Self-Determination Theory and Why it Matters

One of the more intriguing and relevant motivation theories we have come across is Deci and Ryan's Self-Determination Theory.  We can very much relate to its wholistic approach and its emphasis on an individual's fundamental need for autonomy and I suspect that you will too.

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Management Works Article
Professor Deci Video
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Transcript

Self-Determination Theory of Motivation Article

The main arguments of self-determination theory are that people are driven by a need to grow and gain fulfillment; and that this need for growth and fulfillment is most likely satisfied and sustained when individuals have a sense of self-determination.

By Stuart Chappell and Rachel Dyal, Management Works

INTRODUCTION

Self-determination theory grew from the work of psychologists Edward Deci and Richard Ryan and was first introduced to the general public in their 1985 book, Self-Determination and Intrinsic Motivation in Human Behavior.  The main arguments of the theory are that people are driven by a need to grow and gain fulfillment; and that this need for growth and fulfillment is most likely satisfied and sustained when individuals have a sense of self-determination, which, according to Deci and Ryan, is the result of meeting the three interrelated universal human needs of autonomy, competency, and relatedness.  The theory also stresses the important role intrinsic motivation plays, especially as it relates to the need for autonomy.  Self-determination theory builds off of, and has similarities to, such needs-based motivation theories as three-needs theory and ERG theory.    

MOTIVATION AMOUNT VS. MOTIVATION TYPE

Self-determination theory asserts that there are two general, universal forms of motivation:  motivation amount and motivation type.  

Motivation amount refers to viewing motivation as this one homogenous thing that varies only in amounts or degrees; and, whether we realize it or not, this is how a lot of us view motivation.  An example of the motivation amount perspective is how pay is viewed as a motivator.  According to this view, if an employee is not paid enough, they will be less motivated.  If they are paid a little more, they will be a little more motivated, and if their pay is significantly increased, they will be a lot more motivated.  However, as we discussed in our two-factor theory article, the problem with this perspective is that research indicates that trying to motivate in this fashion—in amount or degrees—simply does not activate the long-term type of motivation most leaders are attempting to get from their employees.  

While focusing on motivation amount—that is, less or more—may be important to provide employees with a safe, secure, and financially enriching environment, it does not have a great track record at producing deep, long-term motivation.  Therefore, Deci and Ryan posit that instead of focusing on motivation amount, leaders should focus on motivation type.  And they identified two overarching types: Controlled motivation and autonomous motivation.   

Controlled motivation refers to being driven to do something—such as work, eating healthier, taking a college course, or what have you—based on the promise or expectation of an external reward, which is referred to as an extrinsic motivating factor.  Research indicates that not only does extrinsic motivation fare poorly in producing long-term motivation, it can actually undermine an individual’s own internal, or intrinsic, motivators, thereby leaving them less motivated do something than they were before.  

Conversely, autonomous motivation describes the type of motivation that is intrinsic to an individual and involves a sense of volition, interest, and choice. In other words, it is when you are getting value from doing whatever it is you are doing—let’s say jogging—rather than from the expected external reward—such as losing weight or winning a 5k.  You are jogging because you’re motivated by the act of jogging itself, not by any external benefits you expect to receive because you jog.   According to self-determination theory, when people are more autonomously motivated, their performance, sense of wellness, and engagement are greater than under controlled motivation.  

However, instead of thinking of these two types of motivators as two spheres separate to themselves, it is more accurate to think of them as existing in their purest forms on the extreme ends of one long spectrum, with varying degrees of overlap in-between.  This also highlights how most organizations attempt to approach motivation through both types.  While organizations arguably rely too heavily on extrinsic motivation and can give intrinsic motivation short thrift, extrinsic motivation does play an important role in addressing motivation as a whole because a certain degree of external rewards are necessary to provide valued incentives and to ensure that the basic needs of employees are met (e.g., pay for living expenses, time-off for the obligations and pleasures of one’s personal life).   

Which dovetails into an important tenet of self-development theory, and that is:  if an individual’s three needs of autonomy, competence, and relatedness are adequately met, not only are extrinsic motivators less likely to have a negative impact on the individual’s intrinsic motivation, they are much more likely to be internalized by that individual and used positively.  To better understand why that is the case, we must take a deeper look into each of the three interrelated needs.       

THE NEED FOR AUTONOMY

We will start with the need for autonomy, because not only is it a need, it is also considered the target functioning state we as humans are shooting for.  That is, to function at our optimal level, we need to have a feeling of autonomy, which is essentially the sense that we have control over lives, the choices we make, and the direction we are heading.  Autonomy is not the same as independence, because unlike independence, which refers to a state of being in which you have no need or desire for external help or reinforcement, autonomy refers to a state of being in which you are functioning assuredly within a supportive and positively-reinforcing social network.  This is where we start to see the interrelatedness of the three needs enter the picture, because autonomy cannot be reached without the other two needs of competence and relatedness. 

