We compared mothers who exercised predominantly in group settings, those who exercised predominantly in individual settings, and those who exercised equally in group and individual contexts among the following: (a) satisfaction of basic psychological needs (autonomy, competence, and relatedness); (b) self-determined exercise motivation; and (c) psychological well-being. With clear implications for mothers' exercise interventions we found that exercising either predominantly in group contexts or in mixed group and individual settings was associated with mothers having significantly higher satisfaction of basic psychological needs and self-determined exercise motivation than those exercising predominantly alone.

This qualitative research interviewed 22 C‐level executives to explore the theoretical constituents of relatedness need satisfaction, suggested by literature as a predictor of individuals’ motivation, behavior, and well‐being, for the first time in a sample of senior executives. Joint activity, time, continuity, and common concern were identified as components of how senior executives conceptualized relatedness need satisfaction. This novel research investigated relative importance of the theoretical constituents and senior executive participants ranked common concern as the most important constituent indicator of their relatedness need satisfaction. The results are compared to Baumeister and Leary's (1995) seminal conceptualization of relatedness need satisfaction which was based on a meta‐analytical approach of nonexecutive sample studies. This research has both applied and theoretical implications. Our new theory of the constituents of relatedness need satisfaction in senior executives further provides an evidence basis for the design of efficacious practical organizational applications, such as raising senior executives’ effectiveness through executive development programs focusing on common concern, joint activity, time, and continuity experiences. Our findings also provide a theoretical framework offering direction for future research in the field of senior executive psychology focused on further improving optimal functioning.

These findings imply that very simple feedback interventions without major technical requirements could be a valuable supplement to standard treatment in CLBP.

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to reconcile various theoretical directions in employee engagement with self-determination theory (SDT) as a unifying framework and introduce an inter-disciplinary employee engagement economics model based on SDT. Design/methodology/approach Two studies were conducted applying a T1/T2 intervention study design. Study 1 examined the causal relationship between an organizational intervention and employee engagement with n=367 employees from a European pharmaceuticals company using both survey and actual performance data. Study 1 results were used as input data for study 2 which tested the employee engagement economics model by calculating the pre-/post-economic value added and return on investment (ROI) for the intervention. Findings Study 1 results showed a significant positive impact of the SDT-based intervention on both self-reported and actual employee engagement. Study 2 converted study findings into pre-/post-economic considerations putting an economic dollar value on achieved employee engagement gains and calculating an ROI in relation to the cost incurred. Practical implications The present results support SDT as a unifying theory for employee engagement and the proposed employee engagement economics model as strategic decision-making tool for planning and evaluating the economics of employee engagement interventions. Social implications This research supports a shift in corporate focus from “people as cost” to “people as values” proposing a systematic, value-based, strategic management approach to employee engagement based on cost-benefit analysis. Originality/value This is the first research to contribute an empirical economic model for employee engagement interventions to literature. It is based on the first reconciliation of engagement literature identifying SDT as a unifying framework. Finally, for the first time, this work identifies subjective vitality as a measure for engagement and contributes a definition for disengagement to literature.

Senior executives’ decisions can have a substantial impact on their own lives, their families, their organizations’ workers and employees, and society. This quantitative study (1) investigated the relationship between basic psychological need satisfaction (BPNS) at work and psychological well-being (PWB) in 142 senior executives as antecedent of their decision making and (2) compared the results to two other managerial level samples of 260 managers and 445 employees. The results have implications for theory and practice. Our findings contribute the new theoretical perspectives of differences in the relationship between BPNS at work and PWB by managerial level and senior executives’ gender (‘complementarity effect’). In turn, our research provides evidence for practical organizational applications such as the design and implementation of effective human resource development programs based on BPNS. Our findings further underscore the importance of senior executive psychology as a field of academic inquiry and provide directions for future research focused on further improving senior executives’ optimal functioning.