Perceived location autonomy and work environment choice: The mediating influence of intrinsic motivation

Building on the main tenets of labor process theory, this study introduces perceived location autonomy (PLA)—the autonomy to generate, evaluate, and choose where to perform one’s work tasks—and tests the relationships between PLA and worker productivity and well-being. Using a sample of academic knowledge workers (n = 319), our results suggest that workers experiencing higher PLA choose work environments to enhance both their productivity and their well-being through increased intrinsic motivation. Consistent with labor process theory, PLA acts as a form of empowerment that aligns knowledge worker and organizational goals to realize productivity gains while simultaneously allowing workers to enhance well-being. Together, these results suggest that managers may wish to consider integrating PLA into job and organizational design, as an alternative to control, as an effective strategy for boosting knowledge worker productivity and well-being.