Comparison of Return-on-Effort and Conventional Expectancy Theory Predictions of Work Effort and Job Performance: Results from Three Field Studies

ABSTRACT

It was predicted that a return-on-effort version of expectancy theory, an approach that examines the incremental benefits associated with increased effort, would yield superior predictions of work effort and job performance, in comparison with the conventional approach. Data were collected from the following three work settings: a manufacturing concern, a supermarket, and a bank. Unlike prior research that has uniformly found superior predictions using the return-on-effort model (and that has uniformly examined student samples), the present research found only modest support. Three possible boundary conditions were discussed—format effects, reward system responsiveness, and ability differences. The latter two, examined empirically via supplementary analyses, provided increased support for the return-on-effort model.