Self-Determination Theory and Motivation: A Case Study of Microsoft Japan’s Four-Day Workweek

In 2019, Microsoft Japan introduced a four-day workweek alongside initiatives to encourage employees to take time off for mental health.This implementation yielded remarkable results, showing a 40% increase in productivity, while employees reported lower stress levels and an improved work-life balance (Microsoft, 2019).There have been various theories regarding why this policy had these impacts, with one popular reason being the enhancement in employee psychological well-being.Through a case study, we investigated how worker motivation impacts productivity and satisfaction from Microsoft Japan's four-day workweek policy.Specifically, we analyzed how the results of Microsoft's policy are explained by Deci and Ryan's Self-Determination Theory (Ryan and Deci, 2000), which is an influential model on mental well-being that breaks down the phenomenon into three core components: autonomy, competence, and relatedness.The paper concludes that Self-Determination Theory can be used as an appropriate framework through implied increases of intrinsic and extrinsic motivation, with some misalignment.