SELF-EFFICACY AND WORK-RELATED BEHAVIOR - A REVIEW AND METAANALYSIS

Self-efficacy may be defined as the belief that one can perform successfully the behaviour required to produce designated types of performance. A body of literature exists to support Bandura's general proposition that there is a link between self-efficacy expectations and performance (e.g. Bandura, 1980; Bandura, Reese, & Adams, 1982). More recent studies have reported a link between self-efficacy and work behaviour (e.g. Barling & Beattie, 1983). The present article provides a review and meta-analysis of findings on the relationship between self-efficacy and work-related behaviours. The studies reviewed were derived from a computer-based literature search. Both qualitative and quantitative findings are presented. In general, the results of the meta-analysis support the view that self-efficacy is related to both performance (r, after corrections = 0.40), and behaviour choice (r, after corrections = 0.34). The self-efficacy-performance link appears weaker in field studies (r = 0.37) than in laboratory simulations (r = 0.60).