Daily Self-Leadership and Playful Work Design: Proactive Approaches of Work in Times of Crisis

2021 ◽  
pp. 002188632110604
Author(s):  
Arnold B. Bakker ◽  
Kimberley Breevaart ◽  
Yuri S. Scharp ◽  
Juriena D. de Vries

This study investigates how employees may use proactive work strategies to satisfy their basic psychological needs during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. We use self-determination theory to hypothesize that daily self-leadership (e.g., goal setting, constructive cognition) and playful work design (PWD; redesigning work to be more fun/challenging) satisfy basic psychological needs and facilitate job performance. We also predict that the use of these proactive strategies is particularly important when individuals ruminate a lot about the COVID-19 crisis. Daily diary data collected among a heterogeneous group of employees largely confirm these theoretical predictions. For organizational practitioners, this study thus suggests that it is important to encourage employees to be proactive. Although this may be challenging during crises, leaders could provide autonomy and feedback to foster self-leadership and PWD. In addition, organizations may offer training interventions so that employees learn to apply these proactive work strategies.

2020 ◽  
Vol 79 (2) ◽  
pp. 63-70
Author(s):  
Petr Květon ◽  
Martin Jelínek

Abstract. This study tests two competing hypotheses, one based on the general aggression model (GAM), the other on the self-determination theory (SDT). GAM suggests that the crucial factor in video games leading to increased aggressiveness is their violent content; SDT contends that gaming is associated with aggression because of the frustration of basic psychological needs. We used a 2×2 between-subject experimental design with a sample of 128 undergraduates. We assigned each participant randomly to one experimental condition defined by a particular video game, using four mobile video games differing in the degree of violence and in the level of their frustration-invoking gameplay. Aggressiveness was measured using the implicit association test (IAT), administered before and after the playing of a video game. We found no evidence of an association between implicit aggressiveness and violent content or frustrating gameplay.


Author(s):  
Roberto Ferriz ◽  
Alejandro Jiménez-Loaisa ◽  
David González-Cutre ◽  
María Romero-Elías ◽  
Vicente J. Beltrán-Carrillo

Purpose: Adolescents’ and parents’ experiences within a multidimensional school-based physical activity intervention grounded on self-determination theory were explored. Method: Qualitative data from 29 adolescents (aged 15–17 years) and three parents on behalf of the total students’ families were collected via participant observation (research diary), semistructured interviews, and focus groups. Results: Adolescents perceived that the application of motivational strategies, based on self-determination theory, satisfied their basic psychological needs for autonomy, competence and relatedness, favored self-determined motivation, and gave rise to adaptive consequences (improved physical activity knowledge, creation of affective bonds, and increased leisure-time physical activity). These results were supported by the information reported by the students’ parents. Discussion/Conclusions: The findings support the implementation of self-determination theory-based multidimensional interventions to promote adolescents’ physical activity participation. This study also presents several motivational strategies which could be useful for the design and implementation of future school-based physical activity interventions.


2022 ◽  
Vol 7 (2) ◽  
pp. 88-97
Author(s):  
Rita Estrada

Dementia is an ever-increasing health and social problem, with a growing number of people being affected worldwide. As dementia progresses, dependency on others increases, requiring the presence of caregivers. Caregivers tend to focus on the diagnosis itself – dementia – which makes it difficult to see the person in their uniqueness. The person is there, and can be seen by listening, which requires time and communication skills. The voices of older adults living with several types of dementia, collected while working as a psychologist in a nursing home, are presented in the first person to bring forward the person they are. These excerpts of interactions illustrate the basic psychological need of relatedness, which is built through interaction, stories, and touch, and the needs of competence and autonomy. The framework of this paper encompasses validation therapy, person-centered care, and self-determination theory. Two conclusions emerge: Seeing the person through the dementia enables an adequate psychological assessment and a helpful supportive psychotherapy, and it also makes us acknowledge and help satisfy the three basic psychological needs of relatedness, competence, and autonomy.


2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Quang Ngoc Nguyen ◽  
Thuy-Tien Thi La ◽  
Mai Thi Phan ◽  
Thuy-Dung Ninh

Nghiên cứu được tiến hành dựa trên lý thuyết tự quyết nhằm tìm hiểu về mối liên hệ giữa sự thỏa mãn các nhu cầu tâm lý cơ bản, động lực học tập, và trì hoãn trong học tập ở sinh viên. Mẫu nghiên cứu là mẫu thuận tiện với 341 sinh viên có độ tuổi trong khoảng từ 19 đến 26. Trong đó, nam chiếm 11.7% và nữ chiếm 88.3%. Mức độ thỏa mãn các nhu cầu tâm lý cơ bản, các loại động lực học tập, và mức độ trì hoãn trong học tập được đo lường bởi các thang đo. Kết quả phân tích tương quan cho thấy trì hoãn trong học tập có tương quan nghịch chiều với các loại động lực học tập tự chủ và mức độ thỏa mãn các nhu cầu tâm lý cơ bản. Phân tích đường dẫn cho thấy sự thỏa mãn nhu cầu gắn kết và nhu cầu tự chủ góp phần làm tăng sự thỏa mãn nhu cầu năng lực, qua đó làm giảm tình trạng thiếu động lực học tập đồng thời làm tăng động lực hướng đến thành tựu, và dẫn tới mức độ trì hoãn học tập thấp hơn. Các kết quả nghiên cứu ửng hộ giả thuyết của lý thuyết tự quyết về vai trò của việc đáp ứng các nhu cầu tâm lý cơ bản nhằm thúc đẩy động lực bên trong. [The study was conducted based on the self-determination theory to examine the relationships between the satisfaction of basic psychological needs, academic motivation, and academic procrastination among students. The sample was a convenient ?one with 341 students aged between 19 and 26. In particular, males accounted for 11.7% and females accounted for 88.3%. The level of satisfaction of basic psychological needs, the types of academic motivation, and the level of academic procrastination were measured by several scales. The results of correlation analysis showed that the academic procrastination was negatively correlated with autonomous academic motivations and the level of the satisfaction of basic psychological needs. Path analysis showed that the satisfaction of relatedness and autonomy needs contributed to the satisfaction of competence need, thereby reducing amotivation and increasing intrinsic motivation towards achievement which lead to lower levels of academic procrastination. The findings supported the hypothesis of self-determination theory about the role of meeting basic psychological needs in order to promote intrinsic motivation.]


