Essentially, work locus control refers to how individuals believe that they can control their work environments (Ng, Sorensen & Eby, 2006). Usually, individuals who have a high score on the Work Locus Control scale are considered to have an external locus control, whilst those with a lower score, that is, 35 or below are said to have a high internal locus. Notably, trainees with a greater internal locus often have a more positive attitude towards learning as they believe that the learning will be more useful and beneficial to them. They tend to believe that they have more control over events in that happens in their life and over their work environment. On the other hand, an external locus is associated with passivity and learned helplessness. They believe that external forces such as luck or faith usually determine events, Thus, individuals who have an external locus of control tend to have less job satisfaction and they also perform less when compared to those who have a high internal locus.
My locus of control score of 37 would tend to imply that I have an external locus of control. In light of the information above, I believe that this score hardly reflects accurately my locus of control at work. This is because, in point of view, luck and good fortune do not affect matters relating to the promotion or making money at the place of work. It is also my belief that luck does not play a role in making an individual be outstanding at the place of work. Rather, I believe that that person who performs their job well are usually rewarded for their handwork. In addition to this, I believe that the majority of employees have a greater influence on their supervisors than they may think. I also believe that a job is what an individual makes of it, therefore, they cannot blame other people for lack of job satisfaction. However, in some instances such as in cases where employees are unhappy with a decision made by their boss, I do not think that they should do something about it. I also slightly disagree with the fact that getting a job that one wants is a matter of luck. Nonetheless, comparatively, factors that make me have an internal locus supersede those that would qualify me as having an external locus (Ng, Sorensen & Eby, 2006).
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How Work Locus of Control Might Influence Your Effectiveness as a Manager
Undoubtedly, work locus of control has a greater influence on how effective one can be as a manager. Evidently, managers who have had a strong internal locus of control have been more effective as compared to those who have an external locus of control (Ng, Sorensen & Eby, 2006). Thus, as a manager, I believe that having a work locus of control that is internal will help me to be an effective and efficient manager. This is because; it would influence my decision making the process by inculcating a sense of responsibility within me (Forte, 2005). Therefore, instead of waiting for external forces to influence events in my organization, I would take initiative to make key decisions that would impact positively my workplace and improve the level of productivity and job satisfaction among the employee. Additionally, internal locus control is associated with information gathering which then improves one’s effectiveness. It is also worth noting that the work locus of control is an aspect of personality. Thus, having an internal locus of control can help an individual to adopt a leadership style which is crucial to meeting their managerial objectives (Forte, 2005).
Ideal Locus of Control in a Work Setting
Undoubtedly, the most ideal locus of control in a work setting is the internal locus control (Boone, Olffen & Witteloostuijn, 2005). To begin with, employees with an internal locus of control are self-driven to do research and better their skills and knowledge. Secondly, these employees take action to improve the situations at the workplace thus creating conducive work environment where every individual is able to benefit. Thirdly, employees tend to learn from their mistakes rather than quitting their job when they fail to achieve a set goal. In addition to the above, these individuals are less influenced by the opinions of other people. As a result, these employees have an admirable organizational culture, and problem-solving skills, which in turn translates to improved productivity. On the contrary, those with an external locus often feel hopeless and powerless and they usually play down their success and give up easily.
In the coming year, I will ensure that I take every opportunity to build on an internal locus of control. This will include conducting as many researches as possible in my field of work to gain more knowledge and skills (Boone, Olffen & Witteloostuijn, 2005). In case I face obstacles in my place of work, I will ensure that I device better ways of dealing with my problems to avoid projecting them to other employees. This will help me to create conducive environment for other employees as well. Also, I will ensure that I set realistic goals and set strategies of achieving them to avoid me listening to the opinions of others. Lastly, I will ensure that I do not rely on fate, or luck to influence events in my life, which in turn will help to work hard and not to give up. I will also not harbour any feelings of helplessness and hopelessness especially in instances where I face difficult situations.
References
Boone, C., Olffen, w., & Witteloostuijn, A. (2005). Team Locus-of-Control Composition, Leadership Structure, Information Acquisition, and Financial Performance: A Business Simulation Study. Academy Of Management Journal, 48(5), 889-909. doi: 10.5465/amj.2005.18803929
Forte, A. (2005). Locus of control and the moral reasoning of managers: Journal of Business Ethics, 58(1-3), 65-77.
Ng, T. W., Sorensen, K. L., & Eby, L. T. (2006). Locus of control at work: a meta ‐ analysis. Journal of Organizational Behavior: The International Journal of Industrial, Occupational and Organizational Psychology and Behavior, 27(8), 1057-1087.
