Workplace Motivation: supporting people through purpose and autonomy

Understanding what drives people at work is essential for effective leadership. As a people leader, fostering motivation goes beyond setting goals, it involves creating conditions where individuals can thrive.

Self-Determination Theory (SDT) offers insight into the core psychological needs that influence motivation, wellbeing, and performance. Additionally, newer research on prosocial motivation provides a broader view of how helping others can also drive success.

The foundations of motivation: what people leaders should know

According to the Self-Determination Theory (SDT), there are 3 essential psychological needs associated with self-motivation, which, if absent or neglected, are more likely to lead to distress or ill-being. These 3 basic needs are:

• Autonomy: individuals high in autonomy usually perform tasks and act with higher readiness and in line with their own values and goals, which in turn increases their performance and subsequently leads to a more readily experienced sense of wellness.

• Competence: it is the experience/feeling of being able to handle a task effectively.

• Relatedness: typically described as our sense of belonging and connection to significant others. It is one of the core concepts in theories associated with wellbeing.

Basic human needs in line with SDT are defined as:

• Being inherently rewarding/motivational

• When satisfied, it leads to flourishing

• When frustrated, it leads to a negative experience

• Function across diverse cultures and developmental stages

As a leader, recognizing and supporting these needs can help you foster a healthier and more effective work environment.

For instance, increasing competence can lead to higher motivation, while supporting autonomy can improve engagement. Relatedness enhances wellbeing by reinforcing the human connection within teams.

The origin of motivation, whether internal or external, also plays a role in its effectiveness (Peters et al., 2018). Autonomous (intrinsic) motivation is often linked to better performance and wellbeing outcomes (Lord et al., 2010).

Within SDT, motivation can stem from internal values (autonomous) or external pressures (controlled) (Roche & Haar, 2019). Internalized motivation, which reflects personal alignment and ownership, is typically associated with better outcomes. In contrast, extrinsic or introjected motivation is often less sustainable. However, an autonomy-supportive workplace climate can buffer or even enhance intrinsic motivation (Gerhart & Fang, 2015).

Prosocial motivation and practical measurement

Liao et al. (2022) describe another important concept, prosocial motivation, defined as the desire to help and benefit others out of genuine concern. In leadership terms, this is often seen in employees who naturally support their colleagues and contribute to a positive team culture.

Two theoretical lenses explain how prosocial motivation operates at work:

• Expectancy theory: prosocially motivated individuals aim to improve outcomes for coworkers and the organization.

• Motivated information processing theory: such individuals actively scan their environment for cues that prompt them to act in ways that support others.

Interestingly, Liao et al. (2022) found that prosocially motivated employees often show higher job performance and career success, challenging earlier views that this kind of motivation might hold people back.

To assess workplace motivation more precisely, Tremblay et al. (2009) introduced the Work Extrinsic and Intrinsic Motivation Scale (WEIMS). This 18-item tool, organized into six SDT-based subscales, allows people leaders to better understand what drives their teams. Responses are gathered using a 5-point Likert scale and reflect reasons behind employees’ current work engagement. WEIMS has been validated across workplace settings and can offer leaders a valuable lens for individual and team development.

Lead with motivation in mind

For people leaders, supporting motivation means more than driving outcomes, it’s about cultivating the right psychological environment. By understanding the foundations of SDT and the potential of prosocial motivation, leaders are better positioned to foster engagement, trust, and performance. Small, intentional actions that support autonomy, competence, and connection can have a profound impact on both wellbeing and organizational success.

To thriving workplaces,

Team Stress to Strength

Natasha Kalidin

If you would like to know more about how to increase or even understand motivation at the workplace, please schedule a 20 minute chat with us here. We are happy to get insights into your views and challenges around this important topic.