Self Efficacy and Work Performance: A Theoretical Framework of Albert Bandura's Model, Review of Findings, Implications and Directions for Future Research

Abstract

The article examined the relationship between Self Efficacy and Work Performance using Albert Bandura's Social Cognition Theory as a theoretical framework. Bandura's main proposition was that individuals with high self efficacy believe in themselves and go on to exhibit high performance while individuals with low self efficacy do not have confidence in themselves and end up with low performance. The review of Iiterature revealed that findings have been varried with some studies having a positive relationship between self effficacy and work performance, some a negative relationship and some no relationship between the variables. However it was discovered from the studies that several interveining variables such as nature of the task, inteligence, personality, skill level, motivation, supervision, training, level of the worker, education, etc mediated the relationship between self efficacy and work performance. Thus, Bandura's Social Cognition theory has great implications for the world of work and performance in organisations, but may not necessarily act in isolation, but in conjunction with other organisational variables to foster optimum job performance.