THE NEED FOR COMPETENCE

Competence refers to having the skills and expertise needed to control outcomes.  In other words, competence is needed to be autonomous.  You are going to have a tough time trying to operate autonomously in this world if you do not possess the skills and expertise needed to do so; and more specific to the workplace, you will likely struggle mightily if you lack the basic competencies required for your job.  The degree of competence can vary greatly from one area of a person’s life to the next; and what this means is that one’s sense of autonomy can also vary from area to area, because, again, one’s sense of autonomy is in part dependent on one’s level of competency.

THE NEED FOR RELATEDNESS

The need for relatedness refers to the need for community, the need to be cared for, and the need to be supported.  The aforementioned difference between autonomy and independence largely comes down to relatedness.  Autonomous individuals are not operating in a vacuum; rather they are operating within a societal or communal structure that feeds them and that they, in turn, feed.  Without a sense of relatedness, you are likely to feel rudderless and adrift, with a diminished sense of self because our sense of self is based at least in part on how we view ourself in relation to others and how they view us.  As with autonomy and competence, a sense of relatedness can vary from one situation to the next.  Additionally, it is the relatedness need that allows autonomous individuals to convert extrinsic motivators into intrinsic motivation because it provides that sense of self and social support that gives an individual the confidence to openly accept certain extrinsic motivators and “make them their own.”    

HOW A LEADER CAN USE SELF-DETERMINATION THEORY

Developing a sense of self-determination does not happen quickly.  It is a process that requires constant cultivation by not only the leader, but also other members of the team.  Which brings us to the first thing you can do:  develop a team that supports and values one another, because this addresses an individual’s need for both relatedness and competence, and attempts to provide the structure, support, and communal knowledge necessary for a sense of autonomy.  Specifically, a supportive and collaborative team provides both the confidence and security essential to that sense of autonomy.     

The next action you can take, which is also aimed at addressing the relatedness need, is to provide regular, sincere, and unexpected positive feedback to each one of your employees.  Studies have shown that providing this unexpected type of positive feedback acts as a powerful reinforcement and can serve to strengthen an individual’s intrinsic motivation.  However, the opposite is true when it comes to negative feedback.  One of the worst things you can do as far as employee engagement and motivation are concerned is to provide an employee with negative feedback unexpectedly.  Unfortunately, in teams in which feedback is only given and received during annual performance evaluations, unexpected negative feedback is often par for the course.      

Another action you can take that is aligned with the relatedness need is to have regular feedback conversations with each of your employees.  These conversations should be a mix of formal (such as discussions related to your perception of their performance) and informal (such as brief, organic, daily conversations).

For the competence need, you as the leader should use every available resource to help your employees acquire and develop the technical and interpersonal skills and job experiences they need to perform their current position and to continue to grow professionally—with an emphasis on “use every available resource.”  Too often, leaders and managers feel that it is—and should be—up to them alone to develop their direct reports.  As laid out in the book, The Connector Manager, it is important for managers to develop and use a wide-ranging network to help facilitate their employees’ growth because, especially in today’s workplace, the knowledge, skills, and experience needed by workers is simply too diverse and often too complex for a single manager to address independently.  

Another, more general, step you can take as a leader is to carefully consider how you attempt to motivate and incentivize each of your employees.   Remember, the wrong kind of incentive can actually demotivate rather than motivate.  To avoid this, ensure you are evaluating on an individual level.  Not every incentive or motivating factor works for every individual.  As an example of this, research shows that bonus incentives generally fail to motivate professionals and knowledge workers because these groups of contributors tend to be intrinsically motivated.  As we stated earlier, this means that the extrinsic reward of a bonus often undermines these contributor’s own intrinsic motivation because it robs them of their sense of autonomy. 

However, we are not suggesting that you should not attempt to motivate these types of employees at all, nor that you should stop giving bonuses across the board.  What we are suggesting is that you should, again, approach motivation on an individual basis, considering each person on a whole range of factors like:  job type, experience level, interests, and personal and professional goals. 

SUMMARY 

The self-determination theory of motivation asserts that individuals are motivated by the three interrelated, universal needs of autonomy, competence, and relatedness.  The theory also posits that the best way for leaders to target these three needs in each of their employees is through autonomous motivation, which primarily targets factors that are intrinsic to an employee.  However, the theory does not dismiss the necessity of extrinsic factors and claims that employees who have reached an adequate level of autonomy can intrinsically absorb and use extrinsic motivators as “their own.”  Under self-determination theory, actions leaders can take to motivate their employees include:  developing a team that supports and values one another because this addresses an individual’s need for both relatedness and competence, and attempts to provide the structure, support, and communal knowledge necessary for a sense of autonomy; providing regular, sincere, and unexpected positive feedback; conducting regular feedback conversations; using every available resource to help your employees acquire and develop the technical and interpersonal skills and job experiences they need to perform their current position and to continue to grow professionally; and customizing one’s motivation approach for each individual employee.