Like most science and breakthrough models, we have built our approach on the shoulders of giants and giantesses. So, geek out with us for a second, okay?
We utilize Self-Determination Theory, a macro-theory of human motivation and development, as an evidence-based and cross-culturally validated approach to depict psychosocial experiences and wellbeing. According to Self Determination Theory (SDT), basic psychological needs include autonomy, competence, and relatedness, the nutrients of effective human functioning, constituting necessary conditions for growth and wellness (Ryan & Deci, 2000). SDT researchers' considerable effort to explore needs satisfaction in interpersonal contexts (e.g., workplace, gym, school, parenting, clinics and health care, leisure, friendships, and romantic relationships) showed that autonomous motivation (instead of a controlled motivation), increased positive affect and enhanced psychological wellbeing (Deci & Ryan, 2008). However, although work is the most dominant common domain of adult life, not all workplaces are designed equally in terms of Employee Experience (EX); some might be highly engaged and fulfilling, and some others might find it a total disaster because of controlled reasons or lack of any reason. Considering the possible meanings of work, it is not only a means to survive as a source of income but is itself an important arena for self and collective realization, and personal satisfaction (Ryan & Deci, 2017)
SDT researchers' considerable effort to explore needs satisfaction in interpersonal contexts (e.g., workplace, gym, school, parenting, clinics and health care, leisure, friendships and romantic relationships) showed that autonomous motivation (instead of a controlled motivation), increased positive affect and enhanced psychological wellbeing (Deci & Ryan, 2008).
However, although work is the most dominant common domain of adult life, not all workplaces are designed equal in terms of Employee Experience (EX); as some might be highly engaged and fulfilling, and some others might find it a total disaster because of controlled reasons or lack of any reason.
Considering the possible meanings of work, it is not only a means to survive as a source of income but is itself important arena for self and collective realization, and personal satisfaction (Ryan & Deci, 2017)
As the field of psychology started moving from the illness model to the positive psychology model in the 1990s, wellness became a research topic in many areas of human life. Among those, positive Employee Experience (EX) is an increasingly targeted topic by companies to elevate the human experience, motivation, and satisfaction at work. Also, with the pandemic creating a mental health crisis, there is a rising demand for employment benefits such as wellness perks, employee assistance programs, and self-care practices. However, the impact of those benefits needs to be studied more via evidence-based research. This discrepancy between academia and industry is likely due to either lack of collaboration between labs and companies or the companies' limited research resources and staff outside of academia.
At Wellbees, we are working hard to address this gap. That is why our scientific approach is based on Self-Determination Theory which is an organismic approach for wellness, growth, and development and has been validated for the last 50 years of research beyond the lab settings in every domain of life, from work life to parenting, from exercise to diet, from romantic relationships to intellectual development, from health behaviors to volunteering.
For this purpose, we have an answer for “why we do what we do”. Believing that wellbeing is not a luxury anymore but a necessity, this calls for a solid academic and scientific collaboration. By partnering with the Motivation and Wellbeing Lab of St John Fisher University at New York, we work together to analyze the impact of our corporate employee wellbeing platform and its psychological return on investment for our users by lending support from Self-Determination Theory.
By collaborating with psychology professors and their students, we are also piloting multiple projects where we aim to show
1) how to utilize psychology lab to conduct real-life research beyond the lab,
2) how to utilize psychology to create content and intervention strategies via an app/technology for empirical support,
3) how to be a role model of industry-academy collaboration for scientifically informed practices, and community engagement to better inform decision-makers and stakeholders so that more wellbeing concerns can be addressed at work.
In Wellbees, we are working joyfully to merge empirical industry work and evidence-based lab research based on SDT! It is such a meaningful goal for us to do so. Let’s dive deeper into SDT.
Despite the functional role of need-fulfilling experiences for ongoing motivated, fulfilling, and meaningful behavior, it might not always be the case as we find different contexts pressurizing, controlling, and frustrating. Such as at work! The quality of human experience of these three basic needs of autonomy, relatedness, and competence are essential to people's wellbeing, in the same way that sun, soil, and water are nutrients essential to plants.
Many social and psychological theories identify the immediate psychological antecedents of behavior but neglect the origins of such antecedents. Many approaches tell us the goal; however, the answer to "How do we get there?" is missing!
