Self Determination Theory free essay sample

Dr. Helen Glenn-Beady University of Phoenix Self-Determination Theory Do you find yourself pursing your goals or working towards them regardless of what is going on in your life? Well applying a positive individual motivation well help aid your goals. Motivation is a key characteristic that a person uses to inspire and encourage another person to do their best. In the workplace, there are several motivation theories that are used to handle employee and management situations. One of the motivation theories that are used is called the Self-Determination Theory (SDT).SDT represents an extensive framework for the study of human motivation and personality (Ryan Deci, 2000). Within SDT, the need for healthy development and functioning are identified using the concept of basic psychological needs for autonomy, competence, and relatedness. SDT proposes that people’s actions are drive by theses three core psychological needs (Deci, 1971). One early Monday morning in the summer of 2008, I was at working as a Check Encoder in the Accounting department at Fred’s Inc. We will write a custom essay sample on Self Determination Theory or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page On the news board located in the break room was a job posting for a Payroll Administrator.I was very excited to see that posting on the board because that would be great opportunity for me. Even though I was excited about the position, I was also afraid to apply for the position because I did not have any payroll experience. My coworker, Mary Joiner tried to encourage me to apply for the position. She said that even though I do not have the work experience for payroll does not give me the reason to turn down the opportunity to advance within the company. Mary encouraged me to promote self-determination within myself. So with the motivation that I received rom Mary gave me the confidence I needed to apply for the payroll position. The Self-Determination Theory that was applied in this situation was that Mary chose to be a leader who geared towards growth and development. She believed that by voluntarily motivating me to apply for the payroll position would therefore provide positive feedback in the end. Mary’s psychological need was relatedness, which means that she was connecting with me and feeling socially valued. SDT was hypothesized that environmental support will account for unique variance.It was also hypothesized that control will average the effect of environmental support on voluntary behaviors. The Self-Determination Theory was applicable with the situation that was applied at Fred’s. On May of 2010 there was another incident that occurred with the Payroll department at Fred’s Inc. The entire Payroll department was responsible for accurate timesheets on each employee of the company. It was very difficult not to make any errors when each of us in the department entered the time every employee worked before payroll was processed.Each of us in the Payroll department also had to complete this task in a timely manner. Every time the payroll was processed, I would have at least three errors on the time sheets that were entered in the system. So then I decided to exercise my skills daily to improve my accuracy in keying the payroll. After our department processed about four payrolls, I began to complete my timesheets on time without any errors. My manager Nancy was very proud of the improvement I made with my timesheets. She rewarded me with a gift card to a restaurant called Olive Garden and a half day off of work.The type of reward that was given transpired the other payroll employees to improve their accuracy on timesheets. The psychological need in this situation was competence. Competence means when a person exercises their abilities or improving them (Deci, 1985). In this case I was using competence, because I showed my manger and the department that I was able to improve the errors that were made on the timesheets. I took the initiative to do better so that the department did well as a team. Another psychological need that used is called autonomy. Autonomy is when a person makes their choices on issues concerning them.I made the choice on my own to improve the lack of accuracy on the timesheets. The action I made and the reward I received, motivated the other payroll employees to demonstrate their abilities to improve. The diverse behavior that was applied in this situation is the Self-Determination Theory. The SDT was applicable in the workplace experience in the payroll department at Fred’s Inc. Motivational theories have been developed to explain why people chose to engage in certain behaviors; however motivational antecedents to voluntary work have been largely overlooked. Deci, 1985). Motivation is very important and should be used in most cases to strive others in a positive way. In the workplace, the assumption of SDT is that all employees are naturally active, seeking opportunities for learning and development to incorporate into a positive sense of self-identity. An example of such is when an employee makes a choice that will lead toward self-advancement. In conclusion, motivation is the key to making striving for the best. Motivation is a trait that is used in the workplace to provide positive outcomes.SDT is a motivation theory that is used in the workplace to reward growth and career advancement. It investigates the conditions that tend to boost or dampen people’s natural activity and enthusiasm. It expands in the ability to improve and exercise were one is lacking. The three core needs supports this Self-Determination Theory. The role of motivation is exercising the three core needs to motivate others so that they can motivate themselves. The Self-Determination Theory has occupies a unique position in psychology. It also is a very important tool human’s use that comes from the Motivation Theory.