Abstract

This study aims to examine the mediating role of intrinsic motivation in the relationship between perceived personal accountability and social loafing. The survey was conducted among employees working at 18 service enterprises operating in the fields of media, advertising, and event organization in Ho Chi Minh City. Data were collected through a questionnaire using a 5-point Likert scale, with 343 valid responses analyzed using structural equation modeling (SEM) via SPSS 26.0 and AMOS 24.0. The results indicate that perceived personal accountability has a direct negative effect on social loafing and a positive effect on intrinsic motivation. At the same time, intrinsic motivation also exerts a negative effect on social loafing. Notably, intrinsic motivation partially mediates the relationship between perceived personal accountability and social loafing. These findings suggest that reducing loafing behavior in work groups requires not only enhancing employees’ personal accountability but also stimulating their intrinsic motivation. The study provides additional empirical evidence on the link between accountability psychology, work motivation, and group behavior, while offering managerial implications to improve group performance in service enterprises in Ho Chi Minh City.