2021 ◽  
Vol 12 ◽  
Author(s):  
Florian H. Müller ◽  
Almut E. Thomas ◽  
Matteo Carmignola ◽  
Ann-Kathrin Dittrich ◽  
Alexander Eckes ◽  
...  

Self-determination theory assumes that the basic psychological needs for autonomy, competence, and relatedness are associated with motivational regulation. As these basic psychological needs may have been affected by the shift to distance learning, students’ motivational regulation and vitality may have suffered as well. The purpose of this study was to examine the motivational regulation, satisfaction, or frustration of the basic psychological needs and vitality of university students before and after the transition to forced distance learning during the COVID-19 pandemic: Two student samples from Austria and Germany were studied: One was surveyed before the conversion to distance learning (N=1,139) and the other at the beginning of forced distance learning (N=1,835). The instruments used were the Scales for the Measurement of Motivational Regulation for Learning in University Students (SMR-L), the German version of the Basic Psychological Needs Satisfaction and Frustration Scale, a scale developed by the authors to differentiate the assessment of social relatedness, and the German version of the Subjective Vitality Scale. The results show that the satisfaction of basic psychological needs was significantly lower and the frustration thereof substantially higher during the distance learning period than before the pandemic. Intrinsic motivation and identified regulation were significantly lower during the forced distance learning period, and more controlled forms of motivation were higher than before the pandemic. Structural equation models showed that 42% of the students’ vitality can be explained by motivational regulation and the satisfaction and frustration of their basic needs. Motivational regulation styles functioned (differentiated according to the degree of autonomy) as mediating variables between basic needs and vitality. In terms of theoretical implications, the distinction between approach and avoidance components of introjected regulation was shown to be adequate and necessary, as they explain the outcome vitality differently. The support and avoidance of frustration of basic psychological needs should be considered in distance learning to promote the quality of motivation and students’ vitality.


2021 ◽  
Vol 12 ◽  
pp. 245-256
Author(s):  
Stéphanie van der Burgt ◽  
Anne de la croix ◽  
Gerda Croiset ◽  
Marike Broekman ◽  
Saskia Peerdeman ◽  
...  

Author(s):  
Rupal M. Patel ◽  
John Bartholomew

Job burnout is a threat for physical therapists. Little research has been conducted to identify possible protective factors against burnout in this population. Accordingly, we utilized the job demands-resources (JD-R) model and self-determination theory to guide our examination of basic psychological needs as factors to predict burnout in physical therapists. One hundred and two licensed physical therapists completed surveys. Higher levels of autonomy, competence and relatedness predicted burnout, even after accounting for job demands. Job resources, such as the basic psychological needs outlined by the self-determination theory, along with perceived respect, buffer the negative effects of secondary trauma on burnout. The job resource of perceived respect also buffers the negative effects of the physical demands of the job on burnout. These findings suggest that while job demands can be difficult to change, increasing the fulfillment of job resources can help ameliorate burnout in physical therapists. The present findings highlight the need for workplace interventions which cultivate the satisfaction of the basic psychological needs of autonomy, competence, and relatedness to address burnout among physical therapists.


2014 ◽  
Vol 28 (1) ◽  
pp. 71-81 ◽  
Author(s):  
Steven W. Rayburn

Purpose – The purpose of this article is to employ Self-Determination Theory to explain the mediated impact of work design – empowerment and serial and investiture socialization – on employee work affect. The theory proposes fulfilment of three psychological needs – autonomy, competence, and relatedness – will mediate individuals' ability to achieve contextually relevant well-being. An empirical study tests this claim and exposes the structure of the mediating effects. Design/methodology/approach – Survey responses were collected from a sample of 239 front-line service employees using snowball data collection. SEM was used to test hypotheses. Findings – Findings suggest that empowerment and serial and investiture socialization are significantly differentially related to need fulfilment. Additionally, all forms of need fulfilment do not directly influence employee affect. Instead, there are both direct and interactive effects that work simultaneously to influence employees' positive work affect. Practical implications – This study exposes specific work design levers managers can manipulate to benefit employees. This research highlights the different effects of specific work design variables on employee work affect. Originality/value – This paper extends understanding of Self-Determination Theory by exposing the direct and interactive effects of need fulfilment on work affect for service workers. Also, it delivers a deeper exploration of the impact of work design on employees by modelling multiple work design variables as well as process variables simultaneously to provide a more detailed picture of how work design influences employee work affect.


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