Manager’s Influence on Work Wellbeing and Motivation Through Good Relations

This thesis was made with the intention to research the effects that the relationship between a manager and team member can have on motivation and wellbeing at the workplace. It was chosen due to observations of similar situations at one of the author's workplaces. Both authors were also interested to develop an understanding of how to best manage relations in a workplace. The thesis has been organised to start with two sections of theoretical framework. The first studies leadership in expert organisations. The second covers motivation and work wellbeing. Following this is the explanation of the methodology. This will explain the research techniques used, and the reasoning behind using them. Next, there is a description of the results from the interviews which leads to the conclusions the authors drew from both primary and secondary research. Lastly a discussion of the effectiveness of the research. The theoretical research was conducted using a variety of sources of information. This included academic books, journals, other theses and online articles. An attempt was made to find a wide range of references, to keep the sources of information varied. The research suggested that leaders should ensure their team members feel valued and have opportunities for feedback. This could be achieved through open discussion, allowing the employee to have an impact on managerial decisions. The importance of positive relations was also highlighted. Additionally, open and off-topic discussion can be used to have a positive benefit, on individual attitudes as well as the overall workplace atmosphere. The research showed significant connections with both Leader-Member Exchange Theory and Situational Leadership. This was through the suggested requirement of leaders having strong two-way relationships with team members and through accepting that each employee and each situation should be approached differently