The Interactive Effects of Goal Orientation and Accountability on Task Performance

This study investigated the interactive effects of learning orientation, performance orientation, and avoidance orientation and accountability conditions (none, process, outcome) on performance across 2 phases of a complex decision-making task. Outcome accountability was positively related to performance during the first phase. Process accountability was positively related to performance improvement in the second phase. Accountability interacted with learning orientation and avoidance orientation to predict performance improvement in the second phase. Contrary to expectations, learning orientation was negatively related to performance improvement in the no-accountability condition. Avoidance orientation was negatively related to performance improvement in the outcome accountability condition and positively related to performance improvement in the no-accountability condition. Post hocanalysis indicates that high learning orientation individuals engaged in more experimentation behaviors, which may have impacted performance.