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Inner work life: understanding the subtext of business performance.
Teresa M Amabile1, Steven J Kramer
1Harvard Business School, Boston, USA.
Harvard Business Review
|May 15, 2007
Summary
Employee performance significantly improves with positive inner work lives, driven by progress and recognition. Managers
Area of Science:
- Organizational Psychology
- Management Science
- Behavioral Economics
Background:
- Employee performance is influenced by daily fluctuations in mood and motivation, often unexplained.
- Previous research has not fully elucidated the impact of employees' inner work lives on performance outcomes.
- Understanding the drivers of positive and negative workdays is crucial for enhancing productivity.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the relationship between employees' inner work lives and their performance.
- To identify the key factors that influence employees' daily experiences and motivation.
- To examine the role of managerial behavior in shaping employees' inner work lives.
Main Methods:
- Analysis of over 12,000 diary entries from knowledge workers over three years.
- Longitudinal study design to track changes in inner work life and performance.
- Qualitative and quantitative analysis of diary content focusing on perceptions, emotions, and motivation.
Main Results:
- Positive emotions, intrinsic motivation, and favorable perceptions of work, team, leaders, and organization correlate with better performance.
- The most significant factor differentiating best and worst workdays is the sense of making progress.
- Managerial recognition of good work, especially when combined with progress, significantly boosts inner work life.
Conclusions:
- Employees' inner work lives, particularly their sense of progress and recognition, dramatically impact performance.
- Managerial actions, specifically acknowledging employee achievements, are critical for fostering positive work environments.
- Interventions aimed at enhancing progress and recognition can lead to improved employee well-being and productivity.
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