SCARF model

Nikos Lambridis and Leslie T. Szamosi

Chapter 66 in Elgar Concise Encyclopedia of Neuroscience and Management, 2026, pp 235-237 from Edward Elgar Publishing

Abstract: This entry examines the SCARF model and integrates core principles of neuroscience to explain how social dynamics influence motivation, engagement, and leadership effectiveness. The SCARF framework (Status, Certainty, Autonomy, Relatedness, and Fairness) identifies key triggers of threat and reward responses shaping workplace behaviour, grounded in the understanding that the brain treats social needs like physical needs. The entry highlights how leaders can foster trust, fairness, and collaboration to enhance employee engagement and organisational performance, while considering the model's relevance for adaptive, psychologically safe, and socially attuned work environments.

Keywords: Neuro-leadership; SCARF; Engagement; Motivation; Reward (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2026
ISBN: 9781035332885
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