Family and work: how relatives can boost workers’ motivation

Family is a crucial factor in motivating people at work but has often been overlooked as family has instead been mostly seen as competing with work for an employee’s time and energy, says a new Harvard Business Review article co-authored by Jochen Menges, Associate Professor in Organisational Behaviour at Cambridge Judge Business School.

The article draws on research co-authored by Jochen in 2017 that focused on employees at a low-cost factory for processing coupons in northern Mexico, which found that family can provide energy for one’s work rather than draining such energy. Other research since has corroborated and extended these findings, so we now understand more deeply how family can provide motivation at work and how managers can apply these findings – such as by infusing the work environment with family-related items such as children’s drawings or photos.

“The reasons why family energises extra work effort are manifold,” says the article. “The most straightforward is that employees want to ensure that they have the financial resources to sustain their family. But family motivates many to work hard for reasons beyond finances” – including being a role model for a strong work ethic and to give workers a bigger-picture perspective.

The importance of family dynamics: from Serena Williams to Maya Angelou

The article cites the example of recently retired tennis star Serena Williams, who announced a new venture, Wyn Beauty. “Motherhood has allowed me to look at beauty through the eyes of my daughter, Olympia”, she said, adding: “I also hope my daughters see how many different passions I have — from tennis to beauty — and learn that they can lead dynamic careers and lives across their many interests.”

Managers should, however, be aware of the dark side of family motivation. This includes risk of stress and burnout, and remaining in an unfulfilling job because taking on a new role would mean children changing schools and leaving friends behind.

“The poet Maya Angelou wrote, ‘I sustain myself with the love of family.’ As a key force in life, love of family drives the choices we make at work and shapes how we spend our work time,” the article concludes.

The article is co-authored by Lauren Howe, Associate Professor in Management at the University of Zurich, and Jochen Menges, Professor of Leadership and Human Resource Management at the University of Zurich and Associate Professor in Organisational Behaviour at Cambridge Judge Business School.