Self-determination theory (SDT) is an empirically derived theory of human motivation and personality in social contexts that differentiates motivation in terms of being autonomous and controlled. SDT provides an evidence-based framework for how to effectively motivate workers in organizations (Deci et al., 2017). (2006). This paper aims to investigate the application of SDT among leaders and delineate practical managerial approaches for supporting basic psychological needs in the workplace. Sample means and standard deviations for standardizing practical salience were = 18.84, = 17.76 and theoretical fit were = 2.66, = 1.65, respectively. The motivating role of positive feedback in sport and physical education: evidence for a motivational model. Journal of International Education and Leadership, 8(2). From autonomy to creativity: A multilevel investigation of the mediating role of harmonious passion. Conceptualizing on-the-job learning styles. When someone feels related to others, competent, and like they are acting with a sense of volition, they will be autonomously motivated or self-determined (Deci, 2017; Deci & Ryan, 2012). Participative or consultative decision-making satisfies peoples need for autonomy by providing a platform for them to express their ideas and feelings, as well as having input and some control in their work activities. and Rosen, C.C. Leading diversity: towards a theory of functional leadership in diverse teams. Self-determination improves creativity, effort, and motivation in the workplace. Self-determination theory as a framework for exploring the impact of the organizational context on volunteer motivation: a study of Romanian volunteers. Kolb, D.A. Journal of the American Statistical Association, 88(422), pp. Paying for performance: Incentive pay schemes and employees financial participation. Self-determination theory (SDT) is a macro theory of human motivation that evolved from research on intrinsic and extrinsic motivations and expanded to include research on work organizations and other domains of life. This research is the first to draw on the lived-experience of practitioners who have applied SDT, contributes previously unexplored strategies for supporting workers basic psychological needs and responds to calls for SDT research to identify a broader range of managerial behaviours that support employee motivation. Anyone may reproduce, distribute, translate and create derivative works of this article (for both commercial and non-commercial purposes), subject to full attribution to the original publication and authors. The freelisting method. ple dichotomy between intrinsic and extrinsic motivation made the theory difcult to apply to work settings. Self-determination theory looks at the ways that intrinsic and extrinsic motivation play a role in our self-determination and the fulfillment of three basic human needs. The purpose of this paper is to investigate the application of SDT among leaders and delineate practical managerial approaches for supporting basic psychological needs in the workplace. Greater worker participation in decision-making has been linked to beneficial outcomes such as job satisfaction and improved performance in the workplace (Grissom, 2012; Scott-Ladd et al., 2006). The effect that these managerial strategies have on workers basic psychological need satisfaction require further empirical examination and future research should measure the motivational effects of the suggested strategies on followers. Academy of Management Learning and Education, Conceptualizing on-the-job learning styles, Intrinsic need satisfaction and the job attitudes of volunteers versus employees working in a charitable volunteer organization, Journal of Occupational and Organizational Psychology, The relationship between order and frequency of occurrence of restricted associative responses, Paying for performance: Incentive pay schemes and employees financial participation. Self determination theory and work motivation. Journal of Sport and Exercise Psychology, 30(2), pp. Deci, E.L. and Ryan, R.M. (2009). This article is published under the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY 4.0) licence. Bridging the research-practice gap. [Leader] Susan invites an experienced team member to take on the lead role in developing a training course on a topic of their interest. 450-461, doi: 10.1037/0022-3514.43.3.450. Having close friends at work has a positive impact on peoples experience and satisfaction in their job and colleagues provide an important source of basic psychological needs satisfaction and motivation in the workplace (Jungert et al., 2018; Moreau and Mageau, 2012). Van De Ven, A.H. and Johnson, P.E. 76-94. https://doi.org/10.1108/OMJ-03-2020-0891. The language leaders use to communicate with their follower is critical and determines whether the feedback is received positively and builds self-confidence or perceived to be controlling and diminishes motivation (Ryan and Deci, 2000). Nonprofit and Voluntary Sector Quarterly, 41(6), pp. Propositions are offered as a base to extend and test hypotheses regarding the competitive contributions of research on relational theory within organizational contexts. Competence represents workers need to feel effective, successful and that they are good at their job (Van den Broeck et al., 2010). The core tenets of self-determination theory emphasize a relationship between three "basic needs" (autonomy, relatedness, and competence) and intrinsic (e.g. Self-determination theory (SDT) 1 explains human motivation, and according to Edward Deci, it is "the energy for action. The quasi-experimental research, which included the sample of leaders in the present study, showed the nine-week intervention significantly changed leaders interpersonal orientation towards supporting basic psychological needs and improvement in the leaders was still evident one year after the training. Taylor, F.W. Li, L.C., Grimshaw, J.M., Nielsen, C., Judd, M., Coyte, P.C. Capturing autonomy, competence, and relatedness at work: Construction and initial validation of the work-related basic need satisfaction scale. Messages of value and respect for the worker from the manager also contributes towards workers coming to hold a positive image of themselves. 