Anja H. Olafsen

• PhD
• Professor (Full) at University of South-Eastern Norway

Self-determination theory (SDT) is a macro theory of human motivation that evolved from research on intrinsic and extrinsic motivations and expanded to include research on work organizations and other domains of life. We discuss SDT research relevant to the workplace, focusing on (a) the distinction between autonomous motivation (i.e., intrinsic mo...

Most work-related studies of self-determination theory (SDT) have focused either on satisfaction of basic psychological needs or on types of work motivation when studying motivational processes at work. The few studies that have considered both mechanisms have usually assumed that satisfaction or frustration of basic psychological needs is a prereq...

As the nature of work has changed in recent decades, employees are increasingly exposed to psychological demands in the workplace, which have associated consequences for employees, organizations, and society. Using self-determination theory, this study examined the dark side of work, in which frustration of basic psychological needs is associated w...

The link between money and motivation has been a debated topic for decades, especially so in organizations. However, field studies investigating the amount of pay in relation to employee motivation is lacking and there has been calls for empirical studies addressing compensation systems in the work domain. The purpose of this study was to address t...

Self-determination theory proposes a multidimensional conceptualization of motivation comprising autonomous and controlled forms. Whereas autonomous motivation relates positively to individuals’ optimal functioning (e.g., well-being, performance), controlled motivation is less beneficial. To be able to use self-determination theory in the field of...

The purpose of the current study was to test the necessity of basic psychological needs within self-determination theory (SDT) for employee wellbeing. Utilizing necessary condition analysis across three samples (two cross-sectional and one longitudinal), we evaluate whether need satisfaction and need frustration of the basic psychological needs for...

The chapter outlines and reviews the significant role of self-determination theory (SDT) in work psychology. An abundant body of research emphasizes the importance of fostering optimal motivation in the workplace and its implications for employee performance and work-related health based on this framework. Through a bibliometric review, the chapter...

The importance of employees as the main asset for competitive advantage underscores the need for attracting and keeping skilled employees for the benefit of the organizations’ performance. This turns the focus of the employer to branding and employer attractiveness. What constitutes an attractive employer brand is, however, not clear based on the e...

Introduction Daily variations in frustration of basic psychological needs (autonomy, competence, and relatedness) have received limited attention. This mixed‐methods study examines such daily variations and their relations to recovery from work and employee well‐being. Method The study uses multilevel modeling of repeated measures through daily su...

With the purpose of extending job crafting theory, the current article outlines a comprehensive conceptual model of work‐related need crafting grounded in self‐determination theory—the Self‐Determination Theory Model of Need Crafting at Work. Specifically, by taking as our basis the three basic psychological needs for autonomy, competence, and rela...

Although both employee wellbeing and performance are valued by organizations, achieving them conjointly is not simple in practice. Prior studies have highlighted the role of daily experiences of recovery from work stress for employee wellbeing and performance. In a work-life characterized by pressures to intensify the pace of work, employees may in...

Money talks? The motivational mechanisms of base pay on well-being and work performance. Scandinavian Journal of Psychology. Whether compensation serves as a motivational resource for employees is still a debated subject. It has been suggested that the effect of pay on motivation could be contingent on the satisfaction of the basic psychological ne...

Two employee-level experiences — off-job recovery and optimal work motivation — are vital for reducing or avoiding work stress and promoting occupational health and work performance. However, the interplay between employee recovery and motivation has been theoretically underdeveloped in prior research. In this Perspective, we present a dual-pathway...

Aim To examine the positive motivational paths from perceived autonomy‐supportive leadership, and the negative motivational paths from perceived controlling leadership to satisfaction and frustration of basic psychological needs, work motivation, work performance, work engagement and somatic symptom burden among nurses using Self‐Determination Theo...

Research exploring relationships between leadership behaviors and sickness absence is scarce. Grounded in self‐determination theory (SDT), the present study examined: (i) the relationship between need‐supportive leadership and sickness absence; and (ii) whether satisfaction of the basic psychological needs mediates the relationship between need‐sup...

