Presenting a Model for Employee Motivation in Tehran's Public Universities Based on Job Embeddedness

Abstract

The present study aimed to develop a model of employee motivation in Tehran’s public universities based on job embeddedness and to identify the dimensions, components, and indicators affecting university employees’ motivation. This study was conducted using a qualitative approach and thematic analysis based on Braun and Clarke’s methodology. The study population included university professors specialized in public administration and human resource management, academic staff, administrative staff, and senior and operational managers working in Tehran’s public universities. Purposeful and information-rich sampling was employed, and theoretical saturation was achieved after conducting 11 semi-structured interviews. Data analysis was carried out through six stages including familiarization with the data, generating initial codes, searching for themes, reviewing themes, defining and naming themes, and preparing the report. The analysis process resulted in the extraction of 184 initial codes, 9 sub-themes, and 5 main themes. The findings indicated that the employee motivation model had a multidimensional structure consisting of five main themes including motivation and reward, career growth and development, leadership and management, organizational belonging and identity, and work environment and welfare. Furthermore, nine sub-themes were identified, including job motivation, reward and incentive systems, growth and promotion opportunities, organizational culture and patterns, individual characteristics and roles in career advancement, managerial style and behavior, organizational justice, organizational commitment and belonging, and workplace conditions and atmosphere. The results demonstrated that factors such as organizational justice, meritocracy, participative leadership style, performance-based reward systems, organizational belonging, career advancement opportunities, positive interpersonal interactions, and supportive work environments played decisive roles in enhancing employee motivation. In addition, job embeddedness was found to play a significant mediating role in strengthening the relationship between organizational factors and employee motivation. The findings suggest that university employee motivation is not merely dependent on financial factors but is shaped by a complex interaction of individual, managerial, organizational, and environmental factors. Establishing fair reward systems, emphasizing meritocracy, developing supportive organizational cultures, providing clear career advancement pathways, and improving welfare and workplace conditions can strengthen job embeddedness, increase motivation, and reduce turnover intentions among employees in public universities. Therefore, the proposed model can serve as a practical framework for human resource management and policymaking in higher education institutions.