An Interactive Approach to Work Motivation: The Effects of Competition, Rewards, and Goal Difficulty on Task Performance

This study examined the interactive effects of competition, rewards, and goal difficulty on task performance and goal commitment. Students were assigned to one of eight experimental conditions and participated in a computerized anagram solution task. Rewards significantly increased performance, espe...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Journal of business and psychology 1996-12, Vol.11 (2), p.219-237
Main Authors: Allscheid, Steven P., Cellar, Douglas F.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Anagrams
Applied psychology
Brainstorming
Cellars
Economic competition
Financial incentives
Goal setting
Motivation
Motivation research
Normativity
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Summary:This study examined the interactive effects of competition, rewards, and goal difficulty on task performance and goal commitment. Students were assigned to one of eight experimental conditions and participated in a computerized anagram solution task. Rewards significantly increased performance, especially along with difficult goals. Competition was not found to have an effect on goal commitment or task performance, and goal difficulty increased performance although the results did not reach statistical significance. Goal commitment was shown to have a direct effect on task performance as opposed to a moderating role in the goal level-task performance relationship. A discussion of the findings and suggestions for further research are included.
ISSN:0889-3268
1573-353X
DOI:10.1007/BF02193860