Extensions of a path-goal theory of motivation

Abstract

Tested 5 hypotheses which constitute an extension of M. G. Evans's hypothesis concerning the way in which the behavior of the superior affects the subordinate's perceptions of expectancies and instrumentalities in the path-goal theory of motivation. Ss were 86 young managers enrolled in a part-time MBA program who provided answers to a number of measuring instruments. Of the 3 moderators hypothesized (the subordinate's locus of control, the subordinate's position in a web of role relationships, and the supervisor's upward influence), only the first was found to moderate the superior/subordinate relationship as predicted. Results for the other 2 moderators are equivocal. Additional implications of the path-goal model are explored, i.e., the role of motivation as (a) an intervening variable between supervisory behavior and subordinate behavior and (b) a moderator in the behavior/satisfaction relationship. (23 ref) (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2025 APA, all rights reserved)