‘Objective’ and perceived task characteristics as a determinant of reactions by task performers

This article presents results of an empirical study on the relationship between task design and worker responses. In much research on task design incumbents' job perceptions are assumed to reflect the objective character of the job and to influence attitudinal and behavioural responses. However, when both jobs and responses are assessed through the incumbent, a within‐person or cognitive consistency model is as plausible as a person‐situation model of job characteristics. In this study both independent assessments and incumbents' perceptions of jobs are used as predictors. The results show a substantial convergence in the patterns of correlations between job characteristics and responses in the two forms of measurement.