ABSTRACT
Mitchell's theory has its roots in attribution theory and the management of ineffective performance. The attribution theory component is the most extensive and goes back further in time. The beginning is considered to be the work of Fritz Heider. The subsequent names are Edward Jones, Harold Kelley, and Julian Rotter. Stephen Green and Liden carried out a study looking into attributional and company policy factors in leader responses. The attribution theory advanced by Terence Mitchell and his colleagues has considerable research support, although there are certain departures from theoretical expectations. The broader field of decision making is allied to Mitchell's work on attribution theory; he has turned the interest to the study of voluntary turnover decisions and to the matter of controlling turnover. The development work on the theory in the area of group poor performance was done by Karen Brown with Mitchell's assistance using funds from a research grant awarded to Mitchell.
