The Role of Intrinsic Motivation in the Relationship Between Psychological Capital and Innovative Performance: Empirical Evidence from Vietnam

This research examines the mediation of intrinsic motivation (IP) in the relationship between psychological capital (Psycap) and innovative performance (IP) in the educational environment of the transitioning economy. A test was based on a convenient sample of 440 University lecturers participating in a hardcopy survey was collected from ten universities and colleges in Southern Vietnam, from April 2020 to December 2020, while social isolation is strictly enforced by the government (Covid-19). The hypotheses are then proposed and conducted using confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) and the structural equation modeling technique (SEM). The testing structural model results reveal that all the hypotheses are satisfied at the 5% significance level. Intrinsic motivation is a partial mediator in the linkage between psychological capital and innovative performance. These findings suggest that the importance of Psychological Capital (PsyCap) of workers promotes job performance in general, especially in individuals’ creativity in a transitioning market, Vietnam. In addition, Based on the research results, several solutions are also proposed to promote innovative performance in the conditions of education in Vietnam. Besides, the author also gave a few comments on the findings as well as the limitations that this study encountered, especially how the survey samples were collected.