Social Motivation at Work: The Organizational Psychology of Effort for, Against, and with Others

Although a great deal of effort in tasks, projects, and jobs is fueled by our interactions and relationships, psychologists have often overlooked the social forces that shape work motivation. In this review, we examine new developments in research on the interpersonal dynamics that enable and constrain proactivity, persistence, performance, and productivity. The first section examines the impact of competition on work motivation, including the roles of rivalries, favorite versus underdog expectations, and status strivings. The second section focuses on when and how prosocial motivation can drive people to work harder, smarter, safer, and more collaboratively, as well as on the antecedents and collective consequences of this desire to benefit others. The third section centers on motivation in collaborations, emphasizing contagion, social proximity, friendship, and the motivation to lead. Together, these literatures suggest that although rivalries and friendships are double-edged swords, the twin goals to compete and contribute can be harnessed constructively.