“Intrinsic Motivation:

Creating Engagement at Work

Joseph F. Albert, Ph.D.
February 16, 2010

Organizational Theory—ORGL 505

 What do you think?

Can work be motivating?

• If yes, how? What are characteristics of

motivating work?

• If no, why not? What prevents work from

engaging you?
 Desired Outcomes
• Understand the history of motivation and
work
• Understanding the importance and
possibilities of motivation in organizations
• Understanding the connection between
quality, commitment and motivation
• Understanding the difference between
internal and external motivation
 Desired Outcomes (cont.)
• Understand the Thomas engagement and
motivation model
• How to apply the model to situations you
encounter every day
• Develop a plan of action to implement the
model and become a more motivational
leader
 Thomas Motivation Model
Intrinsic Motivation at Work:
What Really Drives Employee Engagement
Kenneth W. Thomas (2009)
http://www.bkpub.com/ProdDetails.asp?ID=9781576755679

The Work Engagement Profile (WEP) , Kenneth W. Thomas & Walter

G. Tymon, Jr. , 2009. The WEP is available for purchase from CPP.
Their website: cpp.com or by calling Customer Relations at 800-624-
1765.

•
 Changing Nature of
Work in the U.S.
• Shift from manufacturing to service
• Automating or off-shoring of more routine
or programmable jobs
• Flatter and less bureaucratic organizational
designs
• More information available because of the
internet
• Employees seeking more meaningful work
 Generations at Work
Millennials at work (Born 1980-2000)
a. Characteristics:
– Confident
– Hopeful
– Goal/Achievement Oriented
– Civic minded
– Inclusive
 Millennial Management
• Leaders with honesty & integrity
• Provide learning opportunities
• Groups that click
• Humor, fun, irreverence
• Respect ideas
• Flexibility in schedules
 Leadership for Today’s Work
• Previously:
– Focus on activities or tasks
– Management were the ‘keepers of the purpose’
• Today:
– Focus on activities in pursuit of a purpose
– Rely on workers to exercises self-direction or self-
management
– Workers who adapt their activities as appropriate to
accomplish their goals or purpose
 Work Engagement
• “…workers are engaged in the new work to the
extent that they are actively self-managing at that
work. Rather than simply going through the motions
or doing “good enough work,” then, workers are
engaged in their work when they are committed to a
purpose…” (p. 38, Thomas)
• What causes an employee to be engaged with their
work to insure it is done competently, with a clear
purpose in mind?
• How can work be designed to increase engagement
and internally driven motivation?
 Work Motivation: A History
• Fredrick Taylor (1856-1915)— “The Father
of Scientific Management” or Productive
Labor Gone Too Far
• Taylor’s Disciples: Frank and Lillian
Gilbreth
• Hawthorne and Hollywood
• Theory X & Theory Y
• “A Five O'clock World”?
 The Vogues, 1965, #4
“Up every mornin just to keep my job
I gotta fight my way through the hustling mob
Sounds of the city poundin in my brain
While another day goes down the drain

But it’s a five o’clock work when the whilst blows

No one owns a piece of my time
And there a five o’clock me inside my clothes
Thinkin that the world looks fine…”
 Life and Work*
• Average adult spends from a quarter to one-third
of waking life at work.
• As much as a fifth to a quarter of the variation in
adult life satisfaction can be accounted for by
satisfaction with work.
• Studies show that the well-being of employees
may be in the best interest of the employer.
(*American Psychological Association, 2003)
 Work and Satisfaction
• Employees who are more satisfied are more
cooperative, more helpful to colleagues,
more punctual and time efficient, show up
for more days of work and stay with the
company longer than dissatisfied employees
(American Psychological Assoc., 2003)

• Satisfied employees are more motivated.

