The Effects of Relative Performance Information on Individuals’ Satisfaction with the Work Itself

Abstract

Organizations have a vested interest in minimizing employee turnover. Because prior empirical evidence demonstrates that task satisfaction is negatively related to employee turnover, this study examines whether relative performance information (RPI) can be used to reduce employee turnover by empirically testing the Job Characteristics Model’s feedback proposition (Hackman & Oldham, 1976) to determine whether individuals receiving RPI report higher task satisfaction than individuals not receiving RPI. In an experiment where student participants proxied as production workers in a mundane, effort-intensive task, the presence or absence of RPI was manipulated. Consistent with the prediction of the Job Characteristics Model, this study’s results demonstrate that providing RPI to individuals improves their task satisfaction, contributing to the body of literature that empirically validates theory. Further, this study’s findings should also be of interest to organizations seeking to reduce employee turnover.