The Influence of General Self-Efficacy on Self-Leadership - Research Paper Example

The Influence of General self-efficacy on self-leadership Abstract This study provides a wide-ranging assessment on how individual differences may influence the self-leadership skills. The report briefly presents a description of self-leadership research and then proceeds to relate it to how individual attributes such as general self-worth and the need for autonomy relates to their individual performance, self-leadership and entrepreneurship. The results of the study show that individuals who possess personal traits such as general self efficacy and need for self-sufficiency are more likely to practise self leadership strategies and take on leadership responsibilities. This is because individual characterized as self-leaders view themselves as able and expect results. They may also aspire to direct their own efforts, personally encourage themselves, endure in situations of adversity and continually renew their thinking pattern Introduction Self-leadership is a self influence process through which people achieve and/ or can achieve motivation and self direction required to perform their duties and responsibilities (Manz & Neck 204). Self leadership is a combination of three behavioural and cognitive strategies which includes natural reward strategies, behaviour-focused strategies and constructive thought pattern strategy (Manz & Neck 211). According to Norris (47), individuals who possess personal traits such as general self efficacy and need for autonomy are more likely to practise self leadership strategies and take on leadership responsibilities (Zhao and Seibert 261). This is because individual characterized as self-leaders view themselves as capable and expect results (D’Intino et al, 117). They may also desire to direct their own efforts, personally motivate themselves, persist in situations of adversity and continually renew their thinking pattern (Norris, 62). In this study, correlation between need for self-sufficiency and widespread self-efficacy on self-leadership is examined, in order to find out how these individual characteristics influence the use of self-leadership strategies. Self leadership overview The concept of self leadership represents a self-influence process through which men and women influence themselves in order to control their own actions and thinking to achieve self-motivation and self-direction necessary to perform their responsibilities and duties(Manz & Neck 234). This study focuses on the following strategies 1. Behaviour-Focussed strategies This strategy endeavours to increase individual self awareness through behaviour focused strategies that include self goal setting, self-observation, self-cueing and self reward (D’Intino et al 212). Self-observation focuses on self awareness of how and why they engage in a given behaviour as the first step necessary to eliminate or change ineffective behaviour (D’Intino et al 211). Individuals set behaviour altering goals through accurate and effective information regarding current performance level. When the task of setting out specific is challenging goals, it can increase individual performance level significantly (D’Intino et al, 207). 2. Natural Reward Natural reward strategy are designed to create a feeling of self-determination and competence by focusing attention away from unpleasant aspects of a task while refocusing on rewarding aspects of the task, thus energising performance enhancing behaviours(Manz & Neck 234). This involves building a more enjoyable and pleasant features into a given task thus making it naturally rewarding (Norris, 2008). The second strategy focuses attention away from tasks unpleasant aspects and refocusing this perception on the rewarding aspects of the task (D’Intino et al 197). 3. Constructive Thought This strategies include identifying and replacing assumptions and believes that are dysfunctional, and replacing them with positive mental imagery and self talk (D’Intino et al 197). Constructive thought strategy changes thinking pattern by replacing negative and destructive self-talk and replacing it with optimism (Norris, 2008) 4. The need for Autonomy The need for autonomy is the extent to which a person desire freedom and independence in their work Autonomy refers to an individual’s desire to engage in activities of his/her choice (Manz & Neck 72). These are persons with a predisposition or a desire to take independent duties and responsibilities where they make independent decisions (Norris, 58). Yun et al found a positive relationship between need for autonomy and self-leadership; therefore, this study proposes a positive correlation exists between these constructs. H1: There will be a positive relation between need for self-autonomy and self-leadership 5. General Self-Efficacy The social cognitive theory postulates that people are actively defines their environments (Madux 2002). General self-efficacy refers to an accrual of self-successes through previous experiences and represents a constant, trait like believes that demonstrates an accumulation of life successes emerging as a result of previous experience (D’Intino et al 198). Individuals with general self efficacy will tend to deal with difficulties more effectively and persistently even in the face of failure (Zhao and Seibert 267). Previous research studies propose a hypothetical relationship between self-efficacy and general self-leadership. This present study tests this relationship in order to determine whether general self-efficacy influence self leadership strategies. H2: There exists a positive correlation between self-efficacy and self-leadership. 