 What Motivates You?
• What motivates you?
• What doesn’t?
• What tasks do you find most
rewarding? Why?
• What tasks are least rewarding? Why?
 Quality and Motivation: An
Assumption

• Workers are inherently motivated to do

quality work Agree or Not?
 Deming (1993) on Motivation
“We must preserve the power of intrinsic
motivation…that people are born with (p.
124)…Transformation is required in
government, industry, education…The
transformation will release the power of
human resource contained in intrinsic
motivation…There will be joy in work”(p.
126).
 Demotivation:
A Management Failure?
“Didn’t we hire motivated employees? …they
were well motivated when they came to
work…However, a few months or years
later things are different. They feel they are
pawns in the hands of uncaring functional
operations”
(Crosby, 1984, pp. 14-15)
 Underlying Assumptions of the
Thomas Model
• Expectancy Theory: People choose
behaviors based on their anticipated
consequences
• What is Work? Tasks or Purpose?
• Self-Management: A requirement for the
“new work”?
 Motivation: A Definition
• Motivation is a reason or incentive to
act.
• Scientists describe motivation as,
“A psychological process that causes
arousal, direction & persistence of
voluntary actions that are goal
directed.”
 External Motivation
• External Motivation: A person attributes the cause
of their behavior as being external to themselves.
• People who are externally motivated will persist in
the task as long as the external motivator is present.
• The quality of the externally motivated behavior is
like being “pushed” to do something.
• Are there times and/or situations when external
motivation is the best option?
• What might the negative impact of externally
motivated behavior be?
 Internal Motivation
• Internally motivated behavior occurs when the
cause of the behavior is attributed by the person to
an internal experience that is valued and occurs
while pursuing the task.
• In a sense people experience a “pull” by the nature
of the task itself. The work itself is rewarding.
• People who are internally motivated exhibit higher
levels of motivation, effort, creativity and
persistence in accomplishing the task.
• Think of tasks that you do that require no
reminders, threats or rewards? Why?
Push or Pull?
External Motivation (control) vs.
Internal Motivation(commitment)
• Externally motivated behavior persists as
long as the reward or punishment is apparent.
• In a sense, workers are “controlled” by the
external stimuli.
• Internally motivated behavior requires no
threat or reward. The reward is the feeling
that comes with accomplishing the task.
• Intrinsically motivated work is energizing
and feels good!
 Indicators of Internal Motivation
• Pride in Workmanship
• Joy of Work
• Persistence in the face of obstacles
• Creative approaches to problem-solving
• No need to be reminded, pushed, pressured,
or rewarded by superiors to complete task
• Reduced Stress
• High levels of job satisfaction
• Low rates of absenteeism
 Fully Engaged—Internally
Motivated Workers
• Actively commit to their job purpose
• Actively choose behaviors they believe will
best accomplish the purpose
• Actively monitor their work behavior to
ensure that it’s done competently
• Actively monitor progress to make sure
their purpose is being achieved
 Intrinsic Motivation and Talent
Recruitment and Retention
• In a study of talent management in India--
that included 28 firms and involved 4811
professional employees--results
demonstrated that intrinsic rewards are a
critical element in employee retention,
satisfaction with the organization and career
success. Tymon, Stumpf and Doh (2010).
Components of Intrinsic Motivation

Choice
Meaningfulness
Competence
Progress
 Experiencing a Lack of Choice
• Describe an experience when you have had
little freedom to use your own discretion in
accomplishing a task?
• What was your emotional reaction? How
did it affect your attitude? Your energy?
Your ownership of the task?
 1. Choice
Choice is the opportunity you feel to select task
activities that make sense to you and to perform
them in ways that seem appropriate.
The feeling of choice is the feeling of being free to
choose--of being able to use your own judgment
and act out of your own understanding of the task.

“If you put fences around people you get

sheep. Give people the room they need.”
(3M Phrase)
 Choice
“You know you have a sense of choice
on a task when you are aware that your
views and insights matter—when you
need to bring your understanding and
judgment to the party…you feel very
much like an adult in these situations.”
(Thomas, 2000, p. 67)
 Choice: Origins
deCharms (1968):
• “Man’s primary motivational propensity is to be effective in producing
changes in his environment. Man strives to be a causal agent, to be the
primary locus of causation…” (p. 269)

• “Whenever a person experiences himself to be the locus of causality

for his own behavior…he will consider himself to be intrinsically
motivated….” (p. 328)

