“The Importance of a Hotel Middle Manager’s Intrinsic Motivation to Ensure Their Well-Being in the Workplace During a Global Pandemic’’

Abstract

The aim of this thesis was to examine intrinsic motivation and its impact on well- being during a pandemic such as Covid-19, in order to supplement leadership theory that focuses on the consequences of the global pandemic; Covid-19. Motivational theory, such as the Self-Determination Theory, where three needs for intrinsic motivation are stated, as well as relevant research on leadership and well-being, were applied in order to conduct semi- structured interviews with 10 middle managers working at different hotels within the Nordic Choice Hotel chain in Norway. Findings from this study discovered 6 factors that were important for intrinsic motivation in order to ensure well-being during a pandemic. Out of these 6 factors, the findings enhance the need for relatedness to leaders and employees as the most important factors to ensure well-being, which our findings suggest are directly linked to intrinsic motivation.