From This is Depleting to This is Energizing – How Work Enhances Psychological Energy?

Departing from a vast body of research of work-related factors that deplete employees' energy through self-control processes the present symposium aims to advance our understanding of how work can enhance employees' energy. To do this we draw- and expand on self- determination theory (SDT) and particularly focus on basic needs satisfaction and associated autonomous self-regulation (as opposed to self-control) as psychological mechanisms that link work-and non-work- related factors and behaviors to employees' subjective vitality - a state of enhanced psychological energy. The four studies included in this symposium identify employees' work commute, the joint support of one’s supervisor and colleagues, consistent displays of high servant leadership, and daily mindfulness as determinants of employees’ satisfaction of their individual needs for autonomy, competence, and relatedness as well as of balanced need satisfaction, which in turn promote autonomous regulation and associated subjective vitality. Accordingly, these studies comprehensively map to and extend our understanding of the motivational process outlined in self- determination theory. First, by identifying a set of work-related factors that facilitate employees' energy, second by focusing on novel mechanisms in the form of balanced needs satisfaction and flow experiences as a form of autonomous regulation, and third by identifying boundary conditions such as preference for need satisfaction, colleague support, consistency of servant leadership, and trait autonomy that influence the proposed motivational processes outlined by SDT. Last but not least the symposium outlines how employees can turn work from a depleting into an energizing experience.