Theme 1: Job Performance: What is it and what is considered
good job performance?
We start our discussion this week with job performance.
Understanding our own performance behavior is important to
every employee and understanding the performance of an
employee within their unit or division is critical for managerial
success.
Job Performance is formally defined as the value of the set of
employee behaviors that contribute either positively or
negatively to organizational goal accomplishment (Coquitt,
Lepine & Wesson, 2013). Defining good and bad performance
this way suggest behaviors in the workplace that are within
employee control while defining those that are not acceptable.
For example, if you were a waiter at a restaurant that prides
itself on service and you texted your boyfriend during your
break that behavior is not relevant to job performance.
However, if you were texting in the kitchen resulting in the
delay of food going to the customer’s table the behavior would
be performance-related (Coquitt, Lepine & Wesson, 2013).
This week we examine job performance behaviors and what
constitutes good job performance. Generally, relevant job
performance behaviors fall into two categories: task and
contextual performance. Task performance is easily observed
and measured. Contextual performance, however, involves the
citizenship behavior which contributes to the success of an
organization positively and counterproductive behavior which
affects the organization negatively. Reflected on one's attitude,
it is a qualitative component of behavior that is more difficult
to assess and measure. It influences the engagement and
performance of others and impacts that of the organization as a
whole. Identifying both task and contextual performance
behaviors, and their relevance to organizational effectiveness,

explains why job performance is considered one of the major
outcomes in the study of organizational behavior.
Several of the most popular tools used by management to collect
relevant performance information are Management by
Objectives, behaviorally anchored rating scales, 360-degree
feedback, forced ranking, and social networking.
Theme 2: What is Organizational Commitment and how does it
relate to employee behavior?
Employee commitment is the bond employees experience with
their organization. Employees who are committed to their
organization feel they fit in and understand the goals of the
organization (Hoek, 2016). The value of these employees is that
they tend to be more determined in their work, show relatively
high productivity, and are proactive in offering their support to
organizational endeavors.
The importance of employee commitment to a successful
organization is increasing all the time. The pressure that
globalization and disruptive technology has placed upon the
organization and employee has resulted in fierce competition
for customers and talented employees (Hoek, 2016). Notions of
employers having lifetime employees and employees who want
to stay with a company a lifetime has become outdated.
In addition to the increased competition in the global
environment, employees have a stronger sense of individualism.
Employees want to look at themselves as an individual within
the organization rather than subordinate to the organization
(Hoek, 2016). Hence, the once expected commitment to the
organization is much less of a certainty and makes a committed
employee even more important.
This theme examines the importance of committed employees to

an organization’s success, the types of employee commitment,
and the difference between employee commitment and
engagement.
Beyond being supportive of the workforce, companies can
create activities that seek to focus on the three areas of
commitment, affective, continuance, and normative. Affective
commitment is when the employee wants to stay. Companies
like Ben and Jerry hold monthly “joy events. During these
events work to stop, and the staff holds parties, contests, games,
etc.”. Monsanto has people teams that put together employee-
bonding activities like “snowshoe softball”. Leaders suggest
this why they have a voluntary turnover rate of only 3 percent
(Colquitt, LePine & Wesson, 2013, p.80).
On the continuance commitment front creating a salary and
benefits package that makes people financially compelled to
stay is a priority. Continuance commitment is when an
employee needs to stay. Studies suggest that pay level and
benefits are the strongest predictors of voluntary commitment
coming in close is advancement (Colquitt, LePine & Wesson,
2013, p.81).
In the case of normative commitment, or when an employee
ought to stay, an employer who provides training and
encourages personal development opportunities creates a sense
of fealty among employees. For example, IBM keeps a data
bank of employee skills and uses half of its training budget to
target individual employees for professional development
(Colquitt, LePine & Wesson, 2013, p.83).
Reading:
https://bizfluent.com/info-7856570-definition-job-
performance.html

https://www2.deloitte.com/content/dam/Deloitte/global/Docume
nts/About-Deloitte/central-europe/ce-global-human-capital-
trends.pdf
https://learn.umgc.edu/content/enforced/500603-M_001135-01-
2205/1-
Gen%20Z%20Engagement%20Paradox%20at%20Work.pdf?_&d
2lSessionVal=zEJeFldprRd3mUXNGAQz98WUW
Sonnentag, S. & Frese, M. (2002) Chapter 1: Performance
Concepts and Performance Theory. In
Psychological Management of Individual Performance
. Edited by Sabine Sonnentag. 2002 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/291062476_Performan
ce_Concepts_and_Performance_Theory
https://www.effectory.com/knowledge/what-is-employee-
commitment/
Keeping Job Performance and Commitment High
The CEO wants you to understand that as a new hire, your
major concern amidst Virginia Meats' (VMI) changes is how
you might keep job performance and commitment to the
company running smoothly. Using the same
Memo Format
as in Week 1, answer the follow-up questions for the CEO.
Directions:
1. By
SATURDAY
, complete the following:

Explain your understanding as to what job performance is and
why it is important to a sustainable organization.
Given your knowledge of the company history and current
status from the company profile, identify three areas that the
future of the workplace might pose as challenging for keeping
the organization moving efficiently.
Explain your understanding as to what job commitment is and
why it is important to a sustainable organization.
Given your knowledge of the company history and current
status from the company profile, identify three areas that the
future of the workplace might pose as challenging for keeping
employees at VMI. (Be sure to address in detail other examples
of employee commitment besides retention.)
Discuss how your role as manager relates to job performance
and job commitment. How will this role be challenged in the
future workplace? Give three examples.
You must use course material to support your responses and
APA in-text citations with a reference list.