Med oppblomstringen av fjernarbeid og hybride arbeidsordninger for store deler av den norske arbeidsstyrken er det viktig med kunnskap om hvordan dette nye arbeidslivet ser ut og oppleves. Basert på et landsrepresentativt utvalg av 3 633 norske arbeidstakere med mulighet for fjernarbeid har vi undersøkt omfanget av fjernarbeid og forskjeller i ansa...

Self-Determination Theory (SDT) is a broad theory of psychological growth and wellness that has revolutionized how we think about human motivation and the driving forces behind personality development. SDT focuses on people’s basic psychological needs for autonomy, competence, and relatedness and how social environments that support these needs fos...

Proximity between actors within an organisation can be relevant for interactive learning and innovation because it promotes collaboration and knowledge exchange. However, proximity has mainly been studied as a characteristic of the relationships between actors belonging to different organisations. In this paper, a case study of a faculty at a unive...

Demographic changes indicate that the number of people aged 60 years and above will double in the next 30 years, and politicians around the world have an interest in delaying retirement in order to benefit national economies by lowering the burden on public pension systems. In this study, it is examined whether and how combinations of multiple type...

Given the centrality of sleep and work in most individuals’ lives, it is interesting to note that an empirical understanding of the association between what happens in the workplace and how well people sleep is in an early stage of development, at least relative to other topics that are of interest in the literature on stress and health. Using self...

Objectives: Self-Determination Theory posits that managers' autonomy-supportive behavior and employees' autonomy causality orientation, are motivation constructs to explain internalization of values, functioning, and wellness at work. Hypothesis 1 tested whether profiles comprising perceived dental clinic managers' autonomy-supportive, as opposed...

The aim of this research project was to validate the work-related version of the Basic Psychological Need Satisfaction and Frustration Scale (BPNSFS) into the Polish language and culture. Although studies have demonstrated the benefits associated with basic psychological need satisfaction and the costs associated with need frustration at work, the...

Knowledge sharing involves the provision or receipt of information, know-how, best practices, lessons learned, and/or feedback about a task, product, and/or procedure in order to develop new skills and competencies at work which can improve individual, group, and/or organizational performances. Based on self-determination theory, the study partners...

The aim of the present study was to adapt and validate the Basic Psychological Need Satisfaction and Frustration Scale within self-determination theory (SDT) within the work domain. Confirmatory factor analyses of three Norwegian samples and one English sample as well as multi-group analyses to examine measurement invariance were performed. The res...

La rémunération vise à récompenser les employés pour leur temps et leurs efforts, ainsi que pour les compétences qu’ils apportent dans une organisation et dans leurs tâches au travail. Traditionnellement, la théorie de l’agence économique ( agency theory ) a soutenu l’idée selon laquelle l’utilisation de l’argent favorise, en tout temps, la motivat...

Numerous studies have documented deteriorating occupational health among practicing physicians. This trend poses a serious risk not only for physicians but also for the many patients under their care. Past research finds that one protective factor involves the quality of physicians' motivation. When physicians are more autonomously motivated, they...

According to the job demands–resources model, job demands (or hindrances) can drain energy and yield physiological and psychological costs by requiring sustained physical and/or mental effort at work. Using self‐determination theory, the current study examined the associations among role conflict (as a proxy for job demands), frustration of the bas...

Purpose Future organizations must focus on their ability to change to be sustainable, and this calls more attention to sustainability as an organizational issue. However, change initiatives often fail because of a lack of employee commitment. The purpose of this study is to examine how organizational culture and individual readiness for change (IRF...

Advances in technologies (e.g. smartphones, wearables) have resulted in the concept of ‘self-tracking’, and the use of self-tracking technologies in physical activity (i.e. fitness tracking) is on the rise. For example, many people track and monitor their fitness-related metrics (e.g. steps walked, distance ran, and calories burned) to change their...

