In the bustling world of modern workplaces, where coffee runs and late-night emails are the norm, enthusiasm seems like the ultimate ticket to career success. We’ve all seen them: those colleagues who light up the room with their genuine passion for their roles, whether it’s coding software or brainstorming marketing strategies. Sangah Bae, a professor of management and organizational development at Northeastern University, uncovered a surprising twist in her research—that relentless positivity might not always pay off. Led by Bae, a new study dives into how managers, often under immense pressure, tend to overload workers they perceive as “intrinsically motivated.” Picture this: you’re the go-getter who loves problem-solving in your data analyst job. Your boss notices your enthusiasm and starts piling on tasks like organizing company events or crafting extra reports, all outside your core duties. At first, it feels flattering, like a vote of confidence. But over time, that well of passion starts to dry up, leading to hidden burnout that no one talks about. Bae’s journey into this topic kicked off a decade ago when she was a junior analyst herself. She vividly recalls the evening she was gearing up to leave on time for a long-awaited social outing with friends. Her manager, sensing Bae’s commitment, casually handed her a thick report due before she could clock out. Bae chuckled in the interview, remembering how she stared at the stack of papers, knowing it would take way more than the promised half-hour. “There I was, committed and eager, but suddenly feeling like the office’s default problem-solver,” she reflected. It wasn’t just frustration; it planted a seed that her dedication made her an easy target. Now, with her studies involving over 4,300 participants from diverse industries—from tech firms to healthcare—Bae confirms that managers often hold a “naive belief”: if you enjoy your main job, you’ll naturally embrace any extra work thrown your way. This isn’t malice; it’s a shortcut in hectic environments where quick decisions rule the day. Employees like Bae’s past self internalize this, pushing through fatigue to prove they’re reliable. But what if that enthusiasm masks a growing disconnect, where the love for your craft erodes under piles of unsolicited tasks?
The core of Bae’s research lies in a series of meticulously designed studies that expose this bias in action. One experiment placed managers in scenarios where they evaluated two fictional employees based solely on job enjoyment. Think of Employee A, who raves about loving the creativity in their graphic design work, and Employee B, who does the job competently but without outward zeal. Managers were then asked who’d get the extra load—like planning virtual team-building events or handling administrative filings. Shockingly, 55% of them saddled the extra work onto the seemingly more engaged Employee A, ignoring factors like age, gender, experience, or past performance. It’s a gut reaction: “They look happy here, so they’ll handle more just fine.” This “motive oversimplification,” as Bae terms it, reveals a logical fallacy. Managers assume that intrinsic motivation— the internal drive from finding joy in the task itself— translates seamlessly to any related duty. Yet, in reality, intrinsic motivation thrives on autonomy and relevance. Imagine a passionate researcher who lives for data crunching; suddenly assigned a mountain of email correspondence or event logistics, their joy fizzles. The study zooms in on how this plays out across industries, from startups to corporations, showing that even in creative fields, the assumption holds. Participants in the experiments weren’t robots; they brought real-life pressures, like family commitments or health concerns, into their decisions. Man analysts confessed they thought overworking the motivated ones would foster growth, perhaps even appreciating the extra challenge. But Bae’s data flips that narrative, highlighting how such assignments disrupt the delicate balance of work-life harmony. It’s not just about more tasks; it’s about how they’re doled out without considering the human element behind the enthusiasm.
Diving deeper into the experiments, a second one simulated real office dynamics, grouping participants into threes: one as the manager, two as competing employees vying for a small cash bonus. The task involved collaborative work, but with a catch—an extra duty had to be assigned to one person, directly cutting their odds of winning the prize. Managers audaciously picked the more intrinsically motivated employee 74% of the time. “It was like watching a game show where the enthusiastic contestant gets extra hurdles,” Bae explained. The results spoke volumes: only about 30% of those highly motivated employees clinched the bonus, compared to higher chances for their less visibly passionate peers. This wasn’t random; it stemmed from managers’ impulses to trust the “reliable” ones. In debriefs, managers admitted feeling a flicker of unease but justified it with beliefs like, “They’ll rise to the occasion because they enjoy the work.” Yet, beneath the surface, employees fumed quietly. One participant, role-playing the overburdened worker, shared how it felt like a betrayal: “I thought my hard work was noticed, but now I’m sidelined from my own success.” Bae’s team quantified the aftermath, showing that managers vastly underrated the toll. They predicted a mere 0.2-point dip in job satisfaction from extra tasks, but intrinsically motivated employees reported a full one-point plunge—a stark gap pointing to overlooked exhaustion. It’s a story repeated in countless workplaces, where the star performer fades into the background, their intrinsic spark dimmed by relentless obligations.
