A Theory Of Goal Setting Task Performance

This book concentrates on the last twenty years of research in the area of goal setting and performance at work. The editors and contributors believe goals affect action, and this volume has a lineup of international contributors who look at the recent theories and implications in this area for IO psychologists and human resource management academics and graduate students.

This book concentrates on the last twenty years of research in the area of goal setting and performance at work. The editors and contributors believe goals affect action, and this volume will have a lineup of international contributors who look at the recent theories and implications in this area for IO psychologists and human resource management academics and graduate students.

There is a strong movement today in management to encourage management practices based on research evidence. In the first volume of this handbook, I asked experts in 39 areas of management to identify a central principle that summarized and integrated the core findings from their specialty area and then to explain this principle and give real business examples of the principle in action. I asked them to write in non-technical terms, e.g., without a lot of statistics, and almost all did so. The previous handbook proved to be quite popular, so I was asked to edit a second edition. This new edition has been expanded to 33 topics, and there are some new authors for the previously included topics. The new edition also includes: updated case examples, updated references and practical exercises at the end of each chapter. It also includes a preface on evidence-based management. The principles for the first edition were intended to be relatively timeless, so it is no surprise that most of the principles are the same (though some chapter titles include more than one principle). This book could serve as a textbook in advanced undergraduate and in MBA courses. It could also be of use to practicing managers and not just those in Human Resource departments. Every practicing manager may not want to read the whole book, but I am willing to guarantee that every one will find at least one or more chapters that will be practically useful. In this time of economic crisis, the need for effective management practices is more acute than ever.

In the field of psychology, research areas often develop in relative isolation. Researchers in different areas are either not aware of, or seem to fail to see the relevance of findings from other areas even though it would seem that the findings are directly relevant to their own. One striking example of this is to be found in research that focuses on the effects of evaluation on performance. This volume integrates thinking from five different research traditions - Achievement Goals, Intrinsic vs. Extrinsic Motivation, Goal Setting, Social Loafing, and Social Facilitation - through the unique format of a give-and-take conversation between leading academics from each.

The assessment of individual differences has generated shockwaves affecting sociology, education, and a number of other behavioral sciences as well as the fields of management and organizational behavior. In covering the assessment of individual differences, this book pays tribute to the interests and activities that Douglas N. Jackson has incorporated into his career as a psychologist. He continues to be a leader in putting academic findings to practical use. He has also inspired generations of students with his mastery of complex concepts and as a personal example of the ability to balance several simultaneous areas of research. Consistent with the focus of Jackson's research, the theme of this book will be how the use of deductive, construct-driven strategies in the assessment of individual differences leads to benefits in terms of the applicability of the assessment instruments and the clarity of the conclusions that can be drawn from the research.

Designed for professionals and graduate students in the personality/social, military, and educational psychology, and assessment/evaluation communities, this volume explores the state of the art in motivational research for individuals and teams from multiple theoretical viewpoints as well as their effects in both schools and training environments. The great majority of education and training R&D is focused on the cognitive dimensions of learning, for instance, the acquisition and retention of knowledge and skills. Less attention has been given in the literature and in the design of education and training itself to motivational variables and their influence on performance. As such, this book is unique in the following montage of factors: * a focus on motivation of teams or groups as well as individuals; * an examination of the impact of motivation on performance (and, thus, also on cognition) rather than only on motivation itself; * research in training as well as educational settings. The data reported were collected in various venues including schools, laboratories and field settings. The chapter authors are the researchers that, in many cases, have defined the state of the art in motivation.