Personal control in organizations: A longitudinal investigation with newcomers

Personal control over one's work environment is an important theme in many branches of the social sciences. In the present study, longitudinal field d ata were used to assess a model of personal control in organizational setti ngs. Business school graduates completed questionnaires prior to graduation and after 4 months (n = 297) and 10 months (n = 231) on the job. The resul ts suggest two distinct responses to perceived personal control. The first implies a proactive orientation where control begets control: self-efficacy was positively associated with control, both variables were positively ass ociated with problem-focused reactance, control and reactance were both neg atively related to helplessness, and helplessness was negatively related to work adjustment. The second response to personal control implies a reactiv e orientation where unmet expectations prompt a sense of futility and withd rawal: control was negatively associated with unmet expectations, and unmet expectations were positively associated with helplessness and negatively a ssociated with work adjustment.