scholarly journals Self-Determination Theory for Work Motivation

Management ◽  
2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jane X.Y. Chong ◽  
Marylène Gagné
Keyword(s):  
Organizational Behavior ◽  
Organizational Performance ◽  
Work Motivation ◽  
Contextual Factors ◽  
Autonomous Motivation ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Self Determination Theory ◽  
Psychological Needs ◽  
Self Determination ◽  
Controlled Motivation

Motivation is defined by Craig Pinder, in Work Motivation in Organizational Behavior (1998), as “a set of energetic forces that originates both within as well as beyond an individual’s being, to initiate work-related behavior, and to determine its form, direction, intensity, and duration.” It is at the heart of management and organizational behavior, as it plays an important role in both organizational and employee outcomes, such as organizational performance and personal well-being. Initially developed by psychologists Edward L. Deci and Richard M. Ryan, self-determination theory (SDT) has evolved gradually over the last few decades to become a leading theory of human motivation. Applied SDT research has flourished in many areas of psychology, such as education, sports, exercise and health, and, more recently, organizational psychology and management. At its core, SDT uses the classic concepts of intrinsic and extrinsic motivation. However, through rigorous research into people’s reasons for engaging in different activities, SDT has evolved these concepts to propose a more meaningful multidimensional conceptualization of motivation that distinguishes between autonomous motivation and controlled motivation. Autonomous motivation is characterized by a sense of choice and volition, whereas controlled motivation is grounded in a sense of pressure and having to engage in a certain behavior. Importantly, a key proposition of SDT is that individuals have deeply evolved psychological needs for competence, autonomy, and relatedness. When these needs are satisfied at work, either through the job itself, work climate, or interactions with colleagues and managers, employees tend to have more autonomous, high-quality motivation and greater well-being. In contrast, when these psychological needs are frustrated or thwarted, employees are prompted toward more controlled forms of motivation and, subsequently, more symptoms of ill-being and diminished performance at work. Grounded in this theoretical framework, researchers have been able to examine social-contextual factors that contribute to or jeopardize employees’ quality of motivation and related outcomes. Autonomy support, leadership, work design, and compensation systems are examples of such contextual factors that have generated considerable attention in this field and are further elaborated in this article.

scholarly journals Exploring Factors Associated With the Motivation of Clinical Pharmacists: A Focus on the South African Context

2021 ◽  
Vol 8 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lucille Crafford ◽  
Anouk Wouters ◽  
Elmien Bronkhorst ◽  
Andries G. S. Gous ◽  
Rashmi A. Kusurkar
Keyword(s):  
Academic Motivation ◽  
Work Motivation ◽  
Autonomous Motivation ◽  
Self Determination Theory ◽  
Psychological Needs ◽  
Self Determination ◽  
Clinical Services ◽  
Factors Associated ◽  
Clinical Pharmacists ◽  
Controlled Motivation

Introduction: Pharmacy practice in many middle to low-income countries has slowly transitioned from being product-focused to a more patient-focused clinical practice. Lack of motivation is one of the factors contributing to the scarcity of pharmacists in the wards. As little is known about motivation in clinical pharmacists, this study aimed to obtain insight into the quantity and quality of their work motivation and factors associated with it.Methods: Self-determination Theory, used as the framework, describes autonomous motivation as being generated from within or through personal endorsement and controlled motivation as originating from external factors. An online questionnaire including the Academic Motivation Scale to measure autonomous motivation, controlled motivation and amotivation, was sent to clinical pharmacy graduates from 2000 to 2020 across South Africa, followed by interviews to explain some results. Independent t-test was used to analyze differences in motivation of clinical pharmacists to perform clinical services based on personal and environmental factors. Interview data were transcribed and analyzed to explain significant quantitative findings.Results: Higher amotivation was found in graduates who are currently not practicing in dedicated clinical pharmacist positions, as well as in graduates who do not receive additional financial benefits for clinical services. We found no significant differences in the work motivation of clinical pharmacists based on their gender, age, current practice setting, work experience and additional training received. The interviews revealed that relatedness and autonomy are the most important factors for clinical pharmacists' work motivation.Discussion: Overall participants had a high mean autonomous motivation, a high mean controlled motivation and low mean amotivation. In line with Self-determination Theory literature, considering the basic psychological needs for relatedness and autonomy could assist with designing interventions, like creating a supportive work environment, to optimize motivation. This could improve professional wellbeing, service implementation and prevent possible adverse events. Future research is necessary to understand barriers and facilitators of clinical pharmacists' work motivation.

