Subjects: Psychology >> Management Psychology submitted time 2024-05-01
Abstract： The presence of negative feedback in vision communication is quite common in managerial practices and has increasingly garnered scholarly attention in recent years. However, prior investigations into this domain remain in their infancy. While some studies suggest that subordinates might lower their goal expectations after receiving negative feedback, there is also evidence suggesting that such feedback can motivate subordinates to enhance their performance. Consequently, the precise impact of negative feedback on subordinates’ perception of the leader’s vision remains unclear. To optimize the use of negative feedback, it is imperative to explore negative feedback strategies that are beneficial to subordinates’ vision expectations. The construal level of the message plays a pivotal role in shaping the receiver’s motivation and cognition. Drawing on fantasy realization theory, this study investigates the mechanisms through which the construal level of negative feedback in vision communication affects subordinates’ vision pursuit, particularly under favorable and unfavorable organizational conditions. This exploration aims to offer guidance for leaders to improve organizational communication.
To examine the influence of negative feedback’s construal level on subordinates’ vision pursuit, three studies were conducted. The first study employed a scenario experiment, involving 76 participants divided into four groups. Subjects were exposed to stimuli related to organizational conditions and leader’s speeches. In the second study, 301 participants completed surveys at two time points. At Time 1, they reported the construal level of negative feedback of their immediate superiors during vision communication and evaluated the organizational conditions. At Time 2, they reported their perceptions of vision expectations and vision pursuit. The third study involved a broader survey with 619 valid responses, using refined scales and a sample-split technique to minimize common method bias.
The results showed that: (1) For vision communication under favorable organizational conditions, the construal level of negative feedback had a negative relationship with subordinates’ vision expectations. (2) Under unfavorable organizational conditions, the construal level of negative feedback had a positive relationship with subordinates’ vision expectations. (3) The construal level of negative feedback further affected subordinates’ vision pursuit behavior through vision expectations. (4) This mediating effect is moderated by organizational conditions.
This study makes several contributions. First, it examines the influence of leaders’ negative feedback on subordinates’ expectations and behaviors through the lens of wording strategy, thereby advancing the research on negative feedback. Second, it explores the boundary conditions of negative feedback’s construal level in vision communication. By integrating negative feedback with vision communication, this study has built a theoretical bridge for the integration of multiple communication strategies. Additionally, this study extends the application of fantasy realization theory to workplace contexts.
Subjects: Psychology >> Management Psychology submitted time 2024-04-25
Abstract： The Leader-Member Exchange (LMX) relationship within organizations is dynamic, evolving over time and in response to key events. However, existing research lacks an in-depth exploration of the dynamic nature of LMX development and the mechanisms through which events drive these changes. This study aims to address this gap by investigating the key events that influence shifts in LMX quality, systematically analyzing the antecedents and potential mechanisms underlying the dynamics of LMX relationships. The study will employ a deductive approach coupled with qualitative methods to identify fundamental trends in LMX evolution and pinpoint the key events that instigate these transformations. Subsequently, building on the initial exploration of LMX dynamics and their triggers, the study will conduct empirical research to track the developmental changes in LMX at different stages. Specifically, during the establishing phase of LMX, emphasis will be placed on interactions between employees and leaders, exploring the process of LMX establishment and development for new employees. In the routinization phase of LMX, the study will investigate significant internal and external events that drive further changes in LMX, examining the patterns of LMX evolution through event analysis. By anchoring the research in critical events, a theoretical framework for understanding the dynamic shifts in LMX will be developed, offering practical insights and recommendations for managers and team management practices.
