Abstract
Purpose Individual workplace performance (IWP) is perhaps the most important criterion variable in Work/Organisational Psychology. Yet, knowledge pertaining to its conceptualisation and measurement lags behind. We propose a new behavioural, generic model to address this issue. Design/Methodology Individuals’ notions of performance were gathered through interviews (N=25). Subsequent expert categorisations of the constructs elicited enabled the development of a new model (11 categories). Based on this, a multirater performance measure was developed and tested in two phases (pilot N=164; mainN=206) to evaluate applicability in wider populations. Results The pilot phase provided overall support for model and measure, but suggested a more parsimonious, six-factorial IWP structure, incorporating both positive and counterproductive behaviours. In the main phase, factor analyses suggested the correlational pattern observed in pilot phase data could be replicated, lending support to the six-factor structure’s relevance across different samples. The associated measure’s psychometric properties were adequate across both phases. Limitations Thus far, the new model has been used predominantly with professional/managerial, Western European samples, suggesting further research should investigate its generic applicability across more varied occupational and cultural settings. Research/Practical Implications The results indicate performance can be conceptualised and operationalised through six behavioural components, which can be employed in both research and practice.