scholarly journals Affect in the Context of Self-Determination Theory

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Martin S. Hagger ◽  
Cleo Protogerou
Keyword(s):  
Health Behavior ◽  
Emotional Responses ◽  
Autonomous Motivation ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Self Determination Theory ◽  
Psychological Needs ◽  
Self Determination ◽  
Active Management ◽  
And Behavior

Self-determination theory has been applied to understand the role of affect in motivation and behavior in health contexts. According to self-determination theory, autonomous forms of motivation, reflecting self-endorsed reasons for acting and the satisfaction of psychological needs, are related to participation and persistence in health behavior. Research examining the role of affect in determining health behavior from the perspective of the theory is relatively sparse. Affect has served as both an outcome and process in applications of the theory to health behavior. Positive affect and psychological well-being have been identified as important outcomes of participating in behaviors for autonomous reasons. Affect is inextricably linked to motivational processes through eudaimonic and hedonic well-being, the passionate pursuit of activities, and the regulation of behavior through active management of aversive emotional responses. The chapter outlines how support for autonomous motivation by significant others may lead to adaptive behavioral engagement and affective responses in health behavior.

scholarly journals Affect in the context of self-determination theory

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Martin S Hagger ◽  
Cleo Protogerou
Keyword(s):  
Health Behavior ◽  
Emotional Responses ◽  
Autonomous Motivation ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Self Determination Theory ◽  
Psychological Needs ◽  
Self Determination ◽  
Active Management ◽  
And Behavior

Self-determination theory has been applied to understand the role of affect in motivation and behavior in health contexts. According to self-determination theory, autonomous forms of motivation, reflecting self-endorsed reasons for acting and the satisfaction of psychological needs, are related to participation and persistence in health behavior. Research examining the role of affect in determining health behavior from the perspective of the theory is relatively sparse. Affect has served as both an outcome and process in applications of the theory to health behavior. Positive affect and psychological well-being have been identified as important outcomes of participating in behaviors for autonomous reasons. Affect is inextricably linked to motivational processes through eudaimonic and hedonic well-being, the passionate pursuit of activities, and the regulation of behavior through active management of aversive emotional responses. The chapter outlines how support for autonomous motivation by significant others may lead to adaptive behavioral engagement and affective responses in health behavior.

scholarly journals The Path from Leader-Member Exchange to Citizenship: An Empirical Test of Self-Determination as a Linchpin

2020 ◽  
Vol 18 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Anata Flavia Ionescu ◽  
Dragos Iliescu
Keyword(s):  
Organizational Citizenship ◽  
Work Motivation ◽  
Empirical Test ◽  
Autonomous Motivation ◽  
Self Determination Theory ◽  
Self Determination ◽  
Leader Member Exchange ◽  
Organizational Contexts ◽  
Controlled Motivation ◽  
Member Exchange

In response to calls to uncover the mechanisms whereby leadership influences subordinate outcomes, the present studyproposes and tests a path from leader-member exchange (LMX) to subordinate organizational citizenship behaviors(OCBs) through work motivation as conceptualized by self-determination theory (SDT). We conducted a survey studyon a Romanian sample of 338 subordinates nested under 59 leaders from a large variety of organizational contexts. Ourfindings at the within-group level offer limited support for the incremental validity of autonomous motivation andamotivation, but suggest controlled motivation—and, through it, LMX—has a negative incremental contribution to bothOCB targeted at co-workers and OCB targeted at the organization. None of the paths was supported at group level.Results thus suggest that leaders should be wary of the consequences of high LMX—despite its established overallpositive influence on OCB, LMX may also undermine OCB to the extent to which it enhances controlled motivation.

