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Task Performance and Satisfaction: Evidence for a Task‐ By Ego‐Orientation Interaction 1
Author(s) -
Hofmann David A.,
Strickland Oriel J.
Publication year - 1995
Publication title -
journal of applied social psychology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.822
H-Index - 111
eISSN - 1559-1816
pISSN - 0021-9029
DOI - 10.1111/j.1559-1816.1995.tb01764.x
Subject(s) - id, ego and super ego , psychology , task (project management) , orientation (vector space) , goal orientation , perception , social psychology , cognitive psychology , geometry , mathematics , management , neuroscience , economics
A significant body of research has documented two achievement goal orientations that individuals can adopt prior to performing a particular task. These orientations have typically been referred to as “task‐oriented” or “ego‐oriented,” each of which has different implications for task performance and related perceptions. The majority of this research has considered individuals either task‐ or ego‐oriented. There is initial evidence, however, that the two goal orientations may be independent and, therefore, that they may interact to predict various outcomes. The central finding of this study was that task‐ and ego‐orientations did interact to influence task satisfaction and performance. Specifically, high task satisfaction was reported by individuals who had at least a moderately high degree of task orientation irrespective of the level of ego orientation. Alternatively, the most effective performance was observed for individuals who had a dominant achievement goal orientation, regardless of whether it was a task‐ or ego‐orientation. The implications of these findings are discussed.