| Abstract [eng] |
The thesis consists of 67 pages, 5 figures, 15 tables, and 52 references. The aim of this master thesis is to evaluate the impact of intrinsic and extrinsic employee motivation on social and economic value creation in Lithuanian social enterprises, as well as to determine the mediating role of meaningful work in these relationships. To achieve this aim, the following objectives were formulated: to analyze the theoretical foundations of employee motivation in the context of social business, to conceptualize social and economic value creation, to examine the characteristics of social enterprises in Lithuania, and to empirically assess the relationships between employee motivation and value creation. The study applies a quantitative research approach based on a standardized questionnaire using validated measurement scales (MWMS, WAMI, and SIS-SE). The research sample consists of 210 employees of Lithuanian social enterprises. Data analysis was conducted using SPSS and SmartPLS software, applying descriptive statistics, reliability analysis, correlation analysis, multiple regression, and Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM). The results indicate that intrinsic motivation has a strong positive effect on meaningful work and social value creation. Meaningful work was identified as a significant mediating mechanism through which intrinsic motivation further enhances social value creation. In addition, identified regulation (a form of internalized extrinsic motivation) positively influences meaningful work and indirectly contributes to social value creation. In contrast, controlled forms of extrinsic motivation, such as external social and economic regulation, demonstrate a negative effect on social value creation. The analysis of economic value creation revealed limited explanatory power of motivational factors. Neither intrinsic motivation nor meaningful work showed a statistically significant effect on economic value creation, suggesting that economic outcomes in social enterprises are likely influenced by other factors, such as organizational or strategic conditions. In conclusion, social value creation in social enterprises is strongly associated with employees’ intrinsic motivation and their experience of meaningful work, whereas economic value creation is driven by different and less motivation-dependent mechanisms. The findings contribute to the existing literature on motivation in social business and provide practical insights for developing employee motivation strategies in social enterprises. |
