The impact of power bases on work motivation and perceived team performance in projects

Abstract

This study aims to verify the impact of the use of power bases by project leaders on the motivation and the perceived performance of their teams. Based on behavioral theory, it contributes to the existing gap in the field of behavioral operations management and to the literature focused on social power theory applied to management. The study begins with an introduction, concept explanation, hypothesis presentation, method used, results and discussion. The research was made using questionnaires administered to members of project teams from a multinational automotive company using the constructs Supervisor Power Bases Scale (EBPS) and Motivation and Meaning of Work Inventory (IMST) to measure Perceived Team Performance; a specific scale adaptation was used. Multiple linear regressions were used in the quantitative analysis. The results of this pioneering research in the Brazilian context indicate that the use of legitimate and reward power by leaders is positively associated with team motivation. These results have implications for best practice literature and managerial practice, focusing on increasing team motivation through social power. This study sets the stage for subsequent research on how managerial power can be studied as a factor related to other personal characteristics of team members (such as self-esteem and self- efficacy).