Since its emergence in the mid-1980s, SDT has mainly focused on the various aspects that determine an employee’s motivation. Perceived autonomy, competencies and the feeling of social connectedness appear to play an important role in this (Deci & Ryan 2007) et al.); Influencing these aspects often has direct consequences on the intrinsic and extrinsic motivation of employees (Deci & Ryan (2007) et al.). The degree of intrinsic and extrinsic motivation then has a consequence for an employee’s performance (Amabile 1993).
Model Self Determination Theory
A good understanding of intrinsic and extrinsic motivation is not possible within SDT without viewing both forms of motivation on a guiding scale, which runs from demotivation to intrinsic motivation. On this conductive scale, four forms of extrinsic motivation occur after demotivation: externally regulated motivation, introjected regulated motivation, identified regulated motivation and integrated regulated motivation. (Deci & Ryan (2007) et al.). Click on the image for a schematic representation of these different types of motivation.
Different types of motivation
Externally regulated motivation is motivation that arises from external rewards or punishments (or the expectation that an external reward or punishment will occur for a particular action). External rewards include, for example, bonuses (van den Broeck et al. (2009) et al.).
Introjected regulated motivation arises from internal rewards and punishments (or the expectation thereof), such as fear and pride (van den Broeck et al. (2009) et al.).
Identified regulated motivation is a motivation that arises from norms and values that are important to the individual, for example the culture that applies within a certain group (van den Broeck et al. (2009) et al.).
Integrated regulated motivation arises from values and norms that are not only important to the individual, but also actually correspond to their own norms and values (van den Broeck et al. (2009) et al.).
Intrinsically regulated motivation arises from the direct reward that performing the action brings to the individual, without external intervention. This could, for example, be the pleasure that the action provides, or the satisfaction that comes from it (Deci & Ryan (2007) et al.).
Controlled and autonomous motivation
External and introjected regulation must still be seen as controlled motivation, while identified regulation, integrated regulation and ultimately intrinsic motivation must be seen as autonomous motivation (Deci & Ryan (2007) et al.). Autonomous motivation is motivation that arises from the feeling of doing something of one’s own accord, without being forced to do it to a greater or lesser extent; controlled motivation is distinguished from this by precisely that feeling of coercion (Gagné & Deci (2005) et al.).
Crowding in and crowding out
Within SDT, a large amount of research has been conducted into the effects of various options to increase employee motivation. This has shown that the two types of motivation, extrinsic and intrinsic motivation, can complement each other but can also negatively influence each other. This means that, for example, an increase in extrinsic motivation can have both a negative and a positive influence on the degree of intrinsic motivation. Conversely, the degree of intrinsic motivation can also influence extrinsic motivation. When a positive influence takes place and when a negative influence takes place, is expressed in a part of the SDT; the crowding theory.
Crowding theory states that under certain conditions, the effect of extrinsic interventions can negatively influence intrinsic motivation (crowding-out). This especially happens when individuals experience the extrinsic intervention as controlling. If the individual experiences the intervention as stimulating or supportive, it can actually increase intrinsic motivation (crowding-in) (van Herpen (2005) et al.). Therefore, adding an external positive motivator in a given situation not only increases extrinsic motivation; it also influences intrinsic motivation. If the external positive motivator is seen as a form of coercion or control, which also includes monetary rewards, a reduction in intrinsic motivation is expected (crowding-out). If the external positive motivator is seen as supportive, such as appreciation from colleagues, it is expected that intrinsic motivation will increase (crowding-in). The same principle applies to an external negative motivator, or the removal of an external motivator.
The crowding effect is the result of a change in the locus of control. The locus of control is the extent to which an individual looks for causes for things that happen to him within himself or external causes. Within crowding theory it is stated that if an external motivator is added that is experienced as controlling, the locus of control of the person will shift from internal to the person to external (Deci (1972), Deci & Ryan (2007), Osterloh (2000), van Herpen (2005)). The consequence of this shift in the locus of control is that extrinsic motivation is increased and intrinsic motivation decreases.