97-121). Retrieved from www.pc.gov.au/inquiries/completed/executive-remuneration/submissions/sub089.pdf (accessed June 2020). ), Research on social entrepreneurship (pp. Vivien has over 10 years experience designing, implementing and evaluating leadership and applied psychology interventions within mental health, emergency management, insurance, aged care, education and not-for-profit organizations. Mabbe, E., Soenens, B., De Muynck, G.J. Self-Determination Theory, or SDT, links personality, human motivation, and optimal functioning. The current disconnect presents a problem for managers, HR professionals and fellow academics seeking to use SDT to solve real business problems because there is limited empirical guidance to help them operationalize the theory clearly, within the complexities of strategic organizations and to take appropriate and effective action. Deci and Ryan 2002 articulates how self-determination theory (SDT) is a motivational meta-theory that emerged from research on the effects of external rewards on intrinsic motivation. The present research departs from prior academic attempts to translate theoretically derived knowledge into recommendations and practical implication which are increasingly criticized for being impractical, difficult to understand and underestimating the tensions and complexities that are basic conditions for managers in organizational settings (Bartunek and Rynes, 2010; Schultz and Hatch, 2005). The theoretical fit rating across the three experts were therefore aggregated to produce a mean theoretical fit score. and Isabella, L.A. (1985). Self-determination theory (SDT) provides a framework for understanding the factors that promote motivation and healthy psychological and behavioral functioning. Extending on previous predominantly theoretic SDT research, this study is the first to draw upon the lived experience of leaders and managers who have implemented SDT in their workplace. Examples of SDT application were proposed by 51 leaders, who had learned and personally applied SDT with their own followers in the workplace. Gillet, N., Fouquereau, E., Forest, J., Brunault, P. and Colombat, P. (2012). SDT literature in the work domain has focused primarily on Managerial behaviors and subordinates health: an opportunity for reducing employee healthcare costs, Proceedings of the Northeast Business and Economics Association, pp. Next, they rated, on a scale from 1 (very weak fit) to 5 (strongly aligned to theory), the strength of that fit to the theory. Van den Broeck, A., Ferris, D.L., Chang, C.H. In Deci, E.L. and Ryan, R.M. SELF-DETERMINATION THEORY SDT is a macro theory of human motivation that has been successfully applied across domains includingparenting,education,healthcare,sportsandphysicalactivity,psychotherapy,andvirtual worlds, as well as the elds of work motivation and management (Deci & Ryan 1985a, Ryan & Deci 2017). Abstract. The examples provided by leaders in this study offer some simple interpersonal techniques for building relationships where the aim is to better understand and get to know the followers. Compared to controlled motivation, autonomous motivation yields better behavioural outcomes (e.g. In that respect, this chapter makes a contribution to the field of TAD, and the emerging field of self-determination theory (SDT) research in the domain of work, by reviewing TAD research using SDT as a theoretical framework. Human motivation and interpersonal relationships: Theory, research, and application, London: Springer. Motivation and Emotion, 42(5), pp. Control and information in the intrapersonal sphere: An extension of cognitive evaluation theory. 331-362, doi: 10.1002/job.322. 423-435, doi: 10.1016/j.psychsport.2013.01.003. You can, however, work intentionally to create conditions that will encourage someone to find their inner motivation. (2018). For example, sticking to a diet requires high levels of self determination. Pink, D.H. (2009). Article publication date: 14 December 2020. Zaccaro, S.J. To investigate the phenomenon of SDT-based leadership the research asks: how do leaders apply SDT, when carrying out their day-to-day managerial functions, to support workers needs for autonomy, competence and relatedness? and Ellemers, N. (2009). Forner, V.W. Once you realize how important competence, relatedness and autonomy are to motivation and performance, you can take steps to ensure that your needs are being met. Leaders are important role models of group expectations and may support diversity by respecting and valuing the unique strengths that members bring to the group and discussing the value and opportunities that can be realized through increased diversity. Investigation of the phenomenon of SDT application in the present research is, therefore, constrained within the boundaries of the participants and their context. For example, employee equity ownership, just on the type of performance-pay incentive program, is estimated to be worth around $1,061bn in the USA alone (Day and Fitton, 2008). The scenario also demonstrates how a leader may balance followers autonomy with organizational requirements. Baard, P. P. and Baard, S.K. 68-78. doi: 10.1037/0003-066X.55.1.68. Journal of Applied Psychology, 74(4), pp. Support for competence is also evident in this scenario. The satisfaction of basic psychological needs has been associated with lower turnover, improved well-being, higher job satisfaction and positive job attitudes (Gillet et al., 2012; Vansteenkiste et al., 2007). For example, the more senior worker is provided with an opportunity to demonstrate and be valued for their skills and experience while the junior member benefits by developing new skills and building their knowledge and capabilities. Gagn, M. and Deci, E.L. (2005). The interpersonal approach of leaders, the way they communicate and relate to their followers, is considered paramount in creating a need-supportive climate and shaping motivation in an organization (Deci et al., 1989). Gagn, M., Forest, J., Vansteenkiste, M., Crevier-Braud, L., Van den Broeck, A., Aspeli, A.K., Bellerose, J., Benabou, C., Chemolli, E., Gntert, S.T. Free-listing is a well-established ethnographic method that, when coupled with an appropriate analytical technique, enables researchers to elicit and synthesize a coherent view of collective understanding of a domain and indicate which of those things are most important or salient within the group (Quinlan, 2019; Thomson et al., 2012; Weller and Romney, 1988). Journal of Organizational Behavior, 26(4), pp. Extrinsic motivation, or motivation for. 10). People transition into an autonomous state of self-regulation, which fosters intrinsic drive and workplace wellbeing. Self-determination theory (SDT) (Ryan and Deci, 2019) is a prominent theory of motivation that offers leaders an evidence-based framework for how to effectively motivate workers. We propose that building knowledge and conceptual clarification about SDT application by leaders is a desirable outcome for both academics and practitioners and, therefore, much can be gained by coupling both parties in a task of mutual knowledge building.