Searching for the Inverted U-Shaped Relationship Between Time and Performance: Meta-Analyses of the Experience/Performance, Tenure/Performance, and Age/Performance Relationships

Abstract

Theoretical and empirical research suggests that job experience, organizational tenure, and age have nonlinear relationships with performance. Considered simultaneously, there should exist an inverted Ushaped relationship between time and performance. Furthermore, the nature of this inverted U-shaped relationship should be affected by characteristics of the sample and measurement of performance. Using meta-analysis, this paper seeks to confirm the existence of the inverted U-shaped relationship between time and performance, and to demonstrate the moderating effects of performance measurement (objective versus subjective measures of performance) and job complexity. The results have implications for theory, research on dynamic performance, and human resource management practice.

The effect of context-related moderators on the internationalization-performance relationship: Evidence from meta-analysis

“…It is also possible that there is error in measurements of the independent or dependent variable in the studies we reviewed. While some scholars make use of estimates for population reliabilities (Combs/Ketchen Jr. 2003, Sturman 2003, other researchers assume global reliabilities of 0.80 in measuring the independent and dependent variable in their metaanalyses (Dalton/Daily/Ellstrand/Johnson 1998, Dalton et al 1999, King/Dalton/ Daily/Covin 2004. However, we could not accurately account for measurement error, as none of our articles reported information on data reliability.…”

The effect of cognitive demands and perceived quality of work life on human performance in manufacturing environments

“…This information was evaluated as a multi-group analysis, with the results indicating the factorial structural model was invariant (equivalent, with no significant differences) across the worker-periods. It is interesting to note that the findings of Sturman (2003) indicated that task complexity affects the relationship between time and performance. Specifically, Sturman found that low complexity task followed the inverted U-shaped time and performance relationship, but high complexity tasks did not.…”

Person–job fit, person–organization fit and innovative work behavior: The mediating role of innovation trust

“…Research suggests that job experience, age and tenure are potential predictors of innovative work behavior; and they may affect job performance (Tierney & Farmer, 2002;Sturman, 2003). Table 3 displays the means, standard deviations, and correlations among the study variables.…”