Toward a Theory of Mobility and Behavior in Organizations: An Inquiry Into the Consequences of Some Relationships Between Individual Performance and Organizational Success

Abstract

In this paper I will show that various positions within organizations put different limits on the relationship between individual performance and organizational success. Some of the consequences of these curvilinear relationships will be illustrated by describing three common types. After specifying the major determinants of these three types, I will use them to help explain four outcomes. The relationships provide an explanation for important aspects of mobility systems within organizations. Additional consequences include the probability that workers will be sympathetic to collective bargaining and horizontal movements between organizations. The hree relationships between individual and organizational performance also act as a primary determinant of control process within organizations and the individual adaptations that result.