Motivational Effects of Feedback and Goal-Setting on Group Performance.

Abstract

In studies examining the impact of performance information on motivation, both feedback and goal setting have been found to improve performance. To explore the generalizability of E. A. Locke's (1968) theory of task motivation to groups, 180 male masters of business administration (MBA) students were randomly organized into 60 three-person groups. Each group solved four simple reasoning problems during four consecutive rounds, in which the motivational effects of three levels of feedback (group performance compared with a standard, no standard, and no feedback), and two levels of goal setting (explicit, and no goal setting) were manipulated. An analysis of the results showed that explicit goal setting improved group performance with or without feedback. Neither type of feedback alone helped performance, but both types negatively affected either goal selection or satisfaction with performance. Groups receiving the comparison standard set a goal of trying to beat the average team rather than the best team, and since the average was beat in the first round, the standard did not serve to challenge the groups. Groups in the feedback only/no goal setting condition reported the least satisfaction with group performance. The findings strengthen the conclusion that goal setting rather than feedback energizes performance