Subjects: Psychology >> Management Psychology submitted time 2024-04-15
Abstract： As a kind of important strategic talent capital, star employees only occupy a small proportion of the organizational staff, but make an extremely high contribution to the organization. Star employees can contribute to the organizational value creation activities not only through their direct disproportionately high and prolonged performance, social capital, and visibility, but also via exerting extensive and profound influences on their colleagues, that is, star employees’ ripple effects. Based on a systematic literature review, this study draws upon the theoretical framework of social influence to specifically elaborate how star employees generate proximal ripple effects on their nonstar team members and the whole team, and then how to generate distal ripple effects on external-team colleagues in the organizational context. Further, this study also explores the boundary conditions of these ripple effects from the perspectives of human resource management practice and star employees’ interpersonal characteristic. Specifically, we proposed three research modules, including four theoretical models. Our theoretical framework will not only be helpful for scholars to gain a more comprehensive and deep understanding about how star employees exert positive or negative social influences on organizational value creation, but also provide valuable suggestions on the star employee management practices for Chinese organizations.
Subjects: Psychology >> Management Psychology submitted time 2024-04-08
Abstract： In recent years, employees how to effectively role transition and improve work efficiency have received widespread attention from managers and researchers. Previous research mainly focused on state transition activities during commuting time from the perspective of role transition theory, and researchers found that these activities do help employees transition roles and improve work efficiency, providing useful guidance for management practices. However, a few studies have focused on state transition activities in the workplace, which are widespread and have a significant impact on employees’ daily work efficiency, but existing research knows little about these activities. To fill these research gaps, we integrate role transition theory and resource conservation theory to explore the mechanisms and boundary conditions of workplace state transition activities and attempt to explore how employees can achieve higher work efficiency by engaging in workplace state transition activities./t/nWe conducted a field study of a technology-based company in southern China using experience sampling methods. We collected data using the Positive and Negative Affect Scale, Work engagement Scale, and Work Goal Progress Scale. Firstly, we collected control variables (gender, age, organizational tenure, job category) on the weekend, while asking participants to report on the activities they engaged in during the time between arriving at the office and starting work. We referred to these activities as state transition activities. Secondly, during a two-week daily survey period, participants evaluated their positive and negative emotions at 7:30 a.m., their morning state transition activities, types of state transition activities, and work engagement at 12:30 p.m., their afternoon state transition activities, types of state transition activities, work engagement, work goal progress, and task completion for the whole day at 6:00 p.m. The final sample included 603 usable observations collected from 70 employees. To test the proposed hypotheses, we conducted two-level path-analyses using Mplus 7.0 and performed a Monte Carlo simulation procedure using R software./t/nGiven that individual-level data nested within individuals, we used a multilevel linear model to test our hypotheses. As indirect effect tests involve multiple variables, we used the block variable method to bundle variables and conducted 20,000 Monte Carlo simulations to generate a 95% Monte Carlo confidence interval in R3.5. Based on the results, our research presents three conclusions: (1) At the individual level, the relationship between morning and afternoon work state transition activities time and morning and afternoon work engagement was inverted U-shaped. (2) The effect of work state transition activity on work engagement depended on activities time and activities habituality: when the habituality of role transition activities was high, there was an inverted U-shaped relationship between employees’ morning role transition activities time and job engagement. When the habituality of role transition activities was low, there was an inverted U-shaped relationship between employees’ afternoon role transition activities time and job engagement. (3) The indirect effect of work state transition activities on the work goal progress by influencing work engagement was partly moderated by the chronotype of employees: Morning chronotype employee had a positive impact on the work goal progress through morning work engagement; No matter what kind of employees’ chronotype, afternoon work state transition activities can positively affect the work goal progress through afternoon work engagement./t/nThe current study has several theoretical contributions. First, this study extends the existing literature on state transition activities by exploring a new context of role transitions, analyzing the time spent on state transition activities before entering work and proposing an inverted U-shaped relationship between the time spent on these activities and subsequent work engagement. Second, this study enriches the understanding of the underlying mechanisms of state transition activities. Previous literature mainly explored how employees could better complete role transitions from a role perspective. This study analyzes from a resource perspective, considering both resource transfer and depletion during the activities. By analyzing the time and psychological resources in these activity processes, this study proposes that the habituality and timing of state transition activities jointly affect subsequent work engagement. Habituality refers to the degree to which employees’ state transition activities are habitual behaviors that are triggered and repeated in work situations. Third, previous research has focused on describing the process of employees transitioning from family roles to work roles. However, lunch break is an important part of the workday, and transitioning from non-work state to work state is also required when entering work in the afternoon. To fully describe the role transition process throughout the day, this study analyzes morning and afternoon state transition activities separately, explores how morning and afternoon state transition activities affect morning and afternoon work engagement, and thus impact work efficiency for the day.
