How leaders can help create job satisfaction among their employees

Hvordan ledere kan bidra til å skape trivsel blant sine medarbeidere

Erland, Miriam

4. term

Psychology, Master

2020

2020-05-29

66

Denne kandidatafhandling undersøger, hvordan ledere kan bidrage til medarbejderes trivsel i en tid, hvor resultatorientering ofte overskygger arbejdsmiljøet. Forskningsspørgsmålet er: Hvordan kan ledere hjælpe med at skabe trivsel blandt deres medarbejdere? Afhandlingen består af en teoretisk del, der gennemgår centrale psykologiske perspektiver—evolutionær psykologi (behov for tryghed), motivations- og behovsteori (Maslow og Herzberg), personlighed (trekkteori og femfaktormodel) samt socialpsykologi (følelsesmæssig smitte og mentalisering)—og en empirisk del baseret på et enkeltcasestudie. Den empiriske del bygger på et semistruktureret interview med en kvinde sygemeldt med stress for at identificere forhold, der skaber belastning, og forhold, der fremmer motivation og trivsel. Interviewet peger på, at tidspres og uforudsigelighed, lederens manglende forståelse samt fysiske stressreaktioner skaber udfordringer, mens lederens evne til at forstå og skabe en god stemning, meningsfulde opgaver og tilstrækkelig tid til at løse dem samt sociale aktiviteter bidrager til motivation og trivsel. Afhandlingen konkluderer, at der ikke findes én enkel opskrift, fordi medarbejdere har forskellige behov, men at ledere kan styrke trivsel ved at forstå den enkelte og imødekomme basale menneskelige behov. Undersøgelsen er et enkeltcase og kan ikke generaliseres bredt, men den giver praksisnære pejlemærker til ledere.

This master’s thesis examines how leaders can foster job satisfaction and well-being at a time when result orientation often overshadows attention to the work environment. The research question is: How can leaders help create well-being among their employees? The thesis comprises a theoretical review of key psychological perspectives—evolutionary psychology (need for security), motivation and needs theories (Maslow and Herzberg), personality (trait theory and the five-factor model), and social psychology (emotional contagion and mentalization)—and an empirical component based on a single-case study. The empirical part uses a semi-structured interview with a woman on sick leave due to stress to identify factors that create strain and those that support motivation and well-being. The interview indicates that time pressure and unpredictability, a leader’s lack of understanding, and physical stress reactions are central challenges, whereas a leader’s capacity to understand and create a positive atmosphere, meaningful tasks with sufficient time to complete them, and social events promote motivation and well-being. The thesis concludes that there is no simple formula because employees have diverse needs, but leaders can enhance well-being by understanding individuals and meeting basic human needs. As a single-case study, the findings are not broadly generalizable, yet they offer practical pointers for leadership.

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