The Motivational Effects of Participation Versus Goal Setting on Performance

• Published in: Academy of Management journal Vol. 26; no. 3; pp. 406 - 417
• Main Authors: Latham, Gary P., Steele, Timothy P.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Briarcliff Manor Academy of Management 01.09.1983
• Subjects: Decision making; Effects; Goal setting; Motivation; Participation; Participative; Studies; Variance analysis
• ISSN: 0001-4273; 1948-0989
• DOI: 10.5465/256253

The results of a study which examined the individual effects of participative decision making and goal setting on performance are presented. College students were enlisted to participate in a toy assembly experiment. Subjects were randomly assigned to a task-strategy condition involving participative or nonparticipative decision making, and to a goal-setting condition in which they either participated in goal setting, were assigned goals, or simply were told to do their best. Subjects in participative task-strategy and goal-setting conditions had higher levels of perceived influence than subjects not involved in participation. However, all subjects, regardless of condition, understood their tasks well and accepted their goals. Performance was related to participation only to the extent that subjects were involved in setting difficult goals for themselves. Specific and difficult goals were significantly related to performance improvement, whether set through participation or assigned.