• “We may hypothesize that when a man perceives his own behavior as
stemming from his own choice he will cherish that behavior and its
results; When he perceives his behavior as stemming from the dictates
of external forces, that behavior and its results, although identical in
other respects to behavior of his own choosing will be de-valued” (p.
273).
 Choice: Origins (cont.)
Deci & Ryan (1985):
• “We suggest, intrinsic motivation will be
operative when action is experienced as
autonomous, and it is unlikely to function
under conditions where controls or
reinforcements are the experienced cause of
action” (p. 29).
 Building Blocks for Choice:
Freedom to Choose Factors
• Authority: Giving workers the right to decide
issues affecting work delegated to them.
• Trust: Trusting workers’ judgment; giving
them space to exercise it--with minimal
interference.
• Security: Showing workers they won’t be
blamed/punished for honest mistakes--
Reduce Fear.
 Choice: Driving Out Fear
FEAR at WORK:
“…feeling threatened by possible
repercussions as a result of speaking
up about work-related concerns.”
Ryan & Oestreich (1991)
 Choice: Undiscussables

UNDISCUSSABLES at WORK:
“a problem or issue that someone
hesitates to talk about with those who
are essential to its resolution.”
Ryan & Oestreich (1991)
 Choice: Undiscussable Issues
at Work
• Management practice 49%
• Co-worker performance 10
• Compensation and benefits 6
• EEO practices 6
• Change 4
• Personnel Systems (other than pay) 4
• Performance feedback to me 2
• Bad News/Conflicts/Personal Problems 2
 Choice: Why People
Do Not Speak Up
• Fear of repercussions 44
• Nothing will change 17
• Avoidance of conflict 7
• Don’t want to cause trouble for others 5
• Miscellaneous
 Building Blocks for Choice:
Informed Choice Factors

• Purpose: Clarifying task objectives to

guide workers’ decision making.

• Information: Sharing the information

needed to make informed choices.
 Purpose
• Do my employees know the purpose of the
task that has been assigned to them?
• Are they clear how it fits with the “big
picture” for the organization?
• In what ways do I invite employees to
clarify the purpose of the task?
• How can I help employees make
“informed” choices?
 Information
• Do employees know everything they need
to know in successfully completing this
task?
• Do I invite their questions so they feel they
know what they need to know?
• How do I do in dispensing information to
employees that might be relevant to them in
doing their jobs?
 Competence: “Am I the only one
who can’t…?
• Recall a task or job that you felt unqualified
for or “over your head” in doing
• Describe your emotional state as you were
faced with the task
• Why do you sometimes procrastinate on a
task?
 2. Competence
• This is the feeling that you can be effective
in performing the assigned task.
• You possess confidence in your ability to do
the task or to learn how to successfully do
the task.
 Competence: Origins

• White (1960): Suggested that from infancy

humans are motivated to master their
environments.
• Bandura (1977): “…expectations of personal
efficacy (or personal mastery in dealing with the
environment) determine whether coping behavior
will be initiated, how much effort will be
expended, and how long it will be sustained” (p.
191).
Building Blocks for Competence
1. Modeling

2. Growth Opportunities

3. Feedback
 Building Competence:
Performance Feedback
A. Use noncomparative standards:

• What are the effects of giving feedback to

workers in terms of comparing their
performance to other workers?
 Building Competence:
Feedback
“Styles of feedback that tend to identify
and appreciate what workers are doing
well tend to produce superior results
as compared with styles that look for
and criticize what workers are doing
less well.”
Thomas & Tymon, 1997
 Skill Recognition (cont.)
• Do I help workers see the connection
between the quality or success of a project
and their individual efforts?
• In what ways is my feedback to workers
directed at developing confidence in their
abilities?
• In what ways and in what situations do I
tend to underestimate the role of my
contributions in producing successes?
 3. Meaningfulness
‘Money is not the most important thing to people.
What most people really want from their work is
the feeling that they are part of something
important. The corollary of this observation is of
course that if an organization fails to make people
feel like a part of something that matters, it will
have to pay them more in order to keep them.”
Helgesen (1995) p. 7,
 Meaningfulness: Defined
• A task is meaningful if one sees doing the task as
something worthy of their time and effort.
• “Meaningfulness, then, is about the passion you
have for a task purpose.” (Thomas, 2000, p. 52).
• Work is meaningful to someone if it in some way
gives expression to one’s beliefs, and values.
• “There is a longing in each of us to invest in
things that matter.” Peter Block
 Meaningfulness: Origins
• Hackman & Oldham (1980): [Work must be
perceived as], “…something that ‘counts’ in one’s
system of values. If the work being done is seen as
trivial…then internal work motivation is unlikely
to develop even when the person has sole
responsibility for the work and receives ample
information about how well he or she is
performing” (p. 73).
 Cowboy Wisdom

“The one thing…”

What is your “one thing”?

