International Scientific Journals
of Scientific Technical Union of Mechanical Engineering "Industry 4.0"

Locus of control is a central construct in personality psychology, used to investigate how individuals interpret responsibility for events and outcomes across different life domains, including the professional context. Originating from Julian Rotter’s social learning theory (1966), the concept distinguishes between internal and external orientations. Individuals with an internal locus of control tend to attribute success or failure to their own abilities, effort, and behavioral strategies, thus perceiving themselves as active agents capable of influencing their professional development. In contrast, individuals with an external locus of control attribute outcomes to external forces such as chance, fate, organizational constraints, or the actions of powerful others, which may limit their sense of personal agency and control at work.
The aim of this paper is to analyze the influence of locus of control within different types of work environments and to consider its implications for key psychological and organizational variables, including motivation, self-efficacy, job satisfaction, and individual performance. Empirical research consistently demonstrates that employees with a predominantly internal locus of control tend to exhibit stronger intrinsic motivation, greater persistence in the face of challenges, and higher levels of engagement with work tasks. These individuals often report more positive attitudes toward their job, higher performance evaluations, and better adaptability to organizational change. Conversely, a dominant external locus of control is associated with decreased motivation, lower perceived competence, and reduced overall job satisfaction.
The findings underscore that locus of control is a significant psychological factor shaping employees’ effectiveness, well-being, and capacity to adapt within contemporary work settings. As such, understanding its role can support the development of targeted organizational practices aimed at enhancing employee performance and resilience.

Locus of control is a construct used to explore and analyze individual’s personality traits in various environments. It is related to how people perceive responsibility for events in their lives and in а professional context. The present study investigates the manifestation and distribution of internal and external locus of control among technicians and engineers employed in a private company specializing in the repair and maintenance of gaming equipment. Locus of control, conceptualized as a stable psychological orientation reflecting individuals’ beliefs about the degree to which they can influence outcomes in their professional environment, is a key determinant of work behavior, motivation, and organizational adaptability. Using a structured survey based on a validated psychological scale, data were collected from employees occupying various technical and engineering positions. The results demonstrate a prevailing tendency toward an internal locus of control, suggesting that most participants perceive work-related outcomes as contingent on their own skills, efforts, and decisions. Statistical analysis reveals that a stronger internal orientation is positively associated with heightened personal responsibility, proactive problemsolving, and greater commitment to assigned tasks. Conversely, respondents with a more external locus of control report lower levels of autonomy and a higher reliance on external factors such as luck, organizational constraints, or management decisions. The findings underscore the importance of locus of control as a psychological resource that contributes to employee effectiveness, motivation, and resilience in dynamic technical work environments. The study highlights the practical implications for human resource management, including the potential benefits of fostering internal control orientations through targeted training, supportive leadership practices, and organizational policies aimed at enhancing employee empowerment.

Cognitive style is how people think, based on certain attitudes, perceptions and personality orientations. Cognitive styles are considered as basic elements for successful performance. Cognitive style is thought to predict performance in two ways: by allowing employees to quickly learn job-related knowledge and by processing information resulting in better decision making. But cognitive styles have received much less attention than they deserve, given their importance to employee’s functioning. The relationship between cognitive style and performance is not completely understood in scientific research. In this context, the thinking styles and performances of people working in Research and Development (R & D) departments such as other work places are determined by these cognitive styles, and it is important to research this in the era of Industry 4.0.