When and How Job Design Influences Work Motivation: A Self-Determination Theory Approach

2021 ◽  
pp. 003329412110273
Author(s):  
YuXin Liu ◽  
Shuai Wang ◽  
Jianwei Zhang ◽  
ShuJie Li
Keyword(s):  
Work Motivation ◽  
Autonomous Motivation ◽  
Job Characteristics ◽  
Self Determination Theory ◽  
Psychological Needs ◽  
Job Design ◽  
Basic Psychological Needs ◽  
Controlled Motivation ◽  
Needs Satisfaction ◽  
Basic Psychological Needs Satisfaction

Based on self-determination theory and job characteristics theory, this study aims to provide a systematic and comprehensive model simultaneously investigating the relationship between job characteristics and two forms of work motivation (i.e., controlled motivation and autonomous motivation). To examine the proposed model, we recruited employees working in multiple Chinese industries and collected 435 valid questionnaires. The results indicate that job characteristics have a significantly positive effect on basic psychological needs satisfaction, which, in turn, positively affects autonomous motivation and negatively influences controlled motivation. In addition, basic psychological needs satisfaction mediates the linkage between job characteristics and positive or negative work motivation. Moreover, when an employee had high positive affectivity, job characteristics were more likely to fuel their basic psychological needs satisfaction. In contrast, job characteristics were more likely to be the depressor of these needs satisfaction when an employee possesses high negative affectivity. Our findings revealed that the degree of three needs satisfaction at work is a convincing and identifiable psychological mechanism between job characteristics and two types of work motivation. Also, work affectivity may influence the different perceptions of job characteristics, reminding managers that personality traits are a non-negligible factor in job design. Overall, this paper extends the application of the job characteristics model by revealing when and how job characteristics influence two types of work motivation and further puts forward managerial implications.

scholarly journals Self-determination theory applied to flow in conservatoire music practice: The roles of perceived autonomy and competence, and autonomous and controlled motivation

2017 ◽  
Vol 46 (1) ◽  
pp. 33-48 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rafael Valenzuela ◽  
Nuria Codina ◽  
José Vicente Pestana
Keyword(s):  
Autonomous Motivation ◽  
Self Determination Theory ◽  
Perceived Competence ◽  
Psychological Needs ◽  
Self Determination ◽  
Self Report ◽  
Instrument Performance ◽  
Controlled Motivation ◽  
Needs Satisfaction ◽  
Autonomous And Controlled Motivation

Self-determination theory (SDT) postulates that environments providing psychological needs satisfaction (PNS) promote quality motivation, thus enhancing engagement and performance in diverse performance domains. SDT and PNS were used to investigate student experience of conservatoire instrument practice. Participants ( N = 162) completed standardized self-report questionnaires. Associations between study variables were described and hierarchical multiple regression analysis was conducted to assess the predictive effects of autonomy and competence needs satisfaction and autonomous and controlled motivation on inter-subject flow variations. A considerable part of flow variations was accounted for by study variables. Results showed that conservatoire students, especially those studying instrument performance ( n = 109), reported high levels of flow, perceived competence and autonomy, and intrinsic motivation. Autonomous motivation had a direct effect on flow variations, whereas controlled motivation had an inverse effect. Perceived competence was the strongest predictor of flow variations and it was also associated with external regulation (especially among students studying instrument performance), thus indicating that intrinsic and extrinsic motives both play important roles in conservatoire instrument practice. Conservatoire instrument teachers need to acknowledge that perceived competence is critical to flow in instrument practice, in order to provide their students with optimal challenges that avoid frustration and amotivation.

