The Progress Principle and the Psychology of Everyday Work Life
Emotions, perceptions and motivations at work are critical not only to employees’ performance, but also to their health and well-being. Teresa and her colleagues explored how various events at work affect these crucial psychological states.
Amabile, T. M. & Kramer, S. J. (2011). The Power of Small Wins. Harvard Business Review, 89 (5), 70-80.
Even seemingly minor steps forward (“small wins”) can reveal the progress principle: Of all events that occur at work, the event having the most prominent positive effect on emotions, perceptions, and motivation is simply making progress in meaningful work.
Amabile, T. M. & Kramer, S. J. (2010) What Really Motivates Workers (#1 in Breakthrough Ideas for 2010). Harvard Business Review, 88:1, 44-45
Most managers misunderstand employee motivation. In a simple survey, we asked 669 managers to rank-order five employee motivators. Even though work progress is, in fact, a more important motivator than the other factors (like recognition and incentives), the surveyed managers ranked progress last.
Amabile, T.M., Schatzel, E.A., Moneta, G.B., and Kramer, S.J. (2004). Leader behaviors and the work environment for creativity: Perceived leader support. The Leadership Quarterly, 15:1, 5-32.
Using daily-diary data from dozens of employees working on creative projects, this study found that perceived leader support predicts employee creativity. It also discovered specific, day-by-day leader actions associated with higher or lower perceived support .
