Autonomous or controlled motivation? How playful work design shapes employee workplace well-being

Amid growing concerns about employee psychological strain and declining workplace well-being, scholars have increasingly focused on the self-initiated approaches. Within this stream, playful work design (PWD) has gained importance as a promising strategy through which employees infuse their work with fun and challenge in ways that promote positive work-related states. Drawing on self-determination theory (SDT), this study examines the relationship between PWD and employee workplace well-being. Specifically, we propose that autonomous motivation and controlled motivation may mediate this relationship, and meaningfulness may moderate these pathways. Using three-wave data from full-time employees in Pakistan (N = 521), we find that PWD is positively associated with employee workplace well-being. Autonomous and controlled motivation mediated this relationship. Moreover, meaningfulness significantly moderates the relationships between PWD and both forms of motivation, while its indirect effect remains contingent upon the levels of meaningfulness. By uncovering the motivational processes and boundary conditions, this study contributes to advancing literature on both PWD and SDT. It also offers practical insights into how organizations can cultivate employee workplace well-being through self-initiated work behaviors.