ABC of Work Motivation

What are the innate and universal ingredients to stimulate employee well-being and performance? This book will help you learn more about these, based on the latest research in motivational science.

Motivation is the key to our lives. Whether at work, at home, at school or on the sports field, we constantly need to find ways to motivate ourselves and those we support. What if, instead of motivational tricks, we could rely on a positive, universal, and surprisingly simple point of view: that of Self-Determination Theory? Validated by science, this approach is based on the principle that people have a natural tendency to invest themselves, but they just need to be psychologically nourished, so they feel autonomous and competent, and belonging in the right place. No stick, carrot or other form of control has the power and quality of this source of energy that allows people to grow and make them happy.

Packed with examples and lists of questions to help us move from theory to practice, this book will change the way we are and the way we do things. Step by step, it explains the principles of Self-Determination Theory and the research that led to their discovery, and invites us to apply them for the greater well-being of ourselves and our colleagues or subordinates.

This book is one of the first to present this analysis that is valued the world over, as witnessed by the four international experts who co-authored it.

Professor in the Department of Work and Organization Studies (WOS) in the Faculty of Economics and Business at KU Leuven (Catholic University of Leuven), Belgium, Anja Van den Broeck has a background in work psychology and has become an expert in work motivation. Her research objective is to examine how and under what circumstances individuals can thrive in the work context. A prolific researcher, she has published over 75 articles in leading journals and authored or co-authored 15 chapters in academic books of international scope. Many of her works are among the most highly cited in the field. Anja teaches on subjects such as management, motivation and job design. Outside her academic interests, she is committed to sharing her ideas with a wider audience and publishes in practice-oriented journals. She has developed two websites that can help managers motivate their employees, and frequently communicates the results of her research in HR journals, the LinkedIn network, podcasts, webinars, press and television. Motivational expert and senior consultant at Flourish SDT, Hermina Van Coillie has been guiding teams, managers and organizations for years. Using the basic principles of SDT, she brings them to an optimal level of functioning. She obtained her PhD in Quantitative and Personality Psychology at KU Leuven (Catholic University of Leuven, Belgium) in 2004 and continued for two years as a postdoctoral researcher at the Faculty of Psychology and Educational Sciences, where she focused on individual differences in the experience of emotions. Hermina worked for 14 years as a research expert at Securex, where she wrote numerous white papers, reports, press releases and scientific articles. A sought-after speaker, she gives lectures, workshops and training courses on her research topics, and has often appeared in the national and regional press. Jacques Forest, PhD, Organizational Psychologist and Certified Human Resources Professional (CHRP, Distinction Fellow) Full professor in the Department of Organization and Human Resources at ESG UQAM, Jacques Forest is a master in the art of building bridges between science and practice. His research focuses on self-determination theory (SDT) and the motivational factors needed to reconcile performance and well-being in a sustainable way. He is the co-author of the Multidimensional Work Motivation Scale, now translated into 26 languages. In 2006, he was awarded a prize in the Concours de vulgarisation scientifique de l'ACFAS (Association francophone pour le savoir), and in 20101 he won the Prix de la relève professorale en recherche de l'ESG UQAM. To date, Jacques has published or co-published 52 scientific articles and 18 book chapters, in addition to acting as a motivational expert for companies and elite athletes. His talent for making often complex concepts accessible makes him an Marcus Mueller studied in Germany, the UK and Australia for his masters degrees in electrical engineering, business administration and psychology. He also holds a PhD in organizational psychology. After 16 years as a finance professional in London, New York, Frankfurt and Geneva, Marcus switched careers to academia, research and teaching. In 2013, Marcus joined Sacred Heart University, Luxembourg, as a full-time Professor of Management. His research interests include executive psychology and the economic cost-benefit analysis of corporate investment in people. Marcus is an internationally recognized expert and speaker on the application of social psychology in organizations for performance, health and well-being.