SUPERVISORS INTERACTIONAL STYLES AND SUBORDINATES INTRINSIC AND EXTRINSIC MOTIVATION

The effects of supervisory style on subordinates' intrinsic and extrin sic motivation were examined in two studies. In Study 1, Canadian grad uate students reacted to hypothetical situations that involved three s upervisory styles-autonomy supportive, non-punitive controlling, and p unitive controlling. The results indicated that participants experienc ed the highest and lowest levels of intrinsic motivation in the autono my-supportive and punitive-controlling conditions, respectively. A con trol group was incorporated in Study 2. Potential moderating effects o f a high versus a low self-determined motivational profile (SDMP) on t he relationship between supervisory style and intrinsic motivation wer e explored. Results indicated that the autonomy-supportive and punitiv e-controlling supervisory styles maintained and decreased participants ' intrinsic and extrinsic motivation, respectively, compared with that of the control group. Also, in the autonomy-supportive condition, hig h-SDMP participants perceived the supervisor as more autonomy supporti ve and, consequently, felt more self-determined than low-SDMP particip ants, whereas in the controlling condition, high-SDMP participants per ceived the supervisor as more controlling and felt less self-determine d than low-SDMP participants.