Participative goal-setting: Social, motivational, and cognitive factors.

This study examined three explanations of why participation in goal setting may lead to increased performance—the social factor of group discussion, the motivational factor of involvement in goal setting, and the cognitive factor of information. A 2 X 2 X 2 experimental design (low and high levels of group discussion, involvement, and information) was used to study a sample of 96 white collar employees who worked on a personnel selection task. Results indicated that the social and motivational factors of participation increased performance quantity, incidental learning, goal acceptance, group commitment, and satisfaction. The motivational and cognitive factors significantly contributed to performance quality, but the cognitive factor did not significantly affect performance quantity and work attitudes. Extensive research on participation in goal setting and decision making (PDM) has revealed that numerous factors, both cognitive and motivational, are inherent in the process of participation but that different studies have emphasized different factors in this process. (Beehr Campbell Earley, 1985; Erez, Barley, Erez Latham Lewin, 1943, 1951; Locke a social factor of group discussion, leading to a decision, a motivational factor of involvement in goal setting, and a cognitive factor of information sharing.