Using Vallerand's (2007) hierarchical explanation of Self-Determination Theory, our app has different features that tap different levels. Below is a chart that explains what each level corresponds to, what it represents, and examples of how we tap each by borrowing related other evidence-based practices known in psychology literature.
| Level | Correspondence | Representation | Examples |
| Global Level | The executive personality | Motivation at the global level represents generalized tendencies to be autonomously motivated and is expected to affect behavioral engagement across several contexts as an overall personality and attitude towards life. | Our goal is to empower every individual to be at the driver’s seat of their own wellbeing journey by having an internal locus of control and autonomous functioning. This covers being autthentic (Kernis & Goldman, 20xx), self compassionate (Neff, 2002), and having a growth mindset (Dweck, 20yy), and learned hopefullness (Tomasulo, 2020) by using their own character strengths volitionally (VIA) to attain multiple positive psychology outcomes (PERMAV model). |
| Contextual Level | Domain-specific functioning | Motivation at the contextual level reflects reasons to participate in various behaviors in a particular context. Contexts refer to behavioral categories encompassing many given behaviors or actions in specific settings, such as occupational (e.g., in the office) or extramural (e.g., at home, after work) contexts. | Addressing the 8 pillars of wellbeing (emotional, physical, environmental, financial, social, spiritual, intellectual, occupational/professional), we are providing experts, tools, and contents for each that facilitate competence development through the power of social bonds (Ryan & Deci, 2017). Brick by brick, seeding an ecosystem motivation (Crocker, 2010) where each employee paves the way for wellbeing mutually inclusive of everyone, without tying their self-worth contingent on mere results but rather enjoying the organizational progress together. |
| Specific Level | Microsteps towards change | At the situational level, motivation is conceptualized as the impetus to engage in specific bouts of a given behavior, and, by definition, motivation at this level is particular and is less likely to be transferred across behaviors or contexts. A vital aspect of the model is that motivation at each level affects cognitive, emotional, and behavioral outcomes specific to that level. | We design interventions for each individual developed around evidence-based models inspired by the Tiny Habits Model by BJ Fogg, Ph.D. and Founder of Stanford University's Behavior Design Lab. We apply this behavior change paradigm by adding SDTs need supportiveness features to get the best results from our challenges, journeys, and all instructions around these contents in the form of autonomous motivation for each desired outcome. |
The way we design the employee experience (EX) in our platform is inspired by the Self-Determination Theory, which encourages a self-paced and sustainable journey. As heard a hundred times, we are focusing on autonomy.
1
A need that we support that comes hand in hand with meaningful social connections and competence support,
2
A desired quality of motivation that makes the change sustainable and volitional,
3
A trait-level individual difference explains the difference between ill-being and wellbeing at the end of the day.
When it comes to organizational change, our focus is not on the mere individual. We bow at the altar of ecological change, which prescribes multiple layers of interventions to change organizations because any meaningful change in a company takes a multi-pronged approach. Call it either an organizational healing or a healing organization. We are here for this!
Relying on SDT, we point out the importance of human propensity towards growth, healthy development, and positive wellbeing; leading to intrinsic motivation for and feeling full of energy to achieve goals (Ryan & Deci, 2000). As an organismic macro theory of motivation, human behavior, and personality development, we are concerned and passionate about how social conditions facilitate or hinder human capacity for wellness and flourishing above and beyond the workplace (Ryan & Deci, 2017).
Thus, our user journeys focus on facilitating this human capacity where science backs us!
Wellbees is an employee wellbeing platform. It works for a world where employees reach their potential and actualize themselves. It supports holistic wellbeing for individuals to be well, and all its features are a step towards achieving these needs. We identify areas of improvement and support the user in this process and present the "hows" for the best future outcome.
Wellbees helps employees meet three basic psychological needs to develop their potential: autonomy, relatedness, and competence. When employees meet these three needs, they achieve job satisfaction and full functioning. It is believed that the need for a new job search will disappear for the employee who develops, grows, and improves in every domain because they can produce, shape, change and develop the job they desire in his/her workplace. With this goal, Wellbees also performs the turnover analysis. Wellbees has a variety of functions that seamlessly promote these needs and enable every employee to reach their potential. In addition to this, there are specific features that directly tap these needs and support them:
Autonomy support:
written and media content, programs and experts, market products
Relatedness support:
clubs, events, profile screens, challenges, duels
Competence support
badges, programs, challenges, gamification function
