A Meta-Analysis of the Relationship Between Prosocial Motivation and Performance Behavior

Abstract

Based on 43 studies with 59 independent samples (N = 12,641), we examine the relationship of prosocial motivation with task performance and citizenship behaviors in this preliminary meta-analysis. We also identify and investigate two theoretical moderators: interaction with beneficiaries and culture, as well as one methodological moderator: rating source. The findings suggest that prosocial motivation has a smaller effect size on task performance (r =.24) than it does on overall citizenship behaviors (r =.36). Furthermore, there are no cross-cultural differences in the relationship between prosocial motivation and task performance or citizenship behaviors. The interaction with the beneficiaries, on the other hand, moderates the relationship between prosocial motivation and citizenship behaviors but not the relationship between prosocial motivation and task performance. The findings also indicate that the relationship between prosocial motivation and self-rated citizenship behaviors (r =.50) is stronger than the relationship between prosocial motivation and other-rated citizenship behaviors (r =.20), indicating a possible common method bias. Theoretical and practical implications are discussed, with an emphasis on the study's limitations and future research directions.