ABSTRACT
Several studies have shown that group goals canimprove group performance (e.g., Becker, 1978; Klein & Mulvey, 1989; Latham & Yukl, 1975; Pritchard, Jones, Roth, Stuebing, &
Ekeberg, 1988; Weingart & Weldon, 1991; Weldon, Jehn, & Pradhan, 1991). However, very little is known about the behaviors that mediate this effect. In this article, a model of group goals
and group performance is presented. This model suggests four mediators (effort and the amount, quality, and timing of planning) and considers the impact of task component complexity as a moderator of the group-goal effect. The goals of this article are threefold: (a) to develop a theory of group goals and task complexity, (b) to describe a study that tested the theory, and (c) to suggest future research in this area.
