Enhancing Productivity through Feedback and Goal Setting

Abstract

The present research represents a field test of the effects of feedback and goal setting techniques on increasing productivity. Absolute and comparative, as well as personal and impersonal, feedback were manipulated. Goal setting was added to several of the feedback groups. Subjects were regular employees working on two clerical type jobs. The results indicated that both feedback and goal setting produced meaningful increase in productivity. Other major finding were (a) personal feedback was as effective as impersonal feedback, (b) absolute feedback was as effective as comparative feedback, (c) goal setting with feedback was more effective than feedback alone, (d) poorer performers were positively influenced by the treatment while better performers were largely unaffected, (e) attitudes under feedback and goal setting were as good or better than before the treatments. The findings are discussed in terms of potential application to ongoing Air Force settings.

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Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
Jul 01, 1981
Accession Number
ADA102032

Entities

People

  • Carol Morgan
  • David G. Bigby
  • Mark Beiting
  • Robert D. Pritchard
  • Susan Coverdale

Organizations

  • University of Houston

Tags

Communities of Interest

  • Human Systems

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Air Force
  • Applied Psychology
  • Business Administration
  • Cognition
  • Educational Psychology
  • Field Tests
  • Human Behavior
  • Human Resources
  • Job Satisfaction
  • Management Personnel
  • Motivation
  • Organizational Structure
  • Performance Appraisals
  • Psychology
  • Rehabilitation
  • Social Psychology
  • Supervisors

Fields of Study

  • Psychology

Readers

  • Educational Psychology
  • Instructional Design and Training Evaluation.
  • Team-Based Human-Centered Cognitive Task Decision Making and Information Performance.