Peer Review Status:
Awaiting Review
Subjects: Psychology >> Management Psychology submitted time 2024-04-07
Abstract： Money, as an important resource that can fulfill people’s material and spiritual needs, is closely related to everyone. Does perceiving oneself as poor or rich have an impact on risk decision-making? Currently, research on the influence of perceived scarcity (abundance) of money on risk decision-making is very limited at a relative level, and the psychological mechanisms by which perceived scarcity (abundance) of money affects risk decision-making are still unclear. The objective of this study is to determine the psychological mechanism by which money perception affects risk decision-making from the perspectives of relative scarcity and relative abundance. We will reveal the impact of perceived money scarcity and abundance on individual risk decision-making through laboratory and field experiments, cross-temporal tracking empirical research, and eye movement behavioral experiments. Based on these experiments, the impact of perceived money scarcity and abundance on high- or low-risk decision-making (risk perception, expected return, risk choice) will be tested. At the psychological mechanism level, this study seeks to clarify the cognitive (the mediating role of cognitive biases, cognitive reflections, and executive control) and emotional (the mediating role of specific emotions related to perceived scarcity and abundance of money) mechanisms by which perceived money scarcity and abundance influence risk decision-making under different money perception scenarios.
Subjects: Psychology >> Management Psychology submitted time 2024-04-02
Abstract： In the crucible of competition stress, individuals have chosen two diametrically opposite compensation strategies, such that some have chosen “Rat Race”, while others have chosen “Lying Flat”. To illustrate this seemingly contradictory choice, this research distinguishes the dimensional attributes of competition stress. Based on the theory of psychological compensation, we then explore individuals’ compensation strategies when faced with different types of competition stress. Specifically, competition stress is a multidimensional concept, including competition result stress and competition process stress. Among them, competition result stress threatens self-esteem, prompting fluid compensation, which is termed the “Rat Race” effect. In contrast, competition process stress menaces well-being, spurring escapism compensation, which is termed the “Lying Flat” effect. This research will effectively add to the literature on competition stress, psychological compensation, self-esteem, and well-being.
Subjects: Psychology >> Management Psychology submitted time 2024-03-28
Abstract： Amidst intense competition, the precise recognition of innovative solutions aligned with the enterprise’s needs emerges as paramount for a company’s survival and growth. Decision-makers’ creativity recognition holds a central position in the literature on organizational creativity and innovation. However, existing studies often overlook the substantial impact of competition, leaving decision-makers’ cognitive biases and the underlying mechanisms unexplored. Consequently, research findings lack the explanatory power necessary for real-world phenomena. Within the corporate innovation process, decision-makers frequently engage in prolonged competition with closely matched opponents, transforming routine competition into enduring rivalry. Acknowledging this context, the current project adopts a relational competition perspective to investigate how the rivalry between decision-makers influences the accuracy of creativity recognition for both parties. Employing a mixed-method approach, encompassing laboratory experiments, field studies, and archival analysis across four studies, the project explores the nuanced effects of rivalry on decision-makers’ creativity recognition. Furthermore, the project seeks to unveil the mediating roles of cognitive processing depth and breadth paths while examining the boundary conditions. Leveraging the rivalry perspective, this project sheds new light on decision-makers’ cognitive biases in creativity recognition and the underlying mechanisms contributing to these biases. In terms of practical implications, this project can also assist decision-makers in comprehending and mitigating biases effectively.
