اثر روان رنجوری در فرآیند پیگیری هدف

This study examines the link between Neuroticism and work motivation under work conditions that provide clear behavioral expectations. Within a two-phase correlational laboratory setup, participants (N = 158) worked on a simple task with specific, high goals that were linked to monetary rewards. Structural equation modeling analysis largely supported the postulated model. Focusing on antecedents and consequences of goal commitment, we found that Neuroticism was indirectly related to the attainment of assigned goals via motivational variables in the process of goal pursuit. Independent of cognitive ability, positive and negative effects of Neuroticism were evident in the motivational process, which forms an explanation for the close-to-zero relationships to performance outcomes. Two facets (Anxiety, Self-consciousness) seem to offer explanations for the contradicting effects of Neuroticism in the process of goal pursuit.

Numerous studies and meta-analyses have confirmed the predictive validity of the Big Five personality traits for job performance (e.g., Barrick, Mount, & Judge, 2001). However, effects have been shown to vary across occupations (Hurtz & Donovan, 2000), and the role of the situation has recently again been taken into account to explain the personality–performance relationship (Kell, Rittmayer, Crook, & Motowidlo, 2010). The strength of the situation has been suggested to play a major role in explaining the link between personality traits and work behavior. In particular restrictions in a situation (e.g., by demands or pressure, therefore characterized as “strong”) are supposed to homogenate behavior and lower the variance in trait-expressive behavior (Tett & Burnett, 2003). On the basis of a motivational process perspective, we argue, however, that personality traits do affect behavior in such situations, but the effect on performance outcomes is lowered (or even eliminated) because of contradicting influences in the process of translating goals into action. In the current study we focused on Neuroticism, as the validity for this trait has been found to vary considerably (Barrick et al., 2001). More specifically, we investigated how Neuroticism influences the motivational process in nonambiguous achievement situations, realized by assigned performance goals in combination with monetary rewards.