UnDisciplined
UnDisciplined
Utah Public Radio
UnDisciplined: Why we ‘reward’ motivated employees with more work
25 minutes Posted Apr 30, 2026 at 2:30 pm.
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In workplaces everywhere, the most engaged employees often become the go-to for extra work. It feels logical, but management scholar Sangah Bae believes that instinct might be backfiring — a lot. Her recent work shows that intrinsically motivated workers are disproportionately assigned additional tasks, often at a cost to their performance, satisfaction, and long-term retention. The reason isn’t just that they’re capable—it’s that managers assume they’ll actually enjoy the extra work.