School of Labor and Human Resources, Renmin U. of China, China
Scholars have conducted numerous studies on the influence of both proxy and distal antecedents and the mechanisms of employees' proactive work behavior. There is still controversy regarding the varying degrees of impact different motivational states have on employee proactivity. This paper tested the motivational mechanisms within Parker's (2010) model of proactive work behavior by meta-analyzing 107 papers in both English and Chinese language. The relative strengths of three motivational states: "can do," "reason to," and "energized to" in influencing employees' proactive work behavior were analyzed with a combined sample size of 34,017. The results indicate that all three motivational states positively contribute to proactive work behavior. Specifically, "reason to" has a stronger impact compared to other motivators, and "can do" exhibits a stronger influence than "energized to," highlighting the significance of having a reason to engage in proactive work behavior. Limitations of the study and future directions are discussed.
