When does self-efficacy enhance performance? Effects of autonomous regulation in culturally diverse groups

Numerous studies have examined the self-efficacy-performance relationship at the between-person level and reported a positive relationship consistent with social cognitive theory. As social cognitive theory also contends a positive self-efficacy-performance relationship at the within-person level, several recent studies (Vancouver et al., 2001, 2002) reported a negative relationship contradictory to social cognitive theory but consistent with the prediction of control theory. This study attempts to reconcile the two conflicting theoretical perspectives. In general, I propose that an individual's autonomous regulation moderates the self-efficacy-performance relationship. More specifically, I propose that both social cognitive theory and control theory predict the self-efficacy-performance relationship mediated by goal and on-task attention, but the direction of the relationship is contingent on an individual's level of autonomous regulation. According to social cognitive theory, I expect that self-efficacy positively affects performance through an enhanced level of goal and increased amount of on-task attention. According to control theory, I expect that self-efficacy negatively influences performance mediated by a fixed level of goal and decreased amount of on-task attention. When an individual's autonomous regulation is high, I expect that social cognitive theory will predict the self-efficacy-performance relationship, whereas a negative relationship will exist when one's autonomous regulation is low. As hypothesized, results obtained by hierarchical linear modeling (HLM) analysis indicate that autonomous regulation moderates the self-efficacy-performance relationship, and on-task attention, but not goal, fully mediates this relationship. The second experiment tested how to enhance self-efficacy and autonomous regulation in a culturally diverse work group in order to enhance performance. Performance feedback messages loaded with cultural cues were delivered to enhance self-efficacy and autonomous regulation. Specifically, I hypothesize that self-efficacy and autonomous regulation enhancing messages can have the greatest effects when their cultural cues are consistent with feedback recipients' cultural orientation. The results indicate that in a collectivistic group task setting, culture-laden performance feedback messages are effective to the individualists in enhancing their self-efficacy levels; but this effect is not significant to the collectivists. Discussion of these results is provided. Implications and future research are also discussed.