Locating Work Ethic in a Broader Performance Model – Perspectives From Botswana

Abstract: Work ethic is a highly desired and valued attribute among employees: It has been associated with enhanced productivity at individual, organizational, and national levels. However, poor work ethic has been singled out as a leading cause of low performance and poor service delivery in Botswana. This misguided assertion has been made without contextualizing and empirically investigating work ethic among other factors of performance in Botswana. To address this gap, this paper presents a conceptual model of performance that theorizes the role of work ethic in relation to other factors that influence performance. These factors are work ethic, work environment, motivation, and knowledge, skills, and attitudes. The model proposes direct, mediating, and moderating effects among the factors and performance. The influence of work ethic on performance has been studied internationally but the construct has not been considered in the context of varied factors in a developing country such as Botswana. The proposed conceptual model can serve as a theoretical basis for empirical research and practical applications.