The Role of Task Goal Attributes in Employee Performance.

Abstract

While many studies have demonstrated the relatively successful performance implications of formalized goal-setting programs in organizations, these findings typically do not identify the specific factors behind such techniques which are largely responsible for their success. The six 'task goal attributes' are: goal specificity; participation in goal-setting; feedback; peer competition; goal difficulty; and goal acceptance. While goal specificity and goal acceptance were found to be most consistently related to performance, several intervening variables on performance. The findings are discussed within a motivational framework and it is argued, based on the data, that performance under goal-setting conditions is a function of at least three important variables: the nature of the task goals, additional situational-environmental factors, and individual differences. (Modified author abstract)

Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
Apr 01, 1974
Accession Number
AD0778014

Entities

People

  • Lyman Porter
  • Richard M. Steers

Organizations

  • University of California, Irvine

Tags

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Abstracts
  • Behavior And Behavior Mechanisms
  • Behavioral Disciplines And Activities
  • Behavioral Sciences
  • Competition
  • Cooperation
  • Feedback
  • Group Dynamics

Readers

  • Organizational Psychology.