 Meaning & Purpose

“What question lies at the

heart of your work?”

(Presence, Senge, Scharmer,

Jaworski & Flowers, 2004)
 Building Meaningfulness:
Developing a Non-Cynical Climate
• For what reasons is your job important to
you?
• What values and beliefs do you find
yourself giving expression to in your daily
work?
• As a supervisor do you encourage idealism
and finding meaning in daily tasks in your
workers? Or is cynicism the norm?
 Building Meaningfulness:
Clear Values
• What are the core values by which you lead
others?
• Are there certain values that members of
your organization share?
• Do you know what values are most
important to each of your workers?
Collins & Porras: “Built to Last”
Core Values: “The organization’s essential
and enduring tenets—a small set of general
guiding principles; not to be confused with
specific cultural or operating practices; not
to be compromised for financial gain or
short term expediency.” (p. 73)
 Building Meaningfulness:
A Clear and Compelling Vision
• What is the exciting future state that your
organization is working to create?
• Do all workers and volunteers share that
vision?
• What can you do to surface the values and
dreams that others would find inspirational
to work towards?
• Are people in your organization victim
oriented or vision driven?
 Building Meaningfulness:
Relevant Whole Tasks
• Do workers understand the connection
between the tasks they are assigned and the
vision or the big picture?
• How can you help others make that
connection clearer?
• Are workers assigned projects that when
completed they have a sense of pride and
accomplishment?
Lack of Progress—Sisyphus at Work

• Identify an experience where you expended

a good deal of energy with little or no
observable results?
• What was the impact on you? Your
emotions? Your energy? Your willingness
to continue expending effort?
 4. Progress
• This is the feeling that comes from realizing
that your efforts are accomplishing
something.
• This is a sense of achieving objectives.
 Progress: Origins
• Rotter (1966): locus of control--people
believe that rewards or other reinforcing
events result from their own behavior
(internal locus) or that the results of their
behavior are due to luck, fate or other
external sources (external locus).
 Progress: Origins (cont.)
• Seligman & Teasdale (1978): learned
helplessness--an awareness of outcomes as
uncontrollable can result in three deficits:
motivational (retarded initiation of
voluntary responses); cognitive (difficulty
in learning that future responses will
produce outcomes); and, emotional
(depressed affect) (p. 64).
 Building Progress:
Customer Appreciation
• Do workers have access to client or customer
feedback about their progress?
• In what ways can I develop mechanisms so
that workers know the impact of their work
on those we serve?
• What are my fears about opening up
opportunities for workers to hear from
clients about their work?
 Building Progress:
Milestones
• Milestones are visible signs of movement
towards our purpose that make our progress
tangible.
• On continuous or long-term projects, how
do workers know they are getting better?
• Do I establish benchmarks so workers can
view their improvement or progress towards
performance goals?
 Building Progress:
Celebrations!
• As a organization how do we celebrate our
accomplishments?
• In what ways do we recognize worker
progress towards goals?
Components of Intrinsic Motivation

Choice
Meaningfulness
Competence
Progress
 Leading for Engagement and
Intrinsic Motivation
• Questions to ask that help your team focus
discussions on these issues:
– What can we do here that is most meaningful in terms
of our broader purpose?
– What choices do we have? Can we find a creative way
of doing this?
– How can we do this in a competent or high-quality
manner?
– How can we tell if we are making progress—actually
accomplishing our purpose?
 Leading for Intrinsic Motivation
• Handing off for CHOICE
• Coaching for COMPETENCE
• Inspiring for MEANINGFULNESS
• Scorekeeping and cheering for
PROGRESS
 Action Plan for Becoming a
More Motivational Leader
• Of the 4 areas, which do I feel I am
strongest at and which do I need to work
on?

• Are workers getting these rewards

from the work they are doing?