Motivating managers to actively advise and assist the principal in effectively running the university is an important task in the current context of university autonomy. This article reports on a study on how middle managers of functional departments are motivated at seven member universities of Vietnam National University – Ho Chi Minh City through surveys and in-depth interviews. A total of 142 managers participated in the survey, and five were interviewed on their motivational factors: Job, Work Environment, Career Development, and Material Conditions. Based on the findings, several suggestions were proposed to university leaders to increase satisfaction and boost middle e managers’ motivation in fulfilling their responsibilities and achieving their institution’s goals