1.

Definition and characteristics of Self-Determination Theory

Self-Determination Theory (SDT) is a psychological framework that was developed by

Edward Deci and Richard Ryan in the 1980s. It is a macro-theory of human motivation
and personality that seeks to understand the factors that drive human behavior and well-
being. SDT proposes that people prefer to feel they have control over their actions, so
anything that makes a previously enjoyed task feel more like an obligation than a freely
chosen activity will undermine motivation. The theory is widely used in psychology,
management, education, and medical research.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Self-determination_theory

According to the founders of Self-determination theory, Drs. Deci and Ryan, people have
innate psychological needs that motivate them to grow and change. By meeting these
needs, people function optimally and experience a sense of well-being. Here are the three
basic psychological needs of SDT that are essential for human motivation and well-being:

 · Autonomy: Refers to the feeling of being in charge of your goals and

behavior. Humans need to be masters of their destinies and control their lives.
Taking direct action that results in real change plays a vital role in helping humans
feel self-determined.
 · Competence: Refers to the sufficient ability, judgment, strength, or
intellect to accomplish a given task. In the case of SDT, it is more about the
feeling of growing, accomplishing the challenges and flourishing.
 · Relatedness: Refers to the sense of social belonging, a person's need to feel
attachment, to recognize themselves in the values of those around them, and to feel
that their actions benefit others.
Three psychological needs are largely related to intrinsic motivation that involves doing
something because it's personally rewarding to the individual. There is no need for points,
money or gifts, what is needed is to make people feel autonomous, affirm their abilities
and build relationships with others. In contrast, extrinsic motivation refers to doing
something because the individual wants to obtain external rewards such as bonuses,
promotions, recognition, positive feedback, etc or avoid punishment.

2. The application of Self-Determination Theory to motivate employees: Google case

study
It is no secret that Google’s position as the number-one search engine globally is
maintained by a team of motivated employees and managers who enjoy their jobs to the
fullest due to a multiplicity of motivation strategies and initiatives that the company
continues to use. Google has realised that motivating employees through intrinsic and
extrinsic rewards helps in stimulating them to become more productive, satisfied, and
happier at the same time. This essay looks into a theory used by Google to motivate its
employees that is Self-Determination Theory. It plays a critical role in Google’s approach
to employee engagement and satisfaction. By understanding and implementing the
principles, Google has created a work environment that fosters creativity, innovation, and
extraordinary results.
2.1. Intrinsic motivation

Google recognizes the importance of intrinsic motivation in driving employee

performance and satisfaction. The company understands that when individuals are driven
by their inner desires and passions, they are more engaged, creative, and committed to
their work. Therefore, to nurture intrinsic motivation, Google has implemented policies
and strategies satisfying the three innate psychological needs.

Companies have tried to motivate employees by giving them “autonomy” as a benefit,

with Google being the most famous example. According to Lucy Ford, a management
professor at Saint Joseph's University's Haub School of Business, Google has tapped
autonomy as a driver with its “20% time” policy, wherein Google engineers get to spend
20% of their working hours pursuing projects of their own creation, ones that align with
their own core passion and purpose. She said: “ What is critical is that employees are not
required to spend 20% of their time on their own projects, but if they choose to, it is
encouraged”. In fact, this policy has produced incredible results. Over 50% of Google’s
largest revenue-generating products have come out of “20% time”. Two examples out of
them are Gmail and Google Suggest.
Gmail
As of June 2012, Gmail was the most extensively used email provider, with its number of
active global users exceeding 425 million. This project was initiated by a Google
developer by the name of Paul Buchheit. When asked to create a kind of email or
personalization product, he came up with the initial version of Gmail within a single day,
reusing the code from Google Groups. And Gmail was introduced to the public in 2004.
Google suggest
Google Suggest is the term used for Google’s auto complete function. The credit for
creating this product goes to Kevin Gibbs, a Stanford graduate whose job at Google was
to work on the system’s infrastructure that assisted the company with running its data
centers. Gibbs used his 20 percent time for some fun which to him was working on a
project that combined some of the time’s great geeky developer stuff – JavaScript, big
data and high-speed internet. In addition, Gibbs built the URL predictor. So, when a
person began typing a URL into a browser, the browser would auto complete the URL by
studying Google’s considerable corpus of web content. The product, Google Suggest,
was introduced to the public in December 2004.
https://www.cleverism.com/google-way-motivating-employees/

Although Google allows its employees the power and freedom to experience, take risks,
and occasionally fail, they are urged to learn from their mistakes and use what they have
discovered in subsequent projects. They may make errors but they are allowed to talk, to
tell, to show their own opinions and ideas in terms of any aspects related to their job. This
means that Google employees have a highly autonomous job.

