social-cognitive theory

Assignment one/one page

Respond to your colleague posting in one or more of the following ways:

• Critique your colleague’s use of SCT to help organizations develop strategies.

• Provide additional ways to use SCT to help organizations develop strategies.

• Provide additional examples that might illustrate your colleague’s point.

• Expand on your colleague’s posting.

Topic: social-cognitive theory

One capability posited by the social-cognitive theory (SCT) is anticipation and forethought about consequences that are likely to happen as a result of their action. (Pinder, 1998) A second capability is using symbols to help guide actions. A third capability is vicarious learning through the actions and resulting effect of others. A fourth capability is the ability to regulate one’s own actions. A fifth capability is the ability to analyze one’s own experience and thought process. (Pinder, 1998) One way I might use SCT to help an organization develop strategies for the professional development of its employees is by focusing on employees’ ability to vicariously learn. Employees can learn from their co-workers. (Stajkovic & Luthans, 1998) One way to go about this is to have new employees shadow other employees in the same or similar positions. This will help them to learn the INS and out of their position and the company. (Pinder, 1998) Another way I might use SCT is to help build self-efficacy through social persuasion. This could be done by ensuring managers assign employees challenging, but manageable tasks, which will help strengthen employee’s belief in their own ability. (Pinder, 1998)

References

Pinder, C. C. (1998). Learning theories of work behavior. In Work motivation in organizational behavior (pp. 164-208). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall.

Stajkovic, A. D., & Luthans, F. (1998). Social cognitive theory and self-efficacy: Going beyond traditional motivational and behavioral approaches. Organizational Dynamics, 26(4), 62-74. doi:10.1016/S0090-2616(98)90006-7

Assignment two one page

Respond to your colleague posting in one or more of the following ways:

• Critique a colleague’s explanation of the contribution of self-efficacy theory to self-regulation theory.

• Provide additional ways the theory might be applied to help complete a graduate degree.

• Validate an idea with your own experience.

• Expand on your colleague’s posting.

Topic: self-efficacy theory

How self-efficacy theory (personal goal setting) contributes to self-regulation theory

According to Stajkovic & Luthans (1998), Self-efficacy relates to how people’s beliefs in their capabilities to affect the environment control their actions in ways that produce desired outcomes (pg 63). Going by the self-efficacy theory, an individual’s belief or feelings of personal efficacy in his or her effort to achieve something can determine the level of efforts he or she is willing to expend in achieving it.

Self regulation refers to internal processes that helps an individual guide his goal directed activities over time and across changing circumstance. The self regulation theory says that, an individual controls his or her own behavior, by responding either positively or negatively to the outcome of the assessment. He or she observes his behavior, forms judgment about it and responds appropriately to the judgment formed. Self efficacious individuals engaged in more effective self regulatory behaviors. According to Bandura (1991), Self efficacy theory contributes to self regulation in 3 ways;

Firstly, according to Bandura (1991), it partly determines how the various sub-functions of a self-regulatory system operate (pg 257). One’s self efficacy beliefs will influence how the individual will observe his behavior, the judgment he will form about it and the response to exhibit afterwards. One’s attribution of the cause of his failure or success in performance depends on how self-efficacious the individual is. For instance, where the individual is highly self-efficacious, they tend to ascribe their failures too insufficient efforts whereas those who regard themselves as inefficacious may likely attribute failure to low ability (Bandura, 1991).

Secondly, self-efficacy influences the sub-function of self-regulation such that the more people judge themselves to be capable, the higher the goals they set for themselves and their commitment to attain it (Bandura, 1991). Lastly, self-efficacy influences an individual’s evaluation of his activities. The individual who is highly self-efficacious has intrinsic and enduring interest in their activities and work diligently at them (Bandura, 1991).

How Self-efficacy might be applied to complete graduate degree

Research has proven that one’s efficacy belief can influence performance attainment by influencing effort, persistence and perseverance (Bandura & Schunk, 1981). I started the Industrial and Organizational psychology program at Walden without a single doubt in me that I can achieve the MS degree in the field. The journey to attaining this degree has been a tough one having to combine my not-so-flexible work schedule and schooling, doing my best to meet deadlines for assignments and paying my tuition fees. I believe my persistence in working to attain this goal can be attributed to my high self-efficacy. Had it not been for it, I might have dropped out of the program along the way. Studies by (Lent, Brown & Larkin, 1984, in college science and engineering students show that high self efficacy influences the right levels of academic persistence needed to maintain high academic achievement.

Reference

Bandura, A. & Schunk, D. H. (1981). Cultivating competence, self-efficacy and intrinsic interest through proximal self-motivation. Journal of personality and social psychology, 41, 586-598

Bandura, A. (1991). Social cognitive theory of self-regulation. Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes, 50(2), 248–287.

Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes by Bandura, A. Copyright 1991 by ELSEVIER SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY JOURNALS. Reprinted by permission of ELSEVIER SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY JOURNALS via the Copyright Clearance Center.

Stajkovic, A. D., & Luthans, F. (1998). Self-efficacy and work-related performance: A meta-analysis. Psychological Bulletin, 124(2), 240–261.

Retrieved from the Walden Library databases.