Periodic Reporting for period 2 - MUSES (Prosocial Motivation and creativity in work, career, society: Researching the role of prosocial & autonomous motivation for creatively resilient and innovative behavior in different work contexts)
Période du rapport: 2022-11-01 au 2023-10-31
Interdisciplinary research shows that our lineage survived while all other human species went extinct because our ancestors used their creative capacity to reshape the threats and opportunities of their environments, in turn reshaping themselves. As our world and working environments become increasingly dynamic and knowledge based,organizations and social challenges depend on creative ideas and creative resilience from employees, young people and entrepreneurs. MUSES is aiming to moving away from the cognitive-behavioral dichotomy and by adopting a more systemic approach focus on the rewarding/motivational effect of perceived social impact and aims at capturing patterns of proactive & creatively resilient behavior of different samples where rewards are not absolutely institutionalized and thus are of lower importance whereas motivation is the key & dominant element. Thus, MUSE aims to research the relationship between prosocial & autonomous motivation (perceived social impact & affective commitment to the welfare of the beneficiaries), and resilience creativity in different contexts (employees, students, doctors, artists & volunteers). Our research aims at offering insights and important practical implications on how contextual factors can boost autonomous and prosocial motivation and thus lead to a more creatively reliant workforce/organisation
MUSES involved a variety of organizations in Greece and Canada, including academic institutions, cultural institutes, NGOs, associations, and municipalities. The research sample comprised artists, cultural employees, arts and business students, doctors, and volunteers. This diverse sample aimed to cross-fertilize the research and provide empirical evidence to replicate findings, leading to a robust theoretical proposal relating to proactivity and creativity with a wide spectrum of applicability.
During the outgoing period (1st periodic report) the questionnaires for the studies were adapted (e.g. positive impact scales, creativity tests) and several pre-tests for the experiments were conducted. Numerous validations studies were conducted with sample of business students in Canadian Universities and presentations were prepared for the Scientific Committee.
During the incoming period (2nd periodic report), the primary objectives revolved around transferring knowledge within the Greek context and disseminating results. We had the opportunity to engage with numerous stakeholders.
An overview of the dissemination and exploitation results follows below:
a. During online sessions artists acting as facilitators from ASFA ran a career orientation workshop with PI as a mentor so as to capture the representation students have for social impact and experience how this representation is linked with their career aspirations & proactivity. Simultaneously, a cross sectional study was conducted in collaborarion with UQAM and AUEB with the same variables as in ASFA and the basis for a comparative analysis was formed.
b. A diary study was also delivered that included job crafting, motivation (autonomous vs controlled) and aspects of IWB.
c. In terms of volunteers management, a cross sectional survey and experiment were delivered in order to test the hypotheses that employees & volunteers are willing to maintain their motivation when their work or/and task are relationally designed to provide opportunities for respectful contact with the beneficiaries of their efforts
d. The PI facilitated a workshop in Athenian Institute of Anthropos where Fritjof Capra was invited to discuss Systemic Thinking, Human Creativity and Condition.
e. At the 60th-anniversary celebration at the University of West Attica, the PI made a presentation on how prosocial motivation supports creative thinking, resilience, and innovative work behavior in groups and organizations.
f, The main results of the MUSES were presented at a webinar organized by the Section of Work and Organizational Psychology and the Section of the Psychology of Creativity and Arts of the Hellenic Psychological Society
g, The results of the project were also presented at the Annual Congress of the main Systemic Journal of Greece (Metalogos) at a presentation entitled: "The Rhizome, the Nomads, the Team, and Creativity in an Era of Interregnum."
h. A new experiment was conducted in collaboration with Joelle Carpentier and Caroline Galipeau following validation studies at UQAM the experiment focused on feedback and creativity, involving ASFA students and business students at UQAM
i During the 8th International Self-Determination Theory Conference held in Orlando, the Principal Investigator made two presentations in collaboration with Jacques Forest from UQAM (see details in Technical Report)
j. MUSES Principal Investigator together with Dr Thalia Dragona Professor Emerita of Social Psychology, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, presented a theoretical framework on Positive Social Impact and Social Innovation in the Athens International Workshop: “Migrants’ and Refugees’ Education: Opportunities & Lessons Learned”. The workshop took place in the frame of the Erasmus+ programme Maxipac-EU
k. The PI organized a workshop in the 17th Organizational Studies Workshop entitled: «UTOPIAS AND DYSTOPIAS: ORGANIZATION STUDIES IN A BRAVE NEW WORLD?
l. The PI held a presentation on “Well-being and Best Practices to Create a Better Place to Work” during a webinal organised by Andersen Legal Consulting Services, in collaboration with the Legal 500.
m. Α Seminar Workshop addressed to graduate and postgraduate students was held at the Department of Psychology of the University of Crete.
n.Presentations addressed to MBA courses at Athens University of Economics and Business, University of Thessaly, AEGEAN College were held
Overall, the PI participated in
During the outgoing period (1st periodic report) the questionnaires for the studies were adapted (e.g. positive impact scales, creativity tests) and several pre-tests for the experiments were conducted. Numerous validations studies were conducted with sample of business students in Canadian Universities and presentations were prepared for the Scientific Committee.
