Workplace Goal Orientation: Construct and Criterion-Related Validity at Work

• Published in: European journal of psychological assessment : official organ of the European Association of Psychological Assessment 2020-03, Vol.36 (2), p.399-409
• Main Authors: Theis, Leonie, Bipp, Tanja
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Avoidance; Behavior; Construct Validity; Criterion Validity; Female; Foreign Language Translation; Goal Orientation; Human; Job Performance; Learning; Male; Personnel; Task; Test Construction
• ISSN: 1015-5759; 2151-2426
• DOI: 10.1027/1015-5759/a000522

We investigated the construct and criterion-related validity of workplace goal orientation via two studies. Aiming to extend prior findings on this construct (Van Dam, 2015), in Study 1 (N = 334), we inspected the predictive role that learning, performance-approach, and performance-avoidance goal orientation at work play in terms of employees' learning, task, and contextual performance. In Study 2 (N = 201), we examined the mediating role of proactive behavior concerning the relationship between workplace (learning) goal orientation and performance. First, we found evidence for the three-dimensional structure of the translated and adapted German measurement instrument across two independent samples of employees. Second, we found support for the criterion-related validity of workplace goal orientation for important work-related outcomes. Especially learning goal orientation was positively related to learning and performance outcomes within the work context. Third, we demonstrated that the link between workplace learning goal orientation and performance is mediated by proactive behavior. It therefore seems inevitable for organizations to support the setting and pursuit of learning goals within the workplace to increase the probability of the occurrence of proactive behavior and sustain employees' high performance and continuous learning.