Subjects: Psychology >> Management Psychology submitted time 2024-03-28
Abstract： Due to the increasing prominence of the interpersonal benefits of workplace mindfulness, it is necessary to identify the emerging trends in its conceptual development and interpersonal mechanisms that can help organizations establish positive workplace environments. Our research reveals that the conceptual development trends associated with workplace mindfulness can be categorized into outcome-oriented and process-oriented trends. While the former category focuses on the congruence between concepts and measurements in the work context, thereby promoting beneficial outcomes, the latter category emphasizes the process mechanism of workplace mindfulness during interpersonal interactions. Our work further demonstrates that workplace mindfulness significantly impacts quality-related and function-related interpersonal outcomes through four types of connections: (1) intellectual connections that capture information through open attention to the task of coordinating interdependent work during interactions; (2) emotional connections that reduce the self-inference of both internal and external emotional experiences and strengthen connections with others in terms of belonging, support, and care; (3) resource connections that promote resource accumulation and mitigate resource loss during interactions; and (4) exchange connections that direct the flow of resources and influence people’s willingness to engage in value exchange. Intellectual connections and emotional connections are facilitated by resource connections and exchange connections. Future research could investigate the interpersonal impact of workplace mindfulness in challenging work contexts such as digitalization, AI technology, and telecommuting as well as with regard to the organizational culture in terms of diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) and stigmatization.
Subjects: Psychology >> Management Psychology submitted time 2024-03-28
Abstract： Health issues are of great importance to both individual and social development. Researchers have been paying attention to how to promote healthy behavior decision-making and seeking effective nudge programs. This article is based on the health belief model and regulatory focus theory, by subdividing the scarcity types - demand scarcity and supply scarcity, and incorporating the personal trait of regulatory focus, to explore the impact of the matching of scarcity types and regulatory focus on health behavior decision-making and its mechanisms.
Study 1 conducted a nationwide HPV vaccination willingness survey, divided scarcity types based on the vaccine supply and reservation status in the region displayed on the vaccine appointment applet, and examined the impact of the matching of vaccine scarcity types and regulatory focus on vaccination willingness. Study 2 used an experimental method to activate the scarcity type, and added health scenarios of fitness, physical examination, and vaccination to test the impact of the matching of scarcity type and regulatory focus on health intentions. Study 3 continued to examine the impact of the matching of scarcity type and regulatory focus on health behavior decision-making by simultaneously activating scarcity type and regulatory focus and incorporating real health behavior indicators, and explored the mediating mechanism.
Based on the findings from these three studies, we observed that scarcity type and regulatory fit can significantly influence health behavior decision-making. Study 1 demonstrated that overall vaccine willingness remained high across all scarcity conditions. Considering the impact of the past pandemic, the subsequent studies expanded the range of health-related scenarios to further explore the matching effects. In Study 2, we found that under demand-based scarcity, individuals with a prevention regulatory focus displayed higher health intentions, while under supply-based scarcity, individuals with a promotion regulatory focus showed higher health intentions. There were no significant differences in health intentions in the virtual vaccine scenario. To avoid potential ceiling effects, vaccine-related materials were excluded in subsequent studies. Study 3 once again confirmed the promoting effect of the match between regulatory focus and scarcity type on health behavior, and found that this effect was mediated by value perception. Additionally, the study demonstrated that the fit between trait regulatory focus and scarcity type significantly predicted actual health behavior.
This study extends research on scarcity to the field of health behavior decision-making and provides a research basis for developing health promotion strategies that match personal characteristics. The insights derived from this study can inform individuals and decision-makers in effectively leveraging the congruence between scarcity types and individual motivations, ultimately leading to improved public health outcomes.
Peer Review Status:Awaiting Review
Subjects: Psychology >> Management Psychology submitted time 2024-03-24
Abstract： Time is the most important intangible resource in organizations. Team temporal leadership, as a key factor in improving the efficiency of organizational time utilization, has received significant research attention in recent years. However, there is still controversy surrounding the concept and connotation of team temporal leadership, and there is a particular lack of exploration regarding its mechanisms on team and individual effectiveness. Therefore, this study will undertake a series of research centered on the core concept of “time”. It will involve clarifying the concept of team temporal leadership, developing a scale in the Chinese context, and investigating the multi-level mechanisms through which team temporal leadership influences team and individual effectiveness. This research not only makes a significant contribution to the theoretical development of team temporal leadership but also holds important practical implications for time management within teams and organizations.