6. Personality and self leadership Personality can be defined as individual pattern of characteristics and traits through which people fundamentally differ from one another (Norris 64). Individual behaviour is unique and it is this uniqueness that influences life and career choices, entrepreneurial behaviours and work performance Norris, 62). Personality characteristics play a major role in predisposition of natural self-leadership and development of individual leadership skills. Zhao and Seibert (2006: 263) reported that founders and business owners scored significantly higher on Openness, experience and conscientiousness, and scored lower on agreeableness and neuroticism, and reported no difference for extraversion between entrepreneurs and managers (Norris 63). Personality characteristics remain fairly constant and stable over a time unlike happiness and optimism which can be changed or shaped with time through self leadership skills and knowledge (Norris, 57). According to Zhao and Seibert (2006: 268), personality should be considered as an important multidimensional component affecting leadership, entrepreneurship and new venture creation. Personality characteristics studied in this report include Extraversion, Agreeableness, Conscientiousness, Neuroticism and Openness Method The sample The actual sample consisted of voluntary graduate students participants. Participation rate was 98.2% and the sample was made up of 43.2 % male and 56.8 % female participants with an average age of approximately 35 years. Procedures Data was collected from graduate students using a questionnaire. Questionnaires were administered in a group setting and all possible efforts were made to ensure true scores were obtained and elimination of any kind of systematic errors by reducing evaluation apprehension. Questionnaires were close-ended statements with fixed responses administered in a paper and pencil format. Responses were obtained in order to measure need for general efficacy, autonomy and self leadership together with self-report information. Measures Self leadership strategies This measure included the three self leadership strategies namely; natural reward, behaviour focused and constructive thought strategy. 5-point likert scale with the following score was used; 1- not accurate at all, 2- somehow accurate, 3- little accurate, 4- most accurate and 5- as completely accurate (Norris 47). Need for autonomy A scale developed and used by Yun et al. (378) was used to measure the need for autonomy. The scale measures person’s predispositions or aspiration to be free or independent of external control. General self efficacy This was measured using NGSE (new general self efficacy) scale developed by Chen et al (147). 5-point Likert scale with the following score was used; 1- strongly agrees, 2- agree, 3- neither agree nor disagree, 4- disagree, 5- strongly disagree. Results The mean and STD deviation results are as shown in table 1 below Table 1 Means and Standard deviation for predictor, control and criterion variables of study Variables Mean Standard Deviation 1. Behaviour-Focussed 3.56 .58 2. Natural Reward 3.66 .63 3. Constructive Thought 3.55 .69 4. Autonomy 3.81 .71 5. General Self-Efficacy 3.98 .54 6. Extraversion 3.53 .78 7. Agreeableness 3.88 .73 8. Conscientiousness 3.51 .71 9. Neuroticism 2.85 .75 10. Openness 3.67 .74 Correlation analysis performed examined the degree of relationship among the predictor variables and criterion variables. Table 2: correlation analysis and internal consistencies Variables 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 1. Behaviour-Focussed 1.00 2. Natural Reward .38** 1.00 3. Constructive Thought .56** .39** 1.00 4. Autonomy .20** .27** .15* 1.00 5. General Self-Efficacy .31** .34** .34** .32** 1.00 6. Extraversion .15* .39** .24** .06 .20** 1.00 7. Agreeableness .08 .14* .01 .07 .02 .39** 1.00 8. Conscientiousness .24** .23** .12 .09 .13 .16* .28** 1.00 9. Neuroticism .12 -.06 .03 -.09 -.14 -.13 -.01 .06 1.00 10. Openness .10 .16* .18 .11 .18** .32** .33** .13 -.07 NB. *= significant at .05 level and **= significant at .01 level. Discussion According to the results above, there is no specific relationship between the general self leadership and the need for autonomy (r = .06) and neither is there a correlation between need for autonomy and behaviour focused (r = 0.32), natural reward (0.06) nor constructive thought (r = .06) self leadership strategies. General self efficacy and self leadership- There is a considerable positive relationship between general self leadership and general self efficacy (r = .34, p< .01). A positive but weak and non-significant correlation was established between behaviour focused self leadership strategy and general self efficacy (r= .17). The results also indicate a major and positive correlations general self-efficacy and natural reward strategy (r = .38, p< 1) and general self efficacy and constructive thought strategies (r = .28, p < .01) Self leadership: There is a positive and major relationship between natural reward and behaviour focused (r = .62, p Read More