context and motivation arising from the work itself stand
relative to each other in explaining IWB.