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INTRINSIC MOTIVATION AND WELL-BEING

INTRODUCTION

The decision on intrinsic motivation and extrinsic motivation has taken a


universal recognition and controversies among scholars. It is arguable that some
individuals will inculcate and incorporate self-concepts in pursuing some certain
objectives which ultimately leads to adequate well-being (Peter and Richard,
1999). The purpose of this study is to critically examine the dimensions of
intrinsic motivation and extrinsic motivation while empirically ascertaining their
implication on well-being of employees. To achieve this, the Self-Determination
Theory (SDT) through cross sectional analyses of intrinsic and extrinsic
motivation was adopted in the evaluation of the subject matter. The study
recommends whether intrinsic motivation is good or not.

CONCEPTUAL CLEARIFICATIONS
To be motivated however means to be moved to do something which perhaps, one
might not be willing to if otherwise not motivated. Someone who has no
inspiration or impetus to act or do something thus, characterized as unmotivated.
The amount of motivation an individual receives must not necessarily vary, but
the nature and focus of such motivation being evidenced certainly does (Peter,
Kasser and Ryan, 1999) cited in Kevin etal (2007). Different reasons and goals
can emerged and give rise to an action, this can be categorized into intrinsic
motivation and extrinsic motivation.

Intrinsic Motivation: According to Self-Determination Theory (SDT),


an intrinsic motivation refers to doing something ultimately because it is
inherently interesting or enjoyable. Kasser and Ryan (1996) categorized
the goals of intrinsic motivation as self motivation affiliation,
community feeling and physical fitness. In other words, intrinsic
motivation can be seen as the cause of an action for its inherent level of
satisfactions rather than some independent consequence (white, 1999).
When an individual is intrinsically motivated, such person is moved to
act for either the personal benefit/fun or loss/challenge embedded in it
rather than the external pressure or reward by another individual.

Extrinsic motivation: This is a direct opposite of intrinsic motivation.


Extrinsic motivation is a construct that involve a situation or an activity
done in order to attain some level of separable outcome (Ryan and Deci,
2000).

Well-Being: this refers to as the state of an absolute happiness of people


at a given period of time or in the cause of an action. Ryan and Deci
(2001) argued that well being is not best captured by hedonic
conceptions of happiness alone rather; Layard (2005) defined well-
being as the interpolation of doing well and felling good or doing good
and feeling well.

THEORETICAL AND EMPERICAL ANALYSES OF INTRINSIC


MOTIVATION AND EXTRINSIC MOTIVATION

Employees whom are intrinsically motivated are authentic; literally, self authored
or endorsed (Ryan and Deci, 2000). Similarly they derive more interest,
excitement and confidence, which thereby manifested into high performance,
persistence and creativity (Deci & Ryam, 1991; Sheldon, Ryan, Raw Sthrone, &
Ilardi 1997) and as highly vitality (Nix, Ryan, Manly and Deci 1999), self esteem
(Deci & Ryam 1995) and therefore, generally well-being (Ryan, Deci &
Grolnick, 1995). This often occurs when the employees have an equal level of
perceived competence or even self-efficacy for the job.

Past empirical research have demonstrated that intrinsic motivation


characterized by autonomous end of the continuum, comprising of self-
regulations, associated with positive outcomes such as psychological well-being
in the field of psychology (Reis, Sheldon, Gable, Roscoe and Ryan, 2000) cited
in Kimberly etal 2006.

However, several critics have been set aside of extrinsic motivations as a result
of its harmful effect. For instance, pursuing extrinsic goal contents, particularly
financial success could be detrimental to mental health (Srivastara, Locke &
Bartol, 2001). Carver and Baird (1998) found that pursuing goals for autonomous
motives (intrinsic) was positively related to self-actualization and hence, well-
being, whereas, pursuing them for controlled motives (Extrinsic) was negatively
related to self actualization and well-being.

One of the most common negative implications of extrinsic motivation is that is


harmful to intrinsic motivation. Frey (2007) argued that the amount and the level
of individuals intrinsic motivation is limited, harmed and altered as a result of
external interventions and that this change occurred due to change in individuals
preference. As demonstrated by Bnabou and Tirole (2003), if an individual
engage in the activity because it is found to be inherently interesting, however, the
introduction of a controlling extrinsic reward, changes the preference for doing
the activity so that the preference becomes reward instead of interest. In this
situation, intrinsic motivation is said to be crowded-out by the extrinsic reward.
THE IMPLICATION OF INTRINSIC MOTIVATION TO AN
ORGANIZATION

The most significant aspect of motivation could be directly related to the reasons
why people exhibit particular behavior or motives behind such behaviours. The
Self-Determination Theory (SDT) as adopted by (Deci& Ryan 1985; Ryan &
Deci 2000) has clearly showed that employees act positively because they are
autonomous and feel volitional in exhibiting such behavior rather than been
controlled. In this scenario, employees achieved their individual esteemed
objectives perhaps, at the expense of the organizational goals. For instance,
when employees have perfect autonomy, they pursue their personal growth,
emotional intimacy and community involvement, thus, satisfying innate
psychological needs such as belongingness and well-being (Baumeister & Leary
1995), utility (White, 1999), and personal causation (Decharms, 1968) or what
SDT refers to as relatedness, competence and autonomy (Deci & Ryan, 2000).
All these have detrimental implications on such organization on its financial
success, image and fame and hence, low productivity.

CONCLUSION

The study critically and briefly presented intrinsic and extrinsic motivation with
the aid of self determination theory to make critical distinctions between
behaviours that are volitional and accompanied by expression of freedom and
autonomy and those accompanied by pressure or controlled. To this effect,
intrinsically motivation actions and behaviours emanated from interest and
satisfy the innate psychological needs for competence and autonomy. In contrary,
extrinsically motivation actions are executed mainly because of separable
consequence. However, the pursuance of extrinsic motivations (such as rewards)
jeopardized and can therefore, becomes harmful to intrinsic motivation.
The conclusion for this study however stated that intrinsic motivation is highly
good for individuals well-being whereas, extrinsic motivation is highly
significant for organizational productivity.
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