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Motivation under pressure : Insights from Swedish eldercare managers

Jungert, Tomas LU ; Persson, Roger LU orcid ; Widar, Linda LU and Rydenfält, Christofer LU (2026) International Conference on Self-Determination Theory
Abstract (Swedish)
Text: Background:
Who wants to lead in eldercare today? Rising demands, staff shortages, and leadership turnover make the sector a tough place to stay. First-line managers are key players, but what keeps them motivated, and what drives them to leave? Guided by Self-Determination Theory (SDT), this study explored motivational patterns among eldercare managers and how these relate to organizational conditions and turnover intentions.
Methods:
An online survey of 603 Swedish first-line managers assessed work motivation using the Multidimensional Work Motivation Scale (intrinsic, identified, introjected, external regulation, and amotivation). Data on perceived administrative support and organizational factors were also collected.... (More)
Text: Background:
Who wants to lead in eldercare today? Rising demands, staff shortages, and leadership turnover make the sector a tough place to stay. First-line managers are key players, but what keeps them motivated, and what drives them to leave? Guided by Self-Determination Theory (SDT), this study explored motivational patterns among eldercare managers and how these relate to organizational conditions and turnover intentions.
Methods:
An online survey of 603 Swedish first-line managers assessed work motivation using the Multidimensional Work Motivation Scale (intrinsic, identified, introjected, external regulation, and amotivation). Data on perceived administrative support and organizational factors were also collected. Latent profile analysis (LPA) identified distinct motivational profiles and their links to support and turnover intentions.
Results:
Three profiles emerged:
Profile 1 was characterized by relatively higher autonomous motivation and lower controlled motivation.
Profile 2 showed the highest levels of both autonomous and controlled motivation.
Profile 3 exhibited lower autonomous motivation, moderate controlled motivation, and higher amotivation compared to the other profiles.
Profiles showed weak ties to gender and education but strong links to turnover intentions and perceived support. Managers in Profile 3 reported the highest turnover intentions, and also lower workability than the other profiles.
Conclusions:
Motivation matters and it is shaped by context. Administrative support boosts autonomous motivation and may reduce turnover risk. Strengthening intrinsic motivation while limiting controlled motivation could help retain experienced leaders and attract new ones, offering a practical solution to tackle eldercare’s long-term workforce challenges. (Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
author
; ; and
organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to conference
publication status
published
subject
conference name
International Conference on Self-Determination Theory
conference location
Genève, Switzerland
conference dates
2026-06-30 - 2026-07-03
project
En chef som mår bra är en bättre chef: Hur kan arbetsmiljön för chefer i kommunal äldreomsorg förbättras?
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
bf384204-5adb-41c7-9e32-aae4b657fd8e
alternative location
https://sdt2026.org/conference-program/
date added to LUP
2026-08-04 08:28:25
date last changed
2026-08-05 14:34:13
@misc{bf384204-5adb-41c7-9e32-aae4b657fd8e,
  abstract     = {{Text: Background:<br/>Who wants to lead in eldercare today? Rising demands, staff shortages, and leadership turnover make the sector a tough place to stay. First-line managers are key players, but what keeps them motivated, and what drives them to leave? Guided by Self-Determination Theory (SDT), this study explored motivational patterns among eldercare managers and how these relate to organizational conditions and turnover intentions.<br/>Methods:<br/>An online survey of 603 Swedish first-line managers assessed work motivation using the Multidimensional Work Motivation Scale (intrinsic, identified, introjected, external regulation, and amotivation). Data on perceived administrative support and organizational factors were also collected. Latent profile analysis (LPA) identified distinct motivational profiles and their links to support and turnover intentions.<br/>Results:<br/>Three profiles emerged:<br/>Profile 1 was characterized by relatively higher autonomous motivation and lower controlled motivation.<br/>Profile 2 showed the highest levels of both autonomous and controlled motivation. <br/>Profile 3 exhibited lower autonomous motivation, moderate controlled motivation, and higher amotivation compared to the other profiles.<br/>Profiles showed weak ties to gender and education but strong links to turnover intentions and perceived support. Managers in Profile 3 reported the highest turnover intentions, and also lower workability than the other profiles.<br/>Conclusions:<br/>Motivation matters and it is shaped by context. Administrative support boosts autonomous motivation and may reduce turnover risk. Strengthening intrinsic motivation while limiting controlled motivation could help retain experienced leaders and attract new ones, offering a practical solution to tackle eldercare’s long-term workforce challenges.}},
  author       = {{Jungert, Tomas and Persson, Roger and Widar, Linda and Rydenfält, Christofer}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  month        = {{07}},
  title        = {{Motivation under pressure : Insights from Swedish eldercare managers}},
  url          = {{https://sdt2026.org/conference-program/}},
  year         = {{2026}},
}