Development and Application of a Model of Personal Control in Organizations

Personal control is defined as an individual's belief at a certain point in his ability to effect a desired change on the environment. It is contended that employees of organizations persist in their attempts to restore a balance in their control perceptions even when desired outcomes are unattainable. A dynamic, situational model of personal control is presented that suggests that, when individuals' self-perceptions of control do not match desired levels of control, employees will select behaviors, attitudes, or cognitions from an extensive hierarchy of control-producing responses that can increase control. By understanding the personal control process, managers can take various actions to increase employees' perceptions of control. These actions include: 1. identifying and increasing the salience of action-outcome linkages for their employees, 2. removing obstacles that impede covariance perceptions, and 3. providing additional opportunities for employees to increase their perceptions of control possessed.