Leading work motivation expert awarded prestigious fellowship

A leading Curtin University expert whose research aims to understand how work motivation can influence performance and wellbeing in the workplace, has been named a Fellow of the prestigious Academy of the Social Sciences in Australia.

John Curtin Distinguished Professor Marylène Gagné, from Curtin’s Future of Work Institute (FOWI), was named among Australia’s leading researchers and professionals across the social science disciplines for her outstanding contribution to research on human motivation and how organisational structure and practice influence people’s motivation to work, their performance and wellbeing in the workplace.Curtin University Vice-Chancellor Professor Harlene Hayne congratulated Professor Gagné on being recognised for her contribution to promoting the advancement of the social sciences.

“This accolade is conferred on only the most remarkable Australian social scientists and I congratulate Professor Gagné on her outstanding work in understanding how employers and employees can collaborate to make workplaces more rewarding and productive. We are privileged to have her as part of our Curtin community,” Professor Hayne said.

Professor Gagné said she was delighted to be acknowledged by the Academy of the Social Sciences in Australia alongside other leaders.

“It is an honour to be recognised by my close colleagues but also to gain recognition for my field on a national stage. I look forward to working as an Academy Fellow to further our research into workplace structures and dynamics, and to support others to become fellows going forward,” Professor Gagné said.

A regular collaborator with industry, Professor Gagné’s research has led to the production of practical tools and resources that can be utilised by workplaces and employees to improve work design and workplace motivation.

Professor Gagné was responsible for creating a popular psychometric instrument to assess work motivation, which has now been translated in over 20 languages. Her research has also contributed to the development of organisational interventions, such as managerial leadership training, motivational work design, and compensation and recognition systems design.

Professor Gagné is a Fellow of the Society for Industrial and Organisational Psychology and past associate editor at the European Journal of Work and Organisational Psychology. She is also a recipient of an American Psychological Association Dissertation Award and a Canadian Psychological Association New Researcher Award.

The newly elected Fellows will be recognised at a special event held in Melbourne later this month.

The full list of Fellows can be found online here.