Subjects: Psychology >> Management Psychology submitted time 2024-02-20
Abstract： With the digitalization and flattening of organizational management structures, the emergence of leadership has become increasingly pivotal in supporting organizational operational efficacy. Consequently, delving into the mechanisms governing leadership emergence within online work teams has become an imperative in contemporary management practices. While existing research extensively examines leadership emergence mechanisms in traditional contexts. However, there are significant differences exist between the online context and the traditional face-to-face context. The dynamics of interaction and communication differ considerably. Therefore, this study aims to analyze the mechanisms of leadership emergence in online work teams through the lens of communication styles. Employing grounded theory, we initially explore the salient features of virtual communication indicative of leadership potential. Based on the structural theory of communication style, we posit that leadership potential manifests in the identity, channel, and
interaction characteristics of virtual communication. Subsequently, we analyze the impact of identity characteristics through the lens of leadership identity construction theory, scrutinize channel characteristics utilizing a person-centered approach, and investigate the influence of interaction characteristics stemming from social network structures. The objective is to elucidate how these characteristics shape leadership emergence within online work teams. This study expands the theory of leadership emergence and provides a scientific basis for enterprises to make good use of digital media for effective management and communication.
Subjects: Psychology >> Management Psychology Subjects: Management Science >> Enterprise Management submitted time 2024-02-02
Abstract： Brand names serve as crucial touchpoints for establishing brand-consumer relationships and are integral components of brand assets. Linguistic studies on branding have established that the phonetic features of brand names can influence consumers’ cognition, emotions, and behavior. However, research on the impact and mechanisms of phonetic features on consumers’ ethical responses is limited. Based on the mind perception theory, this study explores the asymmetric paths through which the use of repeated two-syllable brand names influences consumers’ moral reactions in two different situations. Based on seven experiments, we determined that in the context of brands as moral agents, compared to non-repeated two-syllable brand names, repeated ones can alleviate consumers’ negative moral reactions (anger, disgust, blame, punishment intention) toward the brand by reducing the think dimension of brand mind perception (rather than the feel dimension). However, in the context of brands as moral patients, repeated two-syllable brand names enhance consumers’ positive moral reactions (sympathy, compassion, regret, and purchase intention) toward the brand by increasing the feel dimension of brand mind perception (rather than the think dimension).
Experiment 1a was designed to derive experimental evidence on the relationship between repeated two-syllable brand name and consumers’ negative moral reactions in the context of moral agent. Experiment 1a (N=200) was a single factor (repeated two-syllable: yes vs. no) between-subjects design in which participants were randomly assigned to different groups to read a news report regarding an incident of vulgar advertising with repeated or non-repeated two-syllable brand names. Participants then reported their level of anger, disgust, and blame toward the brand. Experiment 1b (N=200), which had a similar between-subjects design as Experiment 1a, verified the relationship between repeated two-syllable brand name and consumers’ positive moral reactions in the context of moral patient. The participants were randomly assigned to two groups to read a news report regarding an incident of corporate data breach. They then reported their level of sympathy, compassion, and pity for the brand. Experiment 2a (N=196) was designed to confirm the mediating role of the think dimension of the brand in the relationship between repeated two-syllable brand name and consumers’ negative moral reactions in the context of moral agent. The experimental design was the same as that of Experiment 1a. Participants were randomly assigned to two groups to read a news report regarding an incident of drug companies raising drug prices despite patients. Participants then reported their level of anger, blame, feel dimension, think dimension, brand warmth, and brand competence toward the brand. Experiment 2b (N=196) verified the mediating role in the relationship between repeated two-syllable brand name and consumers’ positive moral reactions in the context of moral patient. The experimental design and procedure were identical to that in Experiment 1b. After reading a news report regarding the incident of corporate data breach, participants reported their level of sympathy, support, feel dimension, think dimension, brand warmth, and brand