Relationships between goal clarity, participation in goal setting, and personality characteristics on job satisfaction in a scientific organization

• Published in: Journal of applied psychology Vol. 61; no. 1; pp. 103 - 105
• Main Authors: Arvey, Richard D, Dewhirst, H. Dudley, Boling, John C
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States American Psychological Association 01-02-1976; American Psychological Association, etc
• Subjects: Achievement; Achievement Motivation; Affiliation Motivation; Authoritarianism; Employee Motivation; Engineers; Goal setting; Goals; Human; Humans; Independence (Personality); Job Satisfaction; Management Methods; Middle Aged; Motivation; Personality; Science; Scientists; Variables
• ISSN: 0021-9010; 1939-1854
• DOI: 10.1037/0021-9010.61.1.103

Studied the impact of 2 attributes of task goals (goal specificity and participation in goal setting) on employee satisfaction with 271 scientists and engineers (mean age, 46.5 yrs). The moderating influences of 3 personality variables as measured by the Adjective Check List were also determined. Ss were blocked into 3 levels on both a Goal Clarity-Planning factor and a Participation in Goal Setting factor based on a factor analysis of items reflecting employee perceptions of how their supervisors manage. Ss were also divided into high and low levels of need for achievement, autonomy, and affiliation. Analyses of variance indicated that Goal Clarity-Planning and Participation in Goal Setting were factors linearly and positively related to satisfaction, as were all 3 personality variables.