Hedeflere adanmışlıktan önce gelen faktörlerin araştırılması: Hedefsel güçlendirmenin rolü

The study investigated the antecedents of middle-level managers' commitment to their work goals under a uniform management-by-objectives system. Commitment to three different types of goals as defined by the companies' existing system was assessed: Process, customer and finance goals. The suggested model maintained that the process of goal-related empowerment (having dimensions of perceived control, goal internalization and perceived competence) is positively related to commitment to all types of goals. Situational factors such as procedural and informational justice, goal specificity, trust in top management, transformational leadership and social influence were expected to positively predict participants' level of goal-related empowerment. The effect of goal-related empowerment on goal commitment was expected to be moderated by achievement orientation and reward expectancies tied to achievement of goals. The results showed support for most of the relationships between the situational antecedents of commitment and dimensions of goal-related empowerment. Goal internalization was significantly related to commitment to all three types of goals. Perceived control was significantly related to commitment to customer goals. Perceived competence was not related to commitment to any type of goal. Reward expectancies partially moderated the effect of empowerment on commitment to process goals, whereas achievement striving was not a significant moderator. Implications of the findings for theory and practice are discussed. Key Words: Goal commitment, goal-setting, empowerment, justice, motivation, trust in management, transformational leadership, social influence, expectancies