The Role of Workplace Goal Orientation for Occupational Self-Efficacy and Negative Affect

Abstract. Due to their suggested importance for achievement processes, we experimentally tested which workplace goal orientations (employees’ perception of goal characteristics at work) affect proximal outcomes. In detail, we investigated in an experimental vignette study ( N = 250) how workplace learning, performance-approach, and performance-avoidance goals influence occupational self-efficacy and negative affect. Furthermore, we examined the potential of workplace goals to act as moderators for the effect of dispositional goals on these outcomes. We found a learning goal-oriented environment leading to higher occupational self-efficacy and less negative affect compared to performance goal-oriented work environments. We found limited evidence for person–situation interactions. Our results extend goal orientation theory by integrating environmental goals at work and provide implications that foster desirable and prevent undesirable outcomes.