competence toward the brand. Experiment 3a sought to confirm the influence of repeated two-syllable brand name on downstream behavioral intention in the context of moral agent. Experiment 3a (N=296) was a single factor (repeated two-syllable: yes vs. no vs. “little”) between-subjects design; participants were randomly assigned to three groups to read the same news report as in Experiment 2a. They then reported their level of anger, disgust, blame, feel dimension, think dimension, and punishment intention toward the brand. Experiment 3b (N=292) verified the influence of repeated two-syllable brand name on downstream behavioral intention in the context of moral patient and was a similar between-subjects design to Experiment 3a. The participants were randomly assigned to three groups and asked to read a news report on an incident of one company being coerced by another. They then reported their level of sympathy, compassion, regret, feeling, thinking, and purchase intention for the brand. Experiment 4 (N=363) used a 2 (repeated two-syllable: yes vs. no) ´ 2 (moral agent vs. moral patient) between-subjects design to more rigorously demonstrate the effect of repeated two-syllable names in the same moral situation. Participants were randomly assigned to four groups and asked to read a news report on an incident of commercial bullying. In the moral agent group, the brand was a game production company that bullies other firms, and in the moral patient group, the brand was a game operation company that is bullied by other firms. The participants reported their level of unethical judgment on the incident and the level of feel and think dimensions toward the brand.
A one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) in Experiments 1a and 1b suggested that repeated two-syllable brand name could decrease consumers’ negative moral reactions toward the brand when it was a moral agent, whereas such brand name could increase consumers’ positive moral reactions when the brand was a moral patient. The ANOVA results of Experiment 2a and an examination of parallel mediation revealed that the think dimension of brand mind perception mediated the influence of repeated two-syllable brand name on consumers’ negative moral reactions. Based on the ANOVA and parallel medication analysis, the results of Experiment 2b revealed that feel dimension of brand mind perception mediated the influence of repeated two-syllable brand name on consumers’ positive moral reactions. At the same time, Experiment 2a ruled out alternative explanations for the stereotype content model. On the other hand, Experiment 2b established that after controlling for the indirect effect of the stereotype content model, a significant mediating effect of the mind perception theory remained. Meanwhile, the results of the serial mediation mechanism analysis in Experiments 3a and 3b revealed that in the moral agent context, repeated two-syllable brand names ultimately influence consumers’ intentions to punish by influencing the think dimension and negative moral reactions. However, in the moral patient context, repeated two-syllable brand names ultimately influence consumers’ purchase intention by influencing the feel dimension and positive moral reactions. In addition, the ANOVA and multi-category mediation mechanism analyses of Experiments 3a and 3b documented that repeated two-syllable brand name and “little” could produce similar effects in the moral agent and moral patient context. Finally, the results of the two-way ANOVA for Experiment 4 indicated significant interactions between repeated two-syllable names and moral roles in the immoral judgment of the incident and the feel and think dimensions of the brand. In the moral agent condition, participants in the repeated two-syllable group made fewer unethical judgments about the incident and perceived a lower level of the think dimension of the brand than participants in the non-repeated two-syllable group, but no significant difference was observed in the perceived level of feel dimension. In the moral patient condition, participants in the repeated two-syllable group made more unethical judgments about the incident and perceived a higher level of the feel dimension of the brand than those in the non-repeated two-syllable group, but no significant difference was observed in the perceived level of the think dimension.
This study provides an innovative theoretical exploration of the causal relationship between sound symbolism and consumers’ reactions to business ethical crisis. Meanwhile, we reveal the mechanism by which the two dimensions (think and feel) of brand mind perception exist as asymmetric mediators. In addition, we employ the theory of mind perception to discover how people anthropomorphize non-human things, which deepens the exploration of the mechanisms of anthropomorphism-generating processes in the brand anthropomorphism literature. In a practical sense, our research not only provides reference for the design of brand names and nicknames but also directly assists in crafting public relations content for handling ethical crises and creating content for public service announcements.
