Organizational Behavior: The Central Role of Motivation

Abstract

This review of the organizational behavior literature posits that the prime research focus should be the behavior of individuals in organizational settings rather than their affective reactions to those settings. Individual behavior is discussed in terms of motivation theory, with emphasis on the antecedents of goals and goal acceptance, feedback, and attributions, and on the consequences of performance. Factors such as leadership and job design are viewed as affecting behavior through their effects on motivation. The implications of the motivational modelfor researchers and practitioners are discussed.