Whoever believes in itself, added voluntarily mountains
"Self-efficacy" increases work performance
Those who believe in themselves and are sure that they can cope with certain tasks well are willing to work more voluntarily. This is the result of a team of Bochum social psychologists under the direction of Prof. Dr. Hans-Werner Bierhoff. The study shows that employees who are encouraged to believe in their own abilities are more motivated to get more involved in their work. The study has just been published in the journal “Wirtschaftspsychologie”.
Those who believe in themselves voluntarily move mountains "self-efficacy" increases work performance RUB social psychologists argue for more personal responsibility at work
Those who believe in themselves and are certain that they can cope with certain tasks well are willing to work more voluntarily. This is the result of a team of Bochum social psychologists under the direction of Prof. Dr. Hans-Werner Bierhoff. In his study it turns out that employees who are encouraged to believe in their own abilities are more motivated to get involved in their work. A good example for Prof. Bierhoff is football: “It is interesting how sports psychologists advise football teams in the 1st or 2nd Bundesliga. The attempt is made to increase the players' self-efficacy, a very useful intervention ”. The study has just been published in the journal “Wirtschaftspsychologie” under the title “Personal responsibility, self-efficacy and voluntary work engagement”.
"Happiness of responsibility"
In his acceptance speech after the election, Federal President Joachim Gauck spoke of the “happiness of responsibility”. This feeling of happiness is also felt by employees who are particularly responsible for the concerns of their work area. Voluntary work is "beneficial to the well-being of committed employees themselves," the authors write, pointing out that, according to recent results, "helpfulness can promote the well-being and health of helpers".
Four motivational factors
The focus of her analysis was on four motivational factors: “self-efficacy”, the belief that you can accomplish certain work tasks; “Control assessment”, the expectation of being able to exercise control over the task and thereby be able to influence the result; "Change orientation", the positive attitude towards change processes; and finally "flexible role orientation", the willingness to interpret your own role so far and thus feel directly responsible for solving the problem. 126 people in different professional positions and different industries were interviewed by the Bochum social psychologists Hans-Werner Bierhoff, Karolina Lemiech and Elke Rohmann. 10 percent were managers, 72 percent employees, 7 percent self-employed and 11 percent trainees. The aim of her investigation was to work out the most important motivational criteria for voluntary work engagement.
Outstanding role of “self-efficacy”
The "self-efficacy" showed an outstanding role in the context of personal responsibility and voluntary work. From this, the social psychologists conclude: "If you combine the proactive motivation process with the knowledge of the positive effects of a positive working atmosphere and high participation, voluntary work engagement can be promoted more comprehensively."
Title Shot
Hans-Werner Bierhoff, Karolina Lemiech, Elke Rohmann, "Personal responsibility, self-efficacy and voluntary work commitment", in business psychology, issue 1-2012, p. 83-90.
Source: Bochum [RUB]