The purpose of this study was to develop and validate the Causality Orientations at Work Scale, which is based on self-determination theory. Bank employees (N = 201) and dental hygienists (N = 299) completed measures of autonomy-, control-, and impersonal orientations, as well as criterion-related measures including need satisfaction, autonomous wo...

Research has shown that psychological detachment from work during non-work time is beneficial for various aspects of employee well-being and job performance. However, it is uncertain whether psychological detachment is equally important to all. The purpose of the current study was to examine whether psychological detachment is less important for em...

Sosiale medier er ikke lenger bare en del av den private sfære, men også noe bedrifter bruker aktivt til å promotere seg. Blant annet ser man store muligheter ved bruk av sosiale medier for en rekke HR-funksjoner, inkludert rekruttering. Det vi imidlertid vet mindre om, er arbeidssøkers bruk av sosiale medier i jobbsøking. Denne studien studerer po...

Suffering from somatic symptoms can seriously hamper one’s quality of life and ability to function, causing lost work productivity, sickness absence, and extensive medical utilization. Physical activity (PA) has demonstrated promising results related to mild to moderate cases of somatic symptoms. The present study explored whether a worksite health...

Purpose The purpose of this paper was to test a model that differentiated between two types of job demands in relation to basic psychological need satisfaction, work motivation, and, in turn, employee well-being. In particular, job challenges and job hindrances were hypothesized to relate to this motivational process in different ways. Design/met...

Motivasjon er et viktig fenomen for å forstå hva som driver mennesker i ulike aktiviteter og oppgaver. Det er ofte søkelys på mengden motivasjon, sterk eller svak, mye eller lite, mens ulike typer motivasjon får lite oppmerksomhet. Forskning indikerer imidlertid at ulike typer motivasjon har svært ulike implikasjoner. Denne artikkelen redegjør for...

This study investigates the job demands-resources (JD-R) model in relation to work motivation in a self-determination theory (SDT) perspective, with the purpose of developing a model where social-contextual factors are seen in relation to psychological needs in order to explain autonomous work motivation and, in turn, self-reported work performance...

Literature on mindfulness in the workplace is scarce, and the antecedents of state mindfulness are not understood. This study sought to investigate antecedents and outcomes of state mindfulness in a self-determination theory model in the work domain. Specifically, the present study contributes to an understanding of mindfulness by examining the imp...

This study tested a physical activity intervention and the self-determination theory (SDT) process model of health-behavior change and health among 108 adult patients with both diabetes mellitus type 2 (DM2) and coronary artery disease (CAD). Patients were randomly assigned to an organized physical activity intervention group (led by instructors) o...

Background The paper aims to present how nursing leaders in the municipal health care perceive the interaction with and support from their superiors and peers. The paper further aims to identify the leaders’ vulnerability and strength at work in the current situation of shortage of manpower and other resources in the health care sector. This is see...

This research examines the potential role of country image as it relates to the recruitment of international talent by assessing the influence of country image on migration intentions. This article makes a clear contribution by bringing place image research together with employer branding literature at an intersection that has received little atten...

The link between money and motivation has been a debated topic for decades, especially in work organizations. However, field studies investigating the amount of pay in relation to employee motivation is lacking and there have been calls for empirical studies addressing compensation systems and motivation in the work domain. The purpose of this stud...

Self-determination theory proposes a multidimensional conceptualization of motivation comprising autonomous and controlled forms. Whereas autonomous motivation relates positively to individuals’ optimal functioning (e.g., well-being, performance), controlled motivation is less beneficial. To be able to use self-determination theory in the field of...

Somatic symptom burden, or the experience of physical symptomatology without a medical explanation, is related to functional disability and poor quality of life. The consequences of somatic symptom burden extend beyond the individual and affect society, as manifested in higher medical utilization and lower job productivity. Using self-determination...

Purpose – The aim of this study is to investigate which factors employers should focus on in their employer branding strategies. The present study tested the employer attractiveness scale (EmpAt) and analysed relationships between dimensions in this measurement scale and the use of social media in relation to corporate reputation and intentions to...