Motivation may be defined as the ability to direct psychological processes towards certain goals or objectives. Motivation is largely characterised by internal and external factors that may influence a person’s actions(Mitchell,1982). Through motivation, it can be argued that organisations are able to achieve higher performance and more positive outcomes (Steers, Mowday, & Shapiro, 2004 as cited in Van den Broeck et al., 2016). Therefore, motivation is important to employees and for the organisation as a whole.
Autonomous and Controlled Motivation
Autonomous motivation occurs when employees derive internal satisfaction from performing a task (Ryan &Deci,2000). Meanwhile, “controlled motivation results from experiencing external …show more content…
SDT is important as individuals seek to determine what motivates them. Motivation can be controlled or autonomous, and this forms part of the foundation of the SDT theory (Gagné& Deci,2005). Autonomous and controlled motivation are discussed further in the chapter.
SDT focuses on how psychological needs can impact the way people work in their existing environments in order to achieve optimal results (Ryan &Deci,2000). SDT is concerned with autonomy, competence, and relatedness, which are the three basic psychological needs. Ryan and Deci (2000) argue that the basic psychological needs are important, and apply across a broad sphere applicable to all individuals. In addition, all three needs are necessary to be able to thrive, and people are at their best when all three needs are satisfied.
The need for …show more content…
(Deci & Ryan, 2000: cited by Van den Broeck et al., 2016) Autonomy represents the freedom to act on one’s own accord. Deci and Ryan (2008) argue that there is a clear distinction between autonomy and independence, as an individual may have independence but without the necessary freedom and volition to act. However, Kuvaas (2009; Gagné&Deci,2005) suggest that the need for autonomy may have a greater influence on intrinsic motivation in comparison to relatedness and competence.
The need for competence
Competence is regarded as important for intrinsic motivation (Gagné& Deci,2005). It may be described as the need to perform tasks effectively. It involves mastering tasks in the environment and developing effective skills (Van den Broeck ,2010). Individuals who are competent are more likely to be adaptable to different environments whereas those that lack competence are likely to be less motivated (Deci &Ryan ,2000 as cited by Van den Broeck et al.,2010).
The need for