Subjects: Psychology >> Management Psychology Subjects: Management Science >> Enterprise Management submitted time 2024-01-24
Abstract： The virtual team work mode has become an inevitable trend for the organization work, resulting in a significant characteristic, “boundarylessness”, with a high overlap between the work and family domains. Such boundaryless trend changes the premise of previous research and practice that work and family can be distinguished. Responding to this problem, some scholars suggested to follow this boundaryless trend and promote work-family integration. However, the managerial practice based on this principle resulted in a series of negative effects. This raises an important research question needed to be resolved under the trend of virtual team work mode: is the traditional work-family differentiation principle or the current work-family integration principle more suitable to enhance work-family balance? Do we need other new perspective to resolve this problem? In order to resolve this important research question, this study relies on social identity theory to assist the insufficient explanatory logic of conservation of resources theory, discussing the mechanism of team virtuality on employees’ work-family integration behavior, as well as the managerial intervention principle to achieve work-family harmony. This study helps to build a new theoretical framework for the study of work-family balance to promote the theory development in the intelligent digital era, and suggests a new management perspective to achieve work-family harmony.
Subjects: Psychology >> Management Psychology submitted time 2024-01-13
Abstract： Star employees can enhance the organizational value creation not only through their direct and disproportionate contribution, but also by their extensive and profound influence on colleagues via interpersonal interaction. Current research primarily focuses on the interpersonal effect of stars on non-star employees; however, investigations into the interpersonal dynamics between star employees and their leaders remain limited. Based on social interdependence theory and dominance complementarity theory, this study built a moderated mediation model to explore the “double-edged sword” mechanisms and boundary condition of the interpersonal interaction of star employees on team leader. We designed a scenario experiment and a field study to test the model.
In the scenario experiment (Study 1), we manipulated “the subordinate’s stardom” (i.e., star or non-star) and “the subordinate’s dominance trait” (i.e., high or low), resulting in a 2 by 2 categories of the scenarios. Data was collected from the participants in an Executive Development Program hosted by a Chinese university through an online questionnaire platform (https://www.wjx.cn). The final sample size was 356. The results revealed that: (1) Through the mechanism of leader’s trust in subordinate, the subordinate’s stardom had a positive influence on his or her leader’s empowerment (tendency) and a negative impact on the leader’s ostracism (tendency); via the mechanism of perceived threat to status, the subordinate’s stardom negatively affected his or her leader’s empowerment (tendency) and positively influenced the leader’s ostracism (tendency). (2) The subordinate’s dominance trait moderated the relationship between the subordinate’s stardom and the leader’s perceived threat to status, such that the more dominant of the subordinate, the more likely the leader perceived threat to status caused by the subordinate’s stardom, thus exhibiting less empowerment (tendency) and more ostracism (tendency) toward the subordinate.
To replicate these findings and increase their external validities, we then conducted a multi-source, multi-wave field study. Employees and their direct supervisors from a Chinese new material manufacturing company were invited to participate in our survey. We collected the data at two time points (i.e., a one-month time lag) through another online questionnaire platform (https://end.huajuetech.com). The paired sample size was 291. Study 2 replicated most of the findings in Study 1, except for the non-significant indirect effect of subordinate’s stardom on leader’s empowerment behavior through perceived threat to status.
In summary, our study makes three important theoretical contributions: (1) We clarified the consequences and mechanisms of star employees’ interpersonal interaction on team leaders, thereby enriching research on the interpersonal effect of star employees. (2) By examining the boundary conditions of stars’ impact on team leaders, our study prompted scholars and managers to explore how to build a proper work context to leverage stars’ value. (3) Our study aided leadership researchers to further investigate the antecedents of positive or negative leadership behaviors (i.e., empowerment and ostracism) from the perspective of “the interpersonal relationship between a leader and the key minority subordinates”.
