This study aims to investigate self‐monitoring as a moderator of the relationship between organizational position and perceptions of individual effort.
A total of 133 students were randomly assigned to organizations of 12‐15 members. Each organization completed three projects in 14 weeks. Each student served in one position: management or non‐management. Participants also rated the effort of organizational members and then responded to items on the Self‐monitoring Scale.
Persons in management were rated as giving more effort than persons in non‐management. Self‐monitoring moderated the relationship between organizational position and perceptions of effort. Organizational members perceived high self‐monitors (HSMs) in management as giving more effort than HSMs in non‐management. In contrast, there was no difference in perceived effort of low self‐monitors (LSMs) across positions.
By using students instead of actual employees working in project teams, the results may not generalize to all organizations. Because job performance is a multidimensional construct, findings may have limited application to very specific aspects of contextual performance.
These findings provide support for self‐monitoring as a moderator of organizational position and performance. This helps to reconcile debate about predicting behavior for cross‐situationally consistent LSMs and cross‐situationally variable HSMs. Implications for performance appraisals and differential prediction of criteria are discussed.
