“To Infinity and Beyond”: The Usage of Stretch Goals To Motivate Performance (with)in Individuals

Dwi Alan Budi Kusuma, Dr J. (Jorrit) Alkema, M.Sc.

2025 | Skripsi | MANAJEMEN

Tesis ini mempelajari pengaruh Goal Stretching terhadap kinerja individu. Berdasarkan Teori Goal-Setting Locke dan Latham serta konsep self-efficacy Bandura, sebuah eksperimen online melibatkan 154 peserta dilakukan. Peserta dibagi secara acak ke dalam tiga kondisi berbeda dengan waktu dua menit untuk menyelesaikan tugas: tanpa goal stretching (kontrol), low goal stretching (skor 15 dari 30), atau high goal stretching (skor 25 dari 30). Pengukuran self-efficacy umum dan matematika mereka dilakukan menggunakan Skala Likert tujuh poin.

Bertentangan dengan ekspektasi, analisis menggunakan ANOVA maupun regresi linier tidak menunjukkan efek utama yang signifikan dari goal stretching terhadap kinerja individu, dan tidak ada interaksi yang konsisten dengan self-efficacy. Analisis eksploratif menunjukkan bahwa terdapat penurunan kinerja pada responden Asia dan mahasiswa saat diberikan low goal stretching. Selain itu, ditemukan bahwa tingkat self-efficacy yang lebih tinggi terbukti memprediksi kinerja yang lebih baik pada peserta perempuan dan mereka yang memiliki gelar sarjana, meskipun tidak ada interaksi signifikan dengan kondisi tujuan.

Hasil ini menyarankan bahwa faktor pendidikan dan demografis memainkan peran penting dalam membentuk cara individu merespons stretch goals, dan bahwa self-efficacy dapat meningkatkan kinerja pada kelompok tertentu meskipun goal stretching itu sendiri tidak. Temuan ini menyoroti pentingnya menyesuaikan stretch goals dan mengembangkan self-efficacy dalam individu untuk mengoptimalkan motivasi. Tesis ini diakhiri dengan pembahasan kontribusi teoretis dan praktis terhadap penelitian tentang goal-setting dan self-efficacy, mengakui keterbatasan, dan mengusulkan arah untuk studi masa depan yang lebih terfokus.

This thesis studies the effect of stretching goals towards the performance of individuals. Based on Locke and Latham's Goal-Setting Theory and Bandura's concept of self-efficacy, an online experiment involving 154 participants was run. These participants were randomly assigned to three different conditions with two minutes to complete the task: no goal stretching (control), low goal stretching (score 15 out of 30), or high goal stretching (score 25 out of 30). Their general and math self-efficacy measurements were established via a seven-point Likert Scale.

Contrary to expectations, neither analysis using ANOVA nor linear regression showed a significant main effect of stretch goal difficulty on individual performance, and there was no consistent interaction with self-efficacy. Exploratory analyses showed that there was a reduction in performance from Asian respondents and current university students when they were given low stretch goals. It was also discovered that a higher self-efficacy proved to have predicted better performance for female participants and those holding a bachelor's degree, although there was no significant interaction with the goal condition.

These results suggest that educational and demographic factors play an important role in shaping how individuals respond to stretch goals, and that self-efficacy can boost performance in certain subgroups even when goal stretching itself does not. These findings underscore the importance of tailoring stretch goals and fostering self-efficacy within individuals to optimize motivation. This thesis concludes by discussing theoretical and practical contributions to goal-setting and self-efficacy research, acknowledging limitations, and proposing directions for more focused future studies.

Kata Kunci : Goal-Setting Theory, Stretch Goals, Self-Efficacy