Retention and motivation

Our research tackles grand socio-economic challenges, such as large-scale workforce turnover and shifting professional values. Post-pandemic workers are leaving to join organisations that embrace work-life fusion or hybrid work arrangements or show greater social and environmental awareness. These workers require retraining and upskilling and will develop new psychological contracts; their managers face intense pressure to motivate and retain them.

Motivation underpins much organisational behaviour, with most resulting from a mix of different, often conflicting motives. Understanding the effects of different reasons for acting is therefore highly relevant. Being able to design workplaces that foster desirable forms of motivation is necessary and never as simple as cutting a pay cheque. Motivating employees to stay and perform is complex but essential for thriving and living well.

Our researchers

Collaborators

Featured publications

• Chan, P. H., Howard, J., Eva, N., & Tse, H. M. (2022). A systematic review of at-work recovery and a framework for future research. Journal of Vocational Behavior, 103747.
• Van den Broeck, A., Howard, J. L., Van Vaerenbergh, Y., Leroy, H., & Gagné, M. (2021). Beyond intrinsic and extrinsic motivation: A meta-analysis on self-determination theory’s multidimensional conceptualization of work motivation. Organizational Psychology Review, 11(3), 240-273.
• Kiazad, K., Kraimer, M. L., Seibert, S. E., & Sargent, L. D. (2020). Understanding organizational embeddedness and career success: who and what you know. Journal of Organizational Behavior, 41, 678-693.
• Holtom, B., Kiazad, K., & Dandu, Y. (2020). Organizational practices that promote job embeddedness and retention. Organizational Dynamics, 49, 1-11.
• Cai, H., Ocampo, A. C. G., Restubog, S. L. D., Kiazad, K., Deen, C. M., & Li, M. (2018). Career commitment in STEM: A moderated mediation model of inducements, expected contributions, and organizational commitment. Journal of Career Assessment, 26, 359-376.
• Howard, J. L., Gagné, M., & Bureau, J. S. (2017). Testing a continuum structure of self-determined motivation: A meta-analysis. Psychological bulletin, 143(12), 1346.
• Howard, J., Gagné, M., Morin, A. J., & Van den Broeck, A. (2016). Motivation profiles at work: A self-determination theory approach. Journal of Vocational Behavior, 95, 74-89.
• Kiazad, K., Holtom, B. C., Hom, P. W., & Newman, A. (2015). Job embeddedness: A multifoci theoretical extension. Journal of Applied Psychology, 100, 641-659.

Ongoing projects

Our current projects focus on shaping industry practice and policy around understanding and managing “resignation/reshuffling” trends and their fallout.

• Self-determination theory in workplaces: We conduct ongoing research into workplace motivation through the perspective of the self-determination theory. This research emphasises the importance of employees feeling autonomy, competence, and a sense of belonging in their workplace as a necessary condition not only for sustained performance but also individual wellbeing and flourishing.
• Motivational potential and concerns of financial incentives: This series of studies examines the psychological impacts of financial incentives on employees, specifically the potential for rewards to undermine intrinsic motivation. We aim to identify systems and conditions that maximise the benefits and reduce the downsides of being paid.
• Why do employees stay or leave? The question of why people leave their jobs has challenged and captivated scholars and practitioners for decades. Our current projects focus on why people leave critical sectors such as volunteering and STEM. We are working with various representatives and stakeholders to shape new policies around volunteer retention and to design and deliver developmental programs to strengthen critical skills among volunteer managers (providing mental health support and retaining their volunteer workforce).
• Our current research also reveals fundamental reasons people leave STEM fields: Our research reveals reasons such as; unsupportive climates, uncertain career pathways, job insecurity, stereotype threat, and more. Thus, we are pursuing a program of interventions that promote (1) more supportive and inclusive STEM workplace climates; (2) the development of STEM employee social capital, and (3) the development of STEM employee entrepreneurial self-efficacy.

Watch, listen, read

• How do we fix STEM’s brain drain?, IMPACT: Monash Business School,
• What happened to Australia's volunteer army?, Lens, 2022.
• Why do people working in STEM stay in their jobs – and why should we care?, Futurum, 2017.
• How to retain high-performing employees during uncertain times, Mirage News, 2020.

Funding agencies

• Kiazad, K., Restubog, S. L. D., Capezio, A., Hom, P., Holtom, B., & Lee, T. (2017-2019). Strengthening Australia’s science workforce: A job embeddedness perspective. DP170101514. Australian Research Council Discovery Scheme.
• Restubog, S. L. D., Kiazad, K., Aquino, K., Zagenczyk, T. J., & Scott, K. L. (2015-2017). To step-in or to stand-by: Third party responses to abusive supervision. DP150100545. Australian Research Council Discovery Scheme.