Fueling Employees' Initiative: A Meta-Analysis of the Motivational Antecedents of Proactive Work Behavior

Proactive work behavior is critical for sustaining organizational competitiveness and ensuring long-term success. As such, it is essential to identify its antecedents in order to develop effective strategies to foster proactive work behavior. Grounded in Parker et al.'s Proactive Motivation Process Framework, this paper proposes and validates a model for the motivational state antecedents of proactive work behavior by conducting a meta-analysis. Examining 298 articles comprising 308 independent studies (N = 107 084), this study fully supports the expected relationships between three categories of antecedents—“can do,” “reason to,” and “energized to”—and proactive work behavior. Additionally, we identify power distance and uncertainty avoidance as key moderators influencing the relationship between motivational states and proactive work behavior. Our study further explores which motivational states most effectively promote overall proactive work behavior and its specific forms (taking charge, voice, and individual innovation) and distinguishes their effects on proactive behavior versus job performance. Finally, we discuss the theoretical and practical implications, offering new research directions and guidance for managers to formulate effective strategies for encouraging proactive work behavior.