RESEARCH @ BI: intrinsic motivation results in better performance
Most organizations, both businesses and public enterprises, are concerned with getting the most out of their employees. This is why it is not so strange that motivation to work has been a key topic of organizational psychology ever since the 1920s.
Theories regarding motivation
Anders Dysvik's doctoral project at BI Norwegian School of Management has integrated three different theories that seek to describe and explain people's motivation to work:
- Prosocial motivation: Employees feel an obligation to give something back to their employer if they felt they are well taken care of.
- Goal orientation: Acquired mindsets that provide guidelines for how employees proceed in situations where they must perform at work.
- Intrinsic motivation: The experience of joy, engagement, meaning and interest associated with the tasks one performs.
Commitment and joy in work
Together with Professor Bård Kuvaas at BI Norwegian School of Management, Dysvik has studied over 2,900 employees at different Norwegian organizations in both the public and private sectors.
The results of the studies have been presented in four academic articles that are part of his doctoral thesis.
Dysvik shows that intrinsic motivation leads to better work performance and an increased willingness to help colleagues and to give an extra hand to the organization when necessary.
Employees who have intrinsic motivation find that the job in itself is interesting, and triggers joy, commitment and a high level of activity. Committed employees perform a better job than those who primarily work to earn a living (have external motivation).
Motivated employees are further more loyal towards the organization. Intrinsic motivation also reduces the employees' intention to leave their job.
- If organizations want to get the most out of their employees, they will benefit from creating conditions for their employees to experience the highest possible intrinsic motivation at work," concludes Anders Dysvik, based on his studies.
The organizational researcher also finds that intrinsic motivation helps improve the explanatory power of the two other motivation theories in the study – goal orientation and prosocial motivation – when they are seen together with inner motivation.
Tips for intrinsic motivation
The good news is also that it is possible for organizations to foster intrinsic motivation.
Based on his doctoral study, Anders Dysvik has written four practical tips for organizations that really want to achieve the best performance by their employees:
- Offer the employees the opportunity to train and develop at work, and work actively for employees to see the measures as relevant and adequate for their continued development in their jobs.
- Clearly show the employees that they are important to the organization by investing time and resources in their personal development, both through courses and in the daily work through actions like mentor schemes, job rotation and regular feedback on jobs performed.
- View the organization's HR activities as complementary and as a whole, so that as many of the activities as possible help increase the employees' perception of autonomy, competence and good social relations between employees, and employees and leaders.
- When hiring new people, the organization should search for candidates with the ability and willingness to learn and develop, and who also have the potential to develop joy in and commitment to the tasks offered.
Reference:
Anders Dysvik defended his doctoral thesis ”An inside story – is self-determination the key?” on 4 June 2010.
