Job challenge, work effort, and job performance of young engineers: a causal analysis

The author explored the causal relations among job challenge, work load, and job performance of a group of young engineers during their first industrial work assignments as coop engineers in college, then three years later as professional engineers. Causal relations among the three key variables were analyzed using both path analysis and the method of cross-lagged correlation differentials. The results showed that the job challenge and work load not only have direct causal effects on current job performance they also have indirect causal effect on current job performance. Moreover, work load was found to have a more dominant effect on job performance than job challenge. This study points out how different causal assumptions can lead to different interpretations of observed results by prior researchers as well as different theories of professional development for young engineers. Overall, the findings support the proposition that it is work experience that determines job performance. The implications of the present findings for management policy are also discussed