During the incoming period (2nd periodic report), the primary objectives revolved around transferring knowledge within the Greek context and disseminating results. We had the opportunity to engage with numerous stakeholders.
An overview of the dissemination and exploitation results follows below:
a. During online sessions artists acting as facilitators from ASFA ran a career orientation workshop with PI as a mentor so as to capture the representation students have for social impact and experience how this representation is linked with their career aspirations & proactivity. Simultaneously, a cross sectional study was conducted in collaborarion with UQAM and AUEB with the same variables as in ASFA and the basis for a comparative analysis was formed.
b. A diary study was also delivered that included job crafting, motivation (autonomous vs controlled) and aspects of IWB.
c. In terms of volunteers management, a cross sectional survey and experiment were delivered in order to test the hypotheses that employees & volunteers are willing to maintain their motivation when their work or/and task are relationally designed to provide opportunities for respectful contact with the beneficiaries of their efforts
d. The PI facilitated a workshop in Athenian Institute of Anthropos where Fritjof Capra was invited to discuss Systemic Thinking, Human Creativity and Condition.
e. At the 60th-anniversary celebration at the University of West Attica, the PI made a presentation on how prosocial motivation supports creative thinking, resilience, and innovative work behavior in groups and organizations.
f, The main results of the MUSES were presented at a webinar organized by the Section of Work and Organizational Psychology and the Section of the Psychology of Creativity and Arts of the Hellenic Psychological Society
g, The results of the project were also presented at the Annual Congress of the main Systemic Journal of Greece (Metalogos) at a presentation entitled: "The Rhizome, the Nomads, the Team, and Creativity in an Era of Interregnum."
h. A new experiment was conducted in collaboration with Joelle Carpentier and Caroline Galipeau following validation studies at UQAM the experiment focused on feedback and creativity, involving ASFA students and business students at UQAM
i During the 8th International Self-Determination Theory Conference held in Orlando, the Principal Investigator made two presentations in collaboration with Jacques Forest from UQAM (see details in Technical Report)
j. MUSES Principal Investigator together with Dr Thalia Dragona Professor Emerita of Social Psychology, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, presented a theoretical framework on Positive Social Impact and Social Innovation in the Athens International Workshop: “Migrants’ and Refugees’ Education: Opportunities & Lessons Learned”. The workshop took place in the frame of the Erasmus+ programme Maxipac-EU
k. The PI organized a workshop in the 17th Organizational Studies Workshop entitled: «UTOPIAS AND DYSTOPIAS: ORGANIZATION STUDIES IN A BRAVE NEW WORLD?
l. The PI held a presentation on “Well-being and Best Practices to Create a Better Place to Work” during a webinal organised by Andersen Legal Consulting Services, in collaboration with the Legal 500.
m. Α Seminar Workshop addressed to graduate and postgraduate students was held at the Department of Psychology of the University of Crete.
n.Presentations addressed to MBA courses at Athens University of Economics and Business, University of Thessaly, AEGEAN College were held
Overall, the PI participated in
Τhe project envisages widespread empirical evidence on how a sense of contributing to the wider good can substantially boost positive work outcomes such as an autonomous motivation, creativity and innovative work behavior and c. employee well-being. A series of cross-sectional and experimental studies conducted in Greece and Canada have provided evidence that a sense of positive impact from our work is associated with various favorable work outcomes, such as creativity, innovativeness, and well-being across different contexts (e.g. arts, business, volunteerism, career decisions).
These results can be illustrative for different work contexts in which MUSES has been involved. On the one hand, artists can understand that creativity is not a god given characteristic and can be supported by contextual factors. On, the other hand, occupations such as doctors and professors (e.g. in schools with migrants and disabled people) that face challenges have not utilized affective commitment with beneficiaries as a positive motivator.
Published articles about motivation, innovation and well-being as well practitioners do not place the importance needed in notions such benevolence satisfaction and MUSES has conducted many interventions, in form of workshops and webinars so as to promote changes towards a new conceptualization about workplace impact.
These results can be illustrative for different work contexts in which MUSES has been involved. On the one hand, artists can understand that creativity is not a god given characteristic and can be supported by contextual factors. On, the other hand, occupations such as doctors and professors (e.g. in schools with migrants and disabled people) that face challenges have not utilized affective commitment with beneficiaries as a positive motivator.
Published articles about motivation, innovation and well-being as well practitioners do not place the importance needed in notions such benevolence satisfaction and MUSES has conducted many interventions, in form of workshops and webinars so as to promote changes towards a new conceptualization about workplace impact.