Differential Effects of Work and Family Support on the Relationship Between Surface Acting and Wellbeing: A Self-Determination Theory Approach

2021 ◽  
pp. 003329412110484
Author(s):  
Chang C Xiang ◽  
Xu Wang ◽  
Ting T Xie ◽  
Cheng L Fu
Keyword(s):  
Job Satisfaction ◽  
Family Support ◽  
Work Motivation ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Self Determination Theory ◽  
Work And Family ◽  
Self Determination ◽  
Surface Acting ◽  
Psychological Well Being ◽  
The Relationship

Surface acting—the management of emotional displays as part of a nurse’s work role—is increasingly getting scholars’ attention in organizational behavior. Previous research focused on the relationship between surface acting and outcomes (such as psychological well-being) on the basis of resource-centric theories, ignoring the subjective stance of surface acting provider. According to self-determination theory, surface acting affects an individual’s well-being through stimulating autonomous or controlled work motivation. Taking nurses as the subjects, the current study proposed that surface acting would affect job satisfaction and further psychological well-being through nurses’ controlled work motivation, and work and family support would moderate the above relationships in diverse directions. An online survey of n = 342 nurses working at a hospital in central China was conducted, evaluating surface acting, job satisfaction, psychological well-being, workplace support, and family support. Results indicated that surface acting negatively influenced nurses’ psychological well-being through job satisfaction. In addition, the results highlighted the two-faced aspect of social support, in which work support positively moderated the relationships between surface acting, job satisfaction, and psychological well-being, while family support intensified the abovementioned relationships negatively. These findings have important implications for surface acting, social support research, and managerial practices.

Motivation, Personality, and Development Within Embedded Social Contexts: An Overview of Self-Determination Theory

2012 ◽  
pp. 84-108 ◽  
Author(s):  
Edward L. Deci ◽  
Richard M. Ryan
Keyword(s):  
Psychological Health ◽  
Basic Needs ◽  
Empirical Support ◽  
Autonomous Motivation ◽  
Self Determination Theory ◽  
Psychological Needs ◽  
Social Contexts ◽  
Need Satisfaction ◽  
Self Determination ◽  
Human Beings

Self-determination theory maintains and has provided empirical support for the proposition that all human beings have fundamental psychological needs to be competent, autonomous, and related to others. Satisfaction of these basic needs facilitates people's autonomous motivation (i.e., acting with a sense of full endorsement and volition), whereas thwarting the needs promotes controlled motivation (i.e., feeling pressured to behave in particular ways) or being amotivated (i.e., lacking intentionality). Satisfying these basic needs and acting autonomously have been consistently shown to be associated with psychological health and effective performance. Social contexts within which people operate, however proximal (e.g., a family or workgroup) or distal (e.g., a cultural value or economic system), affect their need satisfaction and type of motivation, thus affecting their wellness and effectiveness. Social contexts also affect whether people's life goals or aspirations tend to be more intrinsic or more extrinsic, and that in turn affects important life outcomes.

scholarly journals Behavioral Regulation Sport Questionnaire: Gender and Sport Invariance in Portuguese Athletes

2019 ◽  
Vol 126 (2) ◽  
pp. 323-341 ◽  
Author(s):  
Diogo Monteiro ◽  
Diogo S. Teixeira ◽  
Anabela Vitorino ◽  
João Moutão ◽  
Filipe Rodrigues ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Self Determination Theory ◽  
Measurement Model ◽  
Psychological Needs ◽  
Basic Psychological Needs ◽  
Self Determination ◽  
Behavioral Regulation ◽  
Controlled Motivation ◽  
Nomological Validity ◽  
Composite Reliability ◽  
Basic Psychological Needs Satisfaction

This study aimed to analyze measurement invariance of the Behavioral Regulation Sports Questionnaire (BRSQ) across gender and four different sports. In addition, we examined nomological validity via basic psychological needs satisfaction. Participants totaled 1,812 Portuguese athletes (1,220 males and 592 females; aged 15–59 years, Mage = 17.72, SD = 5.51) from football ( n = 596), basketball ( n = 273), swimming ( n = 800), and parasport ( n = 143). The BRSQ measurement model was invariant across gender and these four sports. The scale confirmed nomological validity in that satisfaction of basic psychological needs positively predicted autonomous forms of motivation and negatively predicted more controlled motivation and amotivation as suggested by self-determination theory. In light of this evidence for BRSQ construct validity, composite reliability, nomological validity, and invariance across gender and four different sports, this scale is a useful tool for coaches of the aforementioned sports in their efforts to evaluate their athletes' motivation.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document