The science
The science behind understanding people
Motiva Metrics grew out of scientific theory and research in the psychology of motivation and organisational behaviour. We use that knowledge to understand better what shapes employee experience, and how organisations can create the conditions for people to grow and do their work well. Science is not only the foundation of our approach. It is the starting point for practical solutions.
16 metrics in 4 families, 3 of them index metrics
- Retention index4
- Engagement index2
- Motivation index3
- Satisfaction with job aspects7
12 predictors underneath them
Motiva Metrics models draw on the following
- Self-Determination Theory
- Organisational commitment theory
- Gallup meta-analysis (2024)
- SHRM methodology
- AIHR ROI framework
Self-Determination Theory
When science becomes practice
Understanding motivation does not end with measuring it. What matters is knowing how motivation arises, what supports it, what undermines it, and how everyday work can influence it. That is why, alongside building science-based tools for understanding employees, we support organisations in applying what the psychology of motivation knows.
Understanding employee motivation
Understand what drives employees, how different forms of work motivation arise, and which conditions in the organisation affect it.
Developing managers and leadership practice
Equip managers to foster their teams' motivation and engagement through how they lead, communicate and organise work.
Developing organisational culture and the working environment
Shape organisational practices and a working environment that support motivation, collaboration and employee wellbeing.
Applying science to business challenges
Connect what psychology knows with your organisation's specific needs, through expert consulting, training and workshops.
Measurement cadence
More is not always better
Motivation, engagement and how employees relate to the organisation change gradually. To understand those changes it is not enough to collect data often; what matters is measuring at the right moment and leaving room for the results to turn into concrete action.
01
Change takes time
Organisational interventions do not deliver results overnight. The gap between measurements leaves time to carry out the planned activities and to judge whether they brought the change you wanted.
02
Quality matters more than frequency
Every measurement asks for employees' time and attention. Planning measurement carefully helps reduce survey fatigue and keeps the data you collect good.
03
Measurement has to lead to action
Data is worth most when it is used to make decisions. A half-yearly rhythm lets organisations build the results into setting priorities, carrying out activities and judging their effect.
04
Insight at the right moment
Measurements can be aligned with the organisation's planning and development cycles, so the results are available when they can feed into concrete decisions.
Sources
The scientific foundations of our approach
- Self-Determination Theory
- Self-Determination Theory, developed by Edward Deci and Richard Ryan, explains how the quality of motivation affects behaviour, functioning and wellbeing. It puts particular weight on the psychological conditions that support good-quality, sustainable motivation.
- Organisational commitment theory
- John Meyer and Natalie Allen's model explains the different reasons employees stay with an organisation. It helps tell apart emotional attachment to the organisation, a sense of obligation, and staying because the alternatives are limited.
- Gallup meta-analysis (2024)
- Large-scale research on work engagement gives insight into how employee experience relates to how teams function and to business outcomes. It is an important source for understanding the organisational context and estimating potential consequences.
180,000
teams
3m
employees
50
industries
23%
actively engaged, worldwide
- SHRM methodology
- The Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) develops professional resources and guidance for managing people, including organisational effectiveness, employee engagement and business metrics. Its work is a further source for understanding how people-management practice connects to an organisation's goals.
- AIHR ROI framework
- The resources and professional frameworks of AIHR (Academy to Innovate HR) offer insight into current approaches to HR management, developing organisational practice and applying analytics in HR. Its work helps connect professional knowledge with the concrete needs and challenges of the HR function.
The science behind the solution. The expertise behind the science.
Dušana Šarčević, PhD in psychology
Dušana Šarčević is an associate professor in the Department of Business Psychology and a researcher in motivation. For more than ten years she has studied motivation in different settings, drawing on current theoretical models and research methods. Her doctorate was on motivation for learning, and she is the author of a monograph on academic motivation and of numerous papers in Serbian and international journals. She represents Serbia at the Center for Self-Determination Theory and is a standing collaborator there. At Motiva Metrics she leads research and development, focused on strengthening the scientific basis of measurement, developing solutions and applying psychological knowledge in organisations. Her role connects research with the practical needs of companies - from developing tools for understanding motivation to training and support in using them. Her aim is for what science knows about motivation to become usable in everyday business decisions.
Meet the team
Client solutions and implementation
Radojka Šolak, doctoral candidate in industrial and organisational psychology
A doctoral candidate in industrial and organisational psychology and a teaching assistant in the Department of Business Psychology. She works on human resource management, leadership, organisational behaviour and organisational culture, and is active in the Serbian Psychological Society. At Motiva Metrics she gets to know clients' needs, shapes solutions around their challenges, and supports them in putting the findings and recommendations into organisational practice.
See the science in practice.
Book a demo and see how Motiva Metrics works and how it could be applied in your organisation.