IBPsych Erasmus University
Course 2.8
Performance at Work
Summary year 2019 – 2020
Problem list
1. The best and the rest
2. Who would you hire
3. Beyond intelligence
4. It seems fashionable to do so
5. Money, money, money…
6. I feel pretty, oh so pretty
7. Thinking about your career
8. Gender differences
Articles
P1: Motowidlo (1997), Sonnentag (2002), Muchinsky (2003),
Flectcher (2002)
P2: Cote & Miners (2006), Schmidt & Hunter (2004), O’Boyle
(2011), Kerr (2006)
P3: Van der Linden (2017), Lee (2005), Van der Linden (2014),
Jonason (2014)
P4: Baas (2014), Gino (2014), Sandra Ohly (2018)
P5: Henk Thierry (2002), Jenkins (1998), Gunderson (2001)
P6: Judge (2004), Judge (2009), Kanazawa (2018), Luxen (2006)
P7: Arnold (2005), Chamorro-Premuzic (2007), Greenberg (2011)
P8: De Pater (2005), Ellemers (2018), Jussim (2018), Browne
(2006)
, Problem 1
Learning goals
Part 1:
- What determines job performance? How can we define job performance?
- What makes a good employee? How do they differ for different jobs?
Part 2:
- How can we measure job performance?
- What kind of instruments exist for it?
- What can go wrong in the assessment?
- How can we prevent bias?
- What motivates/attitudes pay a role in the performance appraisal?
Article 1: Performance concepts and performance theory
(Sonnentag&Frese,2002)
Definition of performance: 2 kinds
1. Action/behavioural
2. Outcome of performance (or of action/behaviour)
Performance can be described as:
- Multi-dimensional concept:
Task-performance: Someone's proficiency in which he/she performs activities that
contribute to the organization’s technical core
Contextual performance: Supporting the psychological environment of the
company/organization
- Dynamic concept:
Transition stage: when one is new, tasks are novel, cognitive ability are highly
relevant much concentration needed
Maintenance stage: knowledge and skills are learned, tasks accomplished and
become automatic, cognitive ability.
Perspectives on performance:
Individual differences perspective (i.e., individual characteristics such as cognitive
ability, personality, and experience account for variation in performance).
Core question: which individuals perform best?
Theories:
o Campbell: Performance = declarative K + procedural K and skills +
motivation
o Motowidlo: cognitive ability variables have an effect on task knowledge,
task skills, and task habits.
=> task performance =a function of cognitive ability
=> contextual performance = a function of personality
Situational perspective (i.e., situational factors such as job characteristics and role
, stressors account for variation in performance)
Core question: in which situation do individuals perform best?
Job characteristics model: correlation between job characteristics and
performance
Sociotechnical systems theory: work system = social+ technical subsystems
=> performance improvement can only follow from a joint optimization of both
subsystems
Performance regulation perspective (i.e., differences in the performance process
such as goal-setting and feedback account for variation in performance).
Focus on the performance process itself and conceptualizes it as an active
process
Core question: how does the performance process look like + what is
happening when someone is performing.
Action theory approach: performance process from a process + a structural
point of view (check it tmr)
Board approach: energetic regulation, emotional regulation, vitality regulation,
self-image regulation.
Goal-setting theory: efforts, persistence, direction, task strategies.
Article 2: Motowidlo et al. (1997)
This article describes an individual differences theory of job performance that assumes
that job performance is
Behavioral: what ppl do at work
Episodic (i.e., people work in episodes in which they may or may not help the
organization to accomplish its goals) -> important episodes/domains of time that is
relevant to the JP
Evaluative (i.e., behavioral episodes differ in their contribution values for the
organization)
Multidimensional
, - Basic tendencies (see model) effect characteristic adaptations which affect the
objective biography of the individual
- Task knowledge = facts and principles related to functions of procedures and
principles → technical core of task (e.g. dishwasher needs to understand machines
working with)
- Task skill: actually using the technical knowledge and performing the task
- Task work habits: patterns of behaviour that people learn over time that can either
facilitate or interfere with the performance (e.g. dishwashing: organizing the dishes
in a certain personal way that works best) → “work-style”
- Contextual knowledge: Knowing facts and principles related to environmental
aspects of work (e.g. working in a team) (E.g. as CEO or manager of a company to
know how to reinforce and support employees)
- Contextual skills: Putting this knowledge into action, being able to perform it (e.g.
being empathetic, being able to give attention)
- Contextual work habit: Working style this time dependent on personality of the
person: being quite assertive all the time; being very carrying all the time; being the
“funny guy” at work etc.
Article 3: Fletcher (2002)
The success of performance appraisal (PA) systems is strongly dependent on the
behaviour and dispositions (i.e., motivation, personality, interpersonal relationships) of
those participating in the appraisal process.
