Sponsor
Portland State University. Department of Psychology
First Advisor
Dean E. Frost
Term of Graduation
Spring 1988
Date of Publication
5-19-1988
Document Type
Thesis
Degree Name
Master of Science (M.S.) in Psychology
Department
Psychology
Language
English
Subjects
Employee motivation, Feedback (Psychology), Goal (Psychology), Job satisfaction, Labor productivity
DOI
10.15760/etd.5697
Physical Description
1 online resource (2, vi, 41 pages)
Abstract
Two theories of work motivation taken from the field of Industrial/Organizational Psychology were compared in a six-week field experiment at a Fortune 500 company. A Job Enrichment Model (Hackman & Oldham, 1975) was used and the Motivating Potential Score (MPS) of three groups of machine operators was obtained before and after a six-week productivity study. Three goal conditions based on Goal Theory (Locke, 1968) were assigned one to each of three groups of machine operators and comparisons were made between the treatment groups. Production increases resulted from providing goals and feedback to subjects, but these increases were not statistically significant. The hourly goal condition with feedback had the largest increase over baseline, greater than either daily goals with feedback or the "do your best" goal condition with no feedback. A weak correlation exists (r =.17) between the change in worker's MPS and the worker's change in production.
Rights
In Copyright. URI: http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/ This Item is protected by copyright and/or related rights. You are free to use this Item in any way that is permitted by the copyright and related rights legislation that applies to your use. For other uses you need to obtain permission from the rights-holder(s).
Persistent Identifier
https://archives.pdx.edu/ds/psu/21286
Recommended Citation
Kildahl, Stephen, "Effects of Feedback and Goal Setting on Job Attitudes and Productivity: A Field Study" (1988). Dissertations and Theses. Paper 3813.
https://doi.org/10.15760/etd.5697
Comments
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