Goal Setting Theory, Job Feedback, and OCB: Lessons From a Longitudinal Study

Abstract

This study examines the relationships among goal setting, job feedback, and employees' formal and informal performance. We argue that the knowledge gained in the field of goal setting may be useful in understanding organizational citizenship behavior (OCB), beyond formal performance. A longitudinal design based on two points in time (T1, T2) and four research stages (A-D) was developed to test a series of hypotheses among student-employees. 176 participants provided data on goal setting (goal specificity and goal difficulty) and on work attitudes (job satisfaction, organizational justice, job commitment) at T1 (stage A). 23 supervisors provided additional data on formal performance and OCB at T1 (stage B) and at T2 (stage D). Employees were given feedback regarding their formal and informal work performance between T1 and T2 (stage C). The results generally support a positive relationship between goal setting, formal performance, and altruistic OCB at T1 but not at T2. Furthermore, job feedback was related to formal performance and to altruistic and compliance OCB at T2. Implications of these findings are discussed in both the context of goal setting theory and the ongoing study of OCB.

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

We would like to thank the editor and the anonymous reviewers, whose comments contributed significantly to the improvement of this article.

Notes

¹The full scale is available upon request directly from the authors.

Note. N = 148–176 as a result of missing values. T1 = Time 1; OCB = organizational citizenship behavior; T2 = Time 2.

∗p ≤ .05.

∗∗p ≤ .01.

∗∗∗p ≤ .001.

Note.N = 148–176 as a result of missing values. Values in parentheses are Time 1 t test results. OCB = organizational citizenship behavior.

∗p ≤ .05.

∗∗p ≤ .01.

∗∗∗p ≤ .001.

Note.N = 148–176 as a result of missing values. Values in parentheses are Time 2 t test results. OCB = organizational citizenship behavior.

∗p ≤ .05.

∗∗p ≤ .01.

∗∗∗p ≤ .001.

N = 148–176 as a result of missing values. OCB = organizational citizenship behavior; T1 = Time 1; T2 = Time 2.

Note. ∗p ≤ .05.

∗∗p ≤ .01.

∗∗∗p ≤ .001.