Where people invest time is where they will be generative – whether it be in the family, community, belief group or at work – to improve the future for the collective and its individuals in it. This research aims to contextualize and measure generativity specifically in the workplace, recognizing the limitations of existing scales in capturing workplace-related generative behaviors accurately. This emphasizes the significance of passing on organizational knowledge and the role of generative employees in fostering the development of the next generation within the workforce. It is not possible to measure different motivations for this helping behavior in the organization. Drawing from self-determination theory and established research on mentoring motives, the new scale proposes categorizing generative motives into three higher-order factors: agentic (self-focused) and communal (other-focused). Each factor encompasses various motives driving individuals to engage in generative behaviors. Communal motives are prosocial and relational in nature. Furthermore, it delves into the nuances within the agentic motives, such as the pursuit of status and esteem (self-enhancement), desire to learn through helping others (self-enrichment), and satisfaction from nurturing the next generation (self-gratification). The motives provide differentiated impact of diverse behaviors, organizational culture and outcomes. Overall, the article seeks to redefine workplace generativity as an attitude encompassing motives for investing in the development of the future workforce, offering a nuanced understanding of many generative behaviors within organizational contexts. Keywords: Generativity, Communal Motives, Agentic Motives, Power, Status
