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MIT Sloan Management Review 2025

What Leaders Get Wrong About Employee Motivation

Marylène Gagné; Rebecca Hewett

open access

Abstract

Research shows that top performance comes from intrinsically motivated, highly engaged employees, but many managers assume that only carrots and sticks will ensure that people do their jobs, and their motivational toolbox overrelies on rules, monitoring, and rewards. The authors share advice on how organizations can build a more engaged workforce by rooting their performance management approach in the human drive for self-determination and embracing democratized management principles.

DOI
10.63383/eurx9927
Sources
openalex

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