| Author: | Wong, Tik Lun Franko |
| Title: | Goal orientations, decision motives and academic performance |
| Advisors: | Huang, Xu (MM) Gul, Ferdinand (MM) Tong, Wilson (AF) |
| Degree: | D.B.A. |
| Year: | 2016 |
| Subject: | Hong Kong Polytechnic University -- Dissertations Decision making. Goal (Psychology) |
| Department: | Faculty of Business |
| Pages: | 107 pages : color illustrations |
| Language: | English |
| Abstract: | The purpose of this study is to examine how motive of decision plays a role between the relationship of an individual's goal orientation and academic performance. We focus on two types of decisions: 1) decision driven by motivational reasons, and 2) decision driven by instrumental reasons. According to traditional goal orientation theory, individual's goal orientation (i.e. learning goal, or performance goal) can influence performance through affective and attitudinal variables such as enjoyment, interest, recognition, tangible incentives, etc. This study proposes that an individual's goal orientation can also influence performance through his/her cognitive decision-making motive. In addition, this study suggests that the level of individual's socioeconomic status and escalation of commitment can set the boundary conditions that affect the relationship between a person's decision-making motive and his/her academic performance. Data were gathered within one academic year from 308 second-year undergraduate students who had just decided, and then successfully declared their academic study majors in the Bachelor of Business Administration program at a local university. Their reasons for such academic decisions and their goal orientations were recorded. The grade point average (GPA) of each participant was collected as academic performance. The results of the study showed that "decision driven by motivational reasons" plays a mediating role between the relationship of individual's learning goal orientation and his/her academic performance. It was also found that "decision driven by motivational reasons" was more positively related to GPA when participants had higher levels of socioeconomic status than lower. On the contrary, "decision driven by motivational reasons" was less positively related to GPA when participants had higher levels of escalation of commitment than lower. |
| Rights: | All rights reserved |
| Access: | restricted access |
Files in This Item:
| File | Description | Size | Format | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| b29290831.pdf | For All Users (off-campus access for PolyU Staff & Students only) | 703.37 kB | Adobe PDF | View/Open |
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