The purpose of this study was to propose and test a motivational model of performance by integrating constructs from self-concept and self-determination theories and to explore cultural group differences in the model. To this end, self-report measures of global self-esteem, academic self-concept, academic motivation and academic performance were collected from Asian and European graduate students. Analysis consisted of structural equation models for the overall sample (N = 181) and for separate cultural groups (Asian = 94) and European = 87). In the overall sample, the proposed model did fit the data reasonably with all proposed path coefficients being statistically significant. In the separate cultural group analyses although the models fit both samples data, one path coefficient was not found to be significant in the Asian sub-sample. The results are discussed using self-concept and self-determination theories as well as cultural difference perspectives. (Contains 4 figures and 1 table.)