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Goal condition and work group effectiveness: The use of group and individual goals for work groups performing interdependent tasks
Abstract
Work groups are quickly replacing the individual as the basic unit for accomplishing tasks in organizations. Consequently, managers are urgently seeking new techniques to enhance and sustain work group effectiveness. Although goal setting has been identified as a successful technique for individuals performing independent tasks, few studies have sought to determine the best goal condition (i.e., individual goals and/or group goals) for work groups performing interdependent tasks. This present study was designed to identify the goal condition most associated with work group effectiveness. This present study hypothesized that work groups given both individual goals and groups goals would have greater group effectiveness and goal commitment levels than work groups given individual goals and work groups given group goals. In order to test the hypotheses proposed, a 3 (goal condition) x 2 (competition condition) MANOVA was performed on four dependent variables, job satisfaction, pieces per hour (PPH), scan percentage, and turnover. Goal condition had three levels: (a) individual goals, (b) group goals, and (c) individual goals and group goals. Competition condition had two levels: (a) intergroup competition and (b) no intergroup competition. The research sample consisted of 33 pre-existent work groups in a "Fortune 500" transportation organization. The work groups were randomly assigned to one of the three goal conditions. For the first three weeks of the study, all work groups were placed in the "no-intergroup competition" condition. For the second three weeks of the study, all work groups were placed in the "intergroup competition" condition. The main hypotheses that stated that "groups given both individual goals and group goals would have the greatest work group effectiveness levels and the greatest goal commitment levels among the three goal conditions" were rejected. The study also revealed that (a) the group in the intergroup competition condition had a greater level of work group effectiveness than the group in the no intergroup competition, and (b) goal commitment was not associated with work group effectiveness. Explanations and implications for these findings and suggestions for future areas of inquiry are discussed.
Subject Area
Management|Occupational psychology|Social structure
Recommended Citation
Finnegan, Mary Judith, "Goal condition and work group effectiveness: The use of group and individual goals for work groups performing interdependent tasks" (1998). ETD collection for University of Nebraska-Lincoln. AAI9902955.
https://digitalcommons.unl.edu/dissertations/AAI9902955