Effects of goal orientation, error orientation and self-efficacy on performance in an uncertain situation

In this study we explored the interrelationships among goal orientation, self-regulatory mechanisms, and error orientation with a view to predicting performance in a management task involving decision making at a furniture factory in an uncertain situation. The sample was randomly assigned as a control group and an experimental group, but only the participants in the latter group received fictitious information about job insecurity in the furniture sector. Successive self-assessments evaluated their judgments about self-efficacy and emotional state during the task. The results show that, initially, the setting of uncertainty negatively affects self-regulatory mechanisms and performance; this effect disappears with time, while affective state and a positive error orientation guarantee better long-term performance.