Secondly, competence, the sufficient ability, judgement, strength or intellect to

accomplish tasks, is highly valued at Google. The company recognizes that when
employees feel competent and capable, they are more likely to be engaged, motivated,
and productive. To nurture competence, Google's culture places a strong emphasis on
both group and individual training. From internal training programs to workshops and
access to cutting-edge resources, Google ensures that its employees have the tools and
support they need to continually enhance their skills and expertise. The company's "G2G"
(Googler-to-Googler) network, for example,comprises of more than 6,000 Google
employees who use their time to assist coworkers in improving their weaknesses.
One of Google’s employees – Edmonson – said that G2G fostered a psychologically
healthy culture which helped countless Google employees grow their talents as well. By
fostering a culture of growth and intellectual stimulation, Google creates an environment
where employees feel competent and ready to tackle any challenge.

https://chools.in/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/The-Fearless-Organization_-Creating-
Psychological-Safety-in-the-Workplace-for-Learning-Innovation-and-Growth.pdf

Thirdly, the application of Self-Determination theory is also demonstrated by how

Google assists its employees to attain intrinsic rewards such as the sense of belonging.
Google gives their employees surveys about their managers and 30 minutes of a weekly
all-hands meeting hosted by Google’s co-founders and called TGIF are devoted to a Q
and A session where almost anything can be debated or questioned from the founder’s
attire to whether the company is proceeding along the right direction. By doing these
things, the employees would be motivated as they can feel that they are treated fairly
compared to their managers. They would also notice that their voices are important to the
company and would feel a sense of belonging.

https://googlecompany.wordpress.com/motivation/

2.2. Extrinsic motivation

Apart from intrinsic rewards, Google, like many other companies, utilizes various
extrinsic rewards to motivate and engage its employees. Extrinsic benefits used by
Google make employees feel recognized by the company and to work harder to show
their appreciation (Motivation in Google Company n.d.). What follows are some
examples of these remarkable perks and benefits.
 Reimbursement of up to $5000 to employees for legal expenses
 Maternity benefits of a maximum of 18 weeks off at about 100 percent pay.
 The father and mother of the newborn are given expenses of a maximum of $500
for take-out meals in the initial 3 months they spend at home with the baby (Take-
Out Benefits).
 Financial support for adopting a child (Google’s Adoption Assistance)
 On-site car wash, oil change, bike repair, dry cleaning, gym, massage therapy and
hair stylist are available at the company’s headquarters in Mountain View
  At the Googleplex, there’s an onsite doctor and free fitness center and trainer and
facility to wash clothes among other benefits
 Lunch and dinner is available free of charge, In addition, an assortment of
delicious but healthy meals are available every day, prepared by gourmet chefs.

Although it is true that extrinsic rewards can be effective in motivating employees, it's
important to consider potential harmful effects as well. First is undermining intrinsic
motivation. Overemphasis on extrinsic rewards can crowd out intrinsic motivation—the
inherent enjoyment or satisfaction derived from the activity itself. When employees
become overly focused on external rewards, their intrinsic motivation may diminish,
leading to reduced creativity, innovation, and long-term engagement. The second one is
narrowing focus and creativity. Extrinsic rewards may encourage employees to
concentrate solely on achieving the desired outcomes or targets, potentially diminishing
their willingness to take risks, explore new ideas, or think outside the box. This can limit
creativity and innovation within the organisation. The third one is creating a culture of
competition: Intense competition driven by extrinsic rewards can erode cooperation,
collaboration, and teamwork. Employees may prioritise individual success over collective
progress, leading to a less cohesive work environment.
Therefore, to mitigate potential harmful effects, organisations like Google can strive to
strike a balance between extrinsic and intrinsic motivators. This can involve fostering a
supportive work environment that values autonomy, competence, and relatedness, while
also providing appropriate extrinsic rewards.