The purpose of the present study was to expand researchers' understanding of work motivation by taking a pattern approach to the examination of the dimensions of goal orientation. To explore the differential behavior of people who possess different goal orientation patterns, the present study sought to verify the existence of optimal and least optimal patterns using two important motivational outcome variables: self-efficacy and exerted effort. In addition, the role of the performance-approach goal orientation (PGO) dimension within the context of goal orientation patterns was examined. Data was collected from a sample of college students who were asked to perform a puzzle solving task and complete scales assessing their effort exerted and self-efficacy related to this task. Three hundred and seventy one participants were classified into 8 patterns. The results confirmed the existence of an optimal and a least optimal pattern of goal orientation for self efficacy and partially confirmed the existence of such patterns for exerted effort. The findings also suggested that PGO is better understood when it is examined in the context of goal orientation patterns. Specifically, PGO exhibited adaptive behaviors when paired with a strong learning goal orientation (LGO) and weak performance-avoid goal orientation (AGO), and maladaptive behaviors when paired with a strong AGO and low LGO. Taken as a whole, the results indicated that the use of goal orientation patterns produces findings that have not been previously demonstrated by traditional variable-oriented approaches. Implications of these findings and suggestions for future research are discussed. / Ph. D.

The popular construct of goal orientation has been widely researched by industrial and organizational psychologists in recent years. Unfortunately there are several issues with the goal orientation framework that have not been properly addressed in the literature. The present research introduced the three-dimensional achievement goal framework as a plausible and less problematic alternative to the three-dimensional goal orientation framework. Hypotheses regarding the interactive effects of each of the three achievement goals and task complexity on task enjoyment, mental focus and exerted effort, were derived and tested. The results indicated that the positive effects of mastery goals on the motivational variables are stronger for more complex tasks, the positive effects of performance-approach goals are stronger for simpler tasks, and the negative effects of performance-avoid goals are less severe for simpler tasks. / Ph. D.