A study of self-efficacy and the mediating effects of perceived control in the workplac

Although a large body of literature exists pertaining to the construct of self-efficacy, a significant pool of field-based data is lacking. As part of the current research, an organizational study was conducted to explore the correlation between self-efficacy and perceived control within the workplace. Additional research questions dealt with differences in the self-efficacy and sense of control among various demographical divisions. These included: gender, ethnicity, position level within the organization and organizational affiliation. The study results support the proposition that individual self-efficacy is influenced by the individual's perceived sense of control. No support was found for the hypothesis that the self-efficacy and sense of control experienced by males is greater than that of females. Limited support was indicated for the hypothesis that the self-efficacy and sense of control for whites is greater than that of nonwhites. There was no evidence to support the proposition that differences would exist in individual self-efficacy and perceived control across organizational boundaries. Finally, the strongest evidence was indicated in support of the research hypothesis that the higher the position level within the organization, the higher will be individual self-efficacy and sense of control.