Self-determination theory

Self-determination theory

Self-determination theory (SDT) of motivation focuses on the type of motivation that is inherent to a person and does not require external influence or interference. The theory focuses on the motivation behind people’s choices, such as a decision to complete a project without supervision of financial reward. Self-determination focuses on the behavior that is self-motivated and self-determined (Ryan & Deci, 2017). Therefore, self-determination theory of motivation can be considered extrinsic because the source of motivation emanates from within the person. However, the environment in which a person works can enhance self-motivation, such as by making the job relevant to the actor. Although fully internalized extrinsic motivation is important in organizations, self-determination (autonomous motivation) is more important in the modern-day workplace since it meets the three levels psychological needs, competence, autonomy, and relatedness, and depends on the nature of work, such as workplaces that support independence.

Levels of Motivation within Self-Determination Theory

SDT is a macro human motivation theory which plays a vital role in understanding why people behave the way they do. The theory evolved from intrinsic and extrinsic motivations research but focused more on the former than the latter. SDT also expanded to focus on workplaces and other life domains that require human motivation (Deci, Olafsen, & Ryan, 2017). The theory focuses on autonomous motivation, which is the internalized motivators and comes from within the actor instead of being controlled through material things, such as rewards. SDT from an organizational perspective suggests that motivation occurs in four levels, autonomy, competence, and relatedness.

Autonomy is the need for a person to feel as though he or she is a master of destiny. People seek to have some control over their lives and behavior, including their work. Thus, the achievement of autonomy motivates them to work productively and complete tasks (Deci, Olafsen, & Ryan, 2017). For example, Howard et al. (2016) elucidate that in the modern working environment, employees seek greater autonomy compared to the traditional workplaces. The need for autonomy is evident in the increasing number of people working remotely and delivering results within timelines.

Competence is the second level of the self-determination theory, which relates to skills, knowledge, and achievements of the individual that makes him or her capable of performing relevant duties at the workplace. Deci, Olafsen, and Ryan (2017) affirm that motivated people have built their competence and mastered the skills necessary to complete tasks which are significant to them. Ryan and Deci (2017) established that people become intrinsically motivated when they receive unexpected positive feedback, which reveals that the feedback met the need for competence in the individual, positive feedback affirms that the individual is competent enough to complete the task successfully. Similarly, negative feedback serves to reduce motivation since it sends a message that the person is incompetent and cannot complete the task effectively. Therefore, competence is a major source of motivation in the workplace.

Relatedness, also known as connection creates a sense of belonging among members of an organization, which motivates them to achieve personal and team goals. Deci, Olafsen, and Ryan (2017) suggest that each person needs others to accomplish tasks through cooperation and collaboration. Even among individuals with a high level of autonomy and competence, the sense of belonging is critical since it determines the level of motivation in the workplace. Secure/stable work groups provide the necessary support for each other to work towards achieving organizational objectives. Although individuals could still work independently to complete tasks, they still need others to some extent to create a sense of belonging (Taylor et al., 2014). Therefore, organizations should strive to meet this need to create motivated individuals and teams.

Factors needed in a performance environment to promote a self-determination

Various factors are necessary within an organization to promote the self-determined state in an individual. Managers and leaders in organizations should create ‌‍‌‍‍‌‌‌‍‌‌‌‌‍‍‌‍‍‌​a workplace that meets the three levels of psychological needs to create a self-determined state. One of the critical factors in creating a self-determined state in the workplace is to make tasks relevant to employees relative to their competence, skills and experience. People become motivated when they can complete tasks successfully if they are relevant to their capabilities. Another related factor is ensuring that all employees have the relevant skills and knowledge to perform tasks. Grohmann, Beller, and Kauffeld (2014) highlight the importance of training and development as a source of motivation in the workplace. Therefore, to create a self-determined state, leaders and managers should implement training and development programs to equip employees with job-related skills. Furthermore, well-trained employees can work independently and in teams to achieve individual and organizational goals.

Effective leadership is also critical in creating a self-determined state in the workplace. To achieve self-determination, leaders should understand the needs of their employees and meet them accordingly. For example, they should support the need for satisfaction, which is an intrinsic motivator. While traditionally, managers believed in controlled employees through supervision, the modern-day employees require minimal control and supervision to achieve task-related objectives. Gerhar and Fang (2015) challenge leaders to support the need for autonomy in their employees, which is an essential factor in building job satisfaction and competence in employees. Furthermore, good leadership incentivizes employees to create personal autonomous foals, which motivates them to achieve. Howard et al. (2016) affirm that such goals motivate employees because they are more relevant to them compared to those set by the management and forced down to them. Modern-day employees understand what they want and can work to achieve their objectives without undue control.

Leaders in modern organizations should use relevant motivators to create a self-determined state in the workplace and improve performance. Ryan and Deci (2017) encourage leaders to use extrinsic rewards with caution since they can become counterproductive. For example, such incentives, such as monetary and other material motivators, might make employees to feel unappreciated or justly compensated. Although extrinsic rewards can help to create intrinsic motivation, managers should understand the needs of their employees to motivate them accordingly. Leaders should learn that each employee is motivated by different forces, some extrinsic, others extrinsic. For example, while one employee could be motivated by the trust to work autonomously, others will require financial rewards to motivate them to work. Therefore, Howard et al. (2016) suggest the need for managers to study and understand their workers to create effective incentives and create a self-determined state. Leadership plays a critical role in the success of the theory in practice.

Autonomy or independence should apply at all levels of the organization to build self-determination. For example, Ryan and Deci (017) observed that in organizations in which managers are themselves autonomous, they successfully create an autonomous workplace. Organizations that respect autonomy rate better in terms of performance and organizational commitment. Autonomous organizations create a sense of respect for independent decision-making and self-awareness. Research affirms that employees want to feel that they are esteemed and valued regarding their contribution to the achievement of organizational goals (Taylor et al., 2014). Managers should view them as competent contributors to the success of the organization. They should also support teams of competent and autonomous employees to meet the need for relatedness. Collaboration and cooperation are other important factors in generating self-determination in the workplace since people need one another to perform productively. Generally, the factors that create the self-determined state depend on the effectiveness of leaders.

Conclusion

While internalized extrinsic motivation has always been effective in organizations, the modern-day workplace has changed. Contemporary employees focus on self-determination (autonomous motivation), which requires the capacity to meet three levels of psychological needs, competence, autonomy, and relatedness. The capacity to meet these needs depends on the nature of work, such as workplaces that support autonomy. Self-determination is a goal for individual workers but also requires team efforts to meet the need for belonging. Leaders should encourage employees to create their goals and support their self-determination to achieve them. Therefore, leaders should understand what motivates each individual in their organizations to ensure that they motivate them accordingly to achieve positive performance outcomes. For example, some are motivated by being trusted enough to work without undue control and achieve results, while others require financial incentives to achieve organizational objectives. Thus, every individual should have personalized motivators to incentivize them to achieve their goals.