New Perspectives on Leaders’ Motivational and Emotional Experiences and the Role of Basic Psychological Needs Not to Fail Organizational Change in a Multi-Crisis Context—A Content Analysis

Abstract

This paper aims to identify the motivational and emotional states and uncover the underlying role of basic psychological needs of leaders that will facilitate them to handle organizational change in a multi-crisis context. This study uses the qualitative research approach of qualitative content analysis to investigate leaders’ positive and negative motivational and emotional experiences and the role of basic psychological needs during change in a multi-crisis context. The study highlights the interplay between motivation, emotional experiences, and the fulfillment of basic psychological needs in leaders during a multi-crisis organizational change. Utilizing self-determination theory, it provides insights into how intrinsic and extrinsic motivators and demotivators, alongside positive and negative emotional experiences, shape leaders’ responses to organizational change. It underscores the importance of situational need-based support in satisfying leaders’ basic psychological needs, which, in turn, significantly impacts their motivation and emotional states. The results highlight the need for organizations to foster an environment of need-based support that facilitates these intrinsic motivators and addresses potential demotivators. The study offers practical implications on how organizations can enhance their leaders’ motivation and emotional resilience and adaptation during change by focusing on strategies that ensure the satisfaction of leaders’ basic psychological needs. Despite these findings, it acknowledges the need for further research to examine these complex dynamics in different organizational contexts. This paper provides new findings and theoretical descriptions in the understudied area of leaders’ motivational and emotional experiences and the role of basic psychological needs during an organizational change in a multi-crisis context.