Subjects: Psychology >> Management Psychology submitted time 2024-01-08
Abstract： In recent years, the systematic development of resource evolution pathways for new entrepreneurial ventures has emerged as a focal point of shared attention in both practical and theoretical domains. Existing research predominantly underscores the roles of organizations and the environment, yet often neglects the crucial consideration of entrepreneurial cognition, which holds significant value in the context of resource evolution. Moreover, while many studies concentrate on resource-constrained situations, they tend to overlook the substantial pressure on enterprises to bear significant resource losses. Grounded in the existing body of research on resource evolution and entrepreneurial cognition, this study undertakes an in-depth exploration of the core elements, evolutionary pathways, and performance evaluation of resource evolution for nascent ventures operating in loss situations. Specifically, the research aims to elucidate the connotations and dimensions of resource evolution behavior in loss situations, identify the main pathways driven by entrepreneur resource-induced coping heuristics in the context of losses, explore the resource evolution processes under different types of opportunity development, clarify the role, status, and function of opportunity development in the resource evolution process, and examine the environmental and cognitive integration models for assessing the effects of resource evolution. The findings of this study hold significant practical implications for addressing loss dilemmas and enhancing the capabilities of enterprises in resource evolution.
Subjects: Psychology >> Management Psychology submitted time 2023-12-22
Abstract： Negative family events and experiences have been major social problems in recent years due to the intersection and influence of technical, economic, and epidemic shocks. Negative family events influence leaders’ family domain and also have a cross-domain effect on leadership behaviors at work. However, there are two contradictory views on the relationship between negative family events and effective leadership behaviors. Some scholars claim a negative effect because of the depletion of leaders’ self-control resources, called the “trapped-by-family effect.” Others propose a positive effect owing to cross-domain compensation, called the “compensation effect.”
The inconsistency in existing literature prompts us to reconcile it using the theory of cross-domain leader identity. We argue that the influence of daily negative family events on leader identity and effective leadership behaviors depends on the leaders’ extraversion levels. Specifically, when leaders have higher levels of extraversion, the compensation effect will come into play; that is, daily negative family events will be positively associated with daily effective leadership behaviors by promoting daily leader identity. In contrast, when leaders have lower levels of extraversion, the trapped-by-family effect will play a role; that is, daily negative family events will be negatively associated with daily effective leadership behaviors by reducing daily leader identity.
To capture within-person variance and test our model, we conducted two experience sampling studies of middle managers across 10 consecutive workdays. In Study 1, participants were middle managers from three merchant banks in three cities. Before initiating the daily survey, participants were asked to complete a basic survey containing demographic questions and an extraversion personality inventory. After matching procedures, 461 observations from 67 managers were included in our final sample. Data analysis supported our hypotheses for both initial structure and transformational leadership that are typical effective leadership behaviors in the literature. In Study 2, we collected data from participants from different regions and industries, and the final sample included 307 observations from 42 managers. The data analysis results showed that negative family events did have both a trapped-by-family effect on leader identity and effective leadership behavior through ego-depletion and a compensation effect on leader identity and effective leadership behavior through compensation.
The theoretical contributions of this paper are fourfold. First, we integrate the inconsistent ideas of the relationship between negative family events and effective leadership behavior using the theory of cross-domain leader identity. We find that the levels of leaders’ extraversion play a vital role in deciding whether negative family events will have a trapped-by-family effect or a compensation effect on effective leadership behavior via leader identity. Second, unlike existing empirical studies, our findings suggest that negative family events will not always lead to negative leadership behaviors. At the within-person level, leaders with high levels of extraversion will exhibit more effective leadership behaviors at work after experiencing negative family events. Third, we extend the current research to further explore the effect of personality on leadership behaviors. Prior studies have suggested that extraversion assists leaders in handling the challenges of work, while we find that extraversion will also promote leaders to actively respond to negative family events by engaging in effective leadership behaviors. Fourth, we also contribute to leader identity studies by shifting its antecedents from work domain to family domain and by exploring the interactive effect of personal and situational factors on leader identity. The present study also provides practical guidance for organizations and leaders to cope with the challenge of negative family events and promote its potential positive effects.
Subjects: Psychology >> Management Psychology Subjects: Management Science >> Development and Management of Human Resources submitted time 2023-12-01
Abstract： Although experimental vignette methodology (EVM) enhances both internal and ecological validity, there is still a lack of detailed