Exploring the interplay of motivation and intolerance of uncertainty in work goal pursuit

Abstract

This study investigates the relationships between goal-related factors (self-efficacy and action crisis), types of motivation (autonomous and controlled) and intolerance of uncertainty (prospective and inhibitory anxiety) to determine whether motivation and intolerance of uncertainty predict self-efficacy and action crisis in work goal pursuit. Results of a cross-sectional survey amongst 421 Slovak respondents (M = 23.3 years of age, 79.8% women, mixed employment status) revealed that goal self-efficacy was positively linked to autonomous motivation. Controlled motivation, prospective anxiety and inhibitory anxiety were inversely related to self-efficacy but positively related with action crisis. Notably, autonomous motivation emerged as a positive predictor of self-efficacy and a negative predictor of action crisis, whereas inhibitory anxiety predicted lower self-efficacy and higher action crisis. Additionally, controlled motivation was a positive predictor of action crisis. These findings suggest that enhancing autonomous motivation and addressing intolerance of uncertainty, particularly inhibitory anxiety, can strengthen self-efficacy and resilience, reducing goal-related conflicts. Practically, organizations can leverage these insights to design supportive environments that foster autonomous motivation and teach adaptive coping strategies to manage uncertainty. 

Keywords

intolerance of uncertainty, autonomous motivation, controlled motivation, self-efficacy, action crisis

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