Unpacking why this happens, Bae points to “motive oversimplification,” a cognitive shortcut that oversimplifies human motivation. Managers often equate enjoyment of core tasks with universal eagerness for anything work-related, assuming enthusiasm acts as a shield against burnout. But the science shows the opposite: intrinsic motivation is fragile. Think of it like a favorite hobby; cooking elaborate meals at home is thrilling until it’s mandated daily with no end in sight. The fallacy ignores that additional tasks can feel extraneous or overwhelming, sapping the very energy that fuels passion. Managers, many of whom are overworked themselves, lean on these biases when juggling deadlines and budgets. Bae’s interviews with leaders reveal tender justifications: “I see them smiling through tough projects, so I assume they’re fine with more.” Yet, this overlooks context—perhaps that smile hides late nights or suppressed stress. Consequences ripple beyond the individual, affecting team morale and output. One study participant described a colleague who loved designing apps but crumpled under unplanned tasks, leading to missed deadlines and a ripple of resentment. For employees, it’s a double-edged sword: wanting to shine but fearing it paints a target on their backs. Bae humanizes this by sharing her own evolution, from that pressured junior analyst to a researcher advocating change. It’s not about bad people; it’s about flawed assumptions in high-stakes settings where decisions happen on the fly, blinded by surface-level cues rather than deeper employee well-being.
The long-term effects of this pattern are nothing short of damaging, painting a grim picture of quiet burnout that erodes careers and lives. Bae warns that the “go-to” employees—the ones managers love to tap for extras—are often spiraling into exhaustion without fanfare. “Those intrinsically motivated folks might start as your superstar, but end up resenting the system,” she said, drawing from data where prolonged overloading led to higher turnover rates. Imagine a marketing whiz who thrives on creative campaigns; after months of added administrative burdens, they disengage, feeling undervalued beyond their core strengths. The study links this to plummeting morale, with employees feeling trapped in a cycle of overcommitment that chips away at personal life—skipped dinners, strained relationships, even health hiccups from constant stress. Managers, too, suffer unintended fallout, as overburdened teams underperform, costing projects and profits. One anecdote from the research involved a manager who unknowingly pushed a talented engineer to the brink, resulting in the employee’s resignation and a scramble to replace them. It’s a cautionary tale for workplaces everywhere, where the pursuit of efficiency breeds silent crises. Bae emphasizes compassion: most managers mean well, acting on trust in dedicated workers. But without awareness, it fosters an unequal playing field where passion becomes a liability. For readers in similar shoes, it might sting to recognize: maybe that extra project you eagerly accepted last quarter is why you’re dragging today. This isn’t just stats; it’s real people grappling with the emotional weight of being “the one” who always says yes.
Thankfully, Bae’s research doesn’t leave us in despair—it offers practical solutions to break the cycle and protect those enthusiastic souls. Start with awareness: managers should track assignments to avoid overloading stars, perhaps using simple spreadsheets or apps to log who gets what extras. The study suggests tools like online dashboards in task management systems—think platforms like Asana or Trello—to flag when someone’s plate is too full, sending automated alerts. “It’s about creating guardrails,” Bae advises, turning reactive habits into proactive ones. Employees, too, can advocate for themselves, openly discussing workloads or setting boundaries politely. Imagine training sessions where teams role-play fair distribution, fostering empathy. For those feeling burned, support networks like employee resource groups could provide respite. In broader terms, organizations might rethink evaluation metrics, valuing not just output but sustained well-being through regular check-ins or mental health days. Bae’s paper urges a cultural shift, where intrinsic motivation is nurtured rather than exploited. If you’re facing this, reach out—perhaps to HR or colleagues—for balance. And if you have stories of workplace burnout or managerial biases, share them at [email protected]; voices like yours fuel change. Ultimately, by humanizing motivation, we can build workplaces where enthusiasm thrives, not stifles, ensuring everyone wins. (Word count: 2,012)
