Motivated to Engage: A Qualitative Case Study on the Design of Involvement Activities Based on Self-Determination Theory

Abstract

In contemporary management approaches such as co-management and self-management, employee involvement is regarded as a means to foster greater ownership, improved decision-making, and increased capacity for innovation. However, many organizations still operate within classical hierarchical structures, raising the question: How can we, based on project participants' experiences and Self-Determination Theory (SDT), design involvement activities that foster autonomously regulated motivation within a hierarchical framework? This study draws on 12 interviews with six participants, supplemented by participant observations and is grounded in Alfred Schutz’s phenomenological sociology. The primary theoretical framework is Self-Determination Theory (SDT), which is complemented through an abductive approach by concepts from Wenger’s Communities of Practice and Edmondson’s Psychological Safety. Through a thematical analysis, the study identifies three interdependent factors essential for designing involvement activities that support more autonomous form of motivation: a sense of meaning and relevance, an individual and organizational learning potential, and a psychologically safe space. These factors influence the satisfaction of SDT’s three basic psychological needs: autonomy, competence, and relatedness, which are essential for fostering autonomous motivation. The findings suggest that by taking the three identified factors into account, together with the three basic psychological needs, it is possible to structure involvement activities that enhance autonomously regulated motivation, thereby supporting both individual well-being and organizational learning — without dismantling existing hierarchical structures. Future research could explore the application of these three factors in different organizational contexts, including how they interact with dynamics of power and leadership.