Pm. Wright et al., PRODUCTIVITY AND EXTRA-ROLE BEHAVIOR - THE EFFECTS OF GOALS AND INCENTIVES ON SPONTANEOUS HELPING, Journal of applied psychology, 78(3), 1993, pp. 374-381
This study examined the effects of goals and monetary incentives on pe
rformance and extra-role behavior. One hundred fifty-four Ss worked on
an order-processing task for 20 min under easy, moderate, or difficul
t goals and were paid either a flat rate or a bonus for goal attainmen
t. During the experimental task, a confederate co-worker attempted to
elicit help from the S. Results indicated that goals were positively r
elated to performance, that goals were negatively related to extra-rol
e behavior among individuals committed to the goals, and that the lowe
st extra-role behavior was observed among Ss assigned difficult goals
and paid on the basis of goal attainment. Implications are discussed.