The appraisal interaction is influenced by
The appraisers’ behavior (including role pressures and conflict avoidance)
Goals
o (1) projecting a favourable image of the work until they lead so as to
Course 2.8
Performance at Work
Summary year 2019 – 2020
Problem list
1. The best and the rest
2. Who would you hire
3. Beyond intelligence
4. It seems fashionable to do so
5. Money, money, money…
6. I feel pretty, oh so pretty
7. Thinking about your career
8. Gender differences
Articles
P1: Motowidlo (1997), Sonnentag (2002), Muchinsky (2003),
Flectcher (2002)
P2: Cote & Miners (2006), Schmidt & Hunter (2004), O’Boyle
(2011), Kerr (2006)
P3: Van der Linden (2017), Lee (2005), Van der Linden (2014),
Jonason (2014)
P4: Baas (2014), Gino (2014), Sandra Ohly (2018)
P5: Henk Thierry (2002), Jenkins (1998), Gunderson (2001)
P6: Judge (2004), Judge (2009), Kanazawa (2018), Luxen (2006)
P7: Arnold (2005), Chamorro-Premuzic (2007), Greenberg (2011)
P8: De Pater (2005), Ellemers (2018), Jussim (2018), Browne
(2006)
, Problem 1
Learning goals
Part 1:
- What determines job performance? How can we define job performance?
- What makes a good employee? How do they differ for different jobs?
Part 2:
- How can we measure job performance?
- What kind of instruments exist for it?
- What can go wrong in the assessment?
- How can we prevent bias?
- What motivates/attitudes pay a role in the performance appraisal?
Article 1: Performance concepts and performance theory
(Sonnentag&Frese,2002)
Definition of performance: 2 kinds
1. Action/behavioural
2. Outcome of performance (or of action/behaviour)
Performance can be described as:
- Multi-dimensional concept:
Task-performance: Someone's proficiency in which he/she performs activities that
contribute to the organization’s technical core
Contextual performance: Supporting the psychological environment of the
company/organization
- Dynamic concept:
Transition stage: when one is new, tasks are novel, cognitive ability are highly
relevant much concentration needed
Maintenance stage: knowledge and skills are learned, tasks accomplished and
become automatic, cognitive ability.
Perspectives on performance:
Individual differences perspective (i.e., individual characteristics such as cognitive
ability, personality, and experience account for variation in performance).
Core question: which individuals perform best?
Theories:
o Campbell: Performance = declarative K + procedural K and skills +
motivation
o Motowidlo: cognitive ability variables have an effect on task knowledge,
task skills, and task habits.
=> task performance =a function of cognitive ability
=> contextual performance = a function of personality
Situational perspective (i.e., situational factors such as job characteristics and role
, stressors account for variation in performance)
Core question: in which situation do individuals perform best?
Job characteristics model: correlation between job characteristics and
performance
Sociotechnical systems theory: work system = social+ technical subsystems
=> performance improvement can only follow from a joint optimization of both
subsystems
Performance regulation perspective (i.e., differences in the performance process
such as goal-setting and feedback account for variation in performance).
Focus on the performance process itself and conceptualizes it as an active
process
Core question: how does the performance process look like + what is
happening when someone is performing.
Action theory approach: performance process from a process + a structural
point of view (check it tmr)
Board approach: energetic regulation, emotional regulation, vitality regulation,
self-image regulation.
Goal-setting theory: efforts, persistence, direction, task strategies.
Article 2: Motowidlo et al. (1997)
This article describes an individual differences theory of job performance that assumes
that job performance is
Behavioral: what ppl do at work
Episodic (i.e., people work in episodes in which they may or may not help the
organization to accomplish its goals) -> important episodes/domains of time that is
relevant to the JP
Evaluative (i.e., behavioral episodes differ in their contribution values for the
organization)
Multidimensional
, - Basic tendencies (see model) effect characteristic adaptations which affect the
objective biography of the individual
- Task knowledge = facts and principles related to functions of procedures and
principles → technical core of task (e.g. dishwasher needs to understand machines
working with)
- Task skill: actually using the technical knowledge and performing the task
- Task work habits: patterns of behaviour that people learn over time that can either
facilitate or interfere with the performance (e.g. dishwashing: organizing the dishes
in a certain personal way that works best) → “work-style”
- Contextual knowledge: Knowing facts and principles related to environmental
aspects of work (e.g. working in a team) (E.g. as CEO or manager of a company to
know how to reinforce and support employees)
- Contextual skills: Putting this knowledge into action, being able to perform it (e.g.
being empathetic, being able to give attention)
- Contextual work habit: Working style this time dependent on personality of the
person: being quite assertive all the time; being very carrying all the time; being the
“funny guy” at work etc.
Article 3: Fletcher (2002)
The success of performance appraisal (PA) systems is strongly dependent on the
behaviour and dispositions (i.e., motivation, personality, interpersonal relationships) of
those participating in the appraisal process.
The appraisal interaction is influenced by
The appraisers’ behavior (including role pressures and conflict avoidance)
Goals
o (1) projecting a favourable image of the work until they lead so as to
