Effect of Self-Management Practice on Job Efficacy - Research Paper Example

The importance of human resources for achieving a sustained competitive advantage is increasingly being recognized. An extensive literature exists that identifies individual variables and theories related to self-management; it is now time to put these theories together into theory-based packages and assess the practical implications of their use. The objective of this study was to investigate the effectiveness of a theory-based self-management training program for improving job performance. This study represents the first field-based experiment that uses self-management training to achieve sustained improvement in job performance, specifical performance of life insurance middle managers as assessed through both objective and subjective measures, and that examines the mediating effects of self-efficacy and outcome expectancies in the relationship between self-management training and job performance.

This study first discusses the theoretical foundations of self-management as they apply to organizations and individuals, including principles of the social cognitive theory that provide a foundation for self-management. Hypothesized relationships regarding self-management and job performance are introduced along with potential mediating effects of self-efficacy and outcome expectancies, followed by a discussion of the study's experimental method and results. The article concludes by addressing the theoretical and practical implications of the findings and suggestions for future research.

One approach to controlling behavior in organizations is through the external application of control mechanisms to influence employees toward organizational goals. In contrast, self-management is an effort by an individual to exert control over certain aspects of his or her decision making and behavior. Self-management can be viewed as a set of behavioral and cognitive strategies that assist individuals in structuring their environment (at work or elsewhere), establishing self-motivation, and facilitating behaviors appropriate for attaining performance standards (Manz, 585).

Everyone practices self-management, but not everyone is an effective self-manager, and individuals may engage in dysfunctional self-management (Karoly, 32). Because self-management is learned, there is an opportunity for enhancing individual performance through self-management training.