Investigation of the construct validity of a self-report measure of goal commitment.

The purpose of this research was to develop an etficient, construct-valid measure of goal commitment. Drawing from a set of 9 unidimensional items, a 4-item unidimensional scale was developed that exhibited a .71 internal consistency estimate of reliability. This scale showed statistically significant relationships with 3 alternative measures of the same construct: force to attain the goal, self-set goal-assigned-goal discrepancy, and actual goal change. With respect to other constructs in the goal commitment nomological net, the results indicated that the scale was consistently related to performance. Moreover, the pattern of the results with expected antecedents such as goal publicness, monetary incentives, need for achievement, locus of control, and task involvement were statistically significant and in the predicted direction. The major finding emanating from goal-setting research is that difficult goals lead to higher levels of performance than do easy or vague goals (Locke, Shaw, Saari, & Latham, 1981). This finding is predicated on the assumption, however, that there is commitment to those difficult goals. Locke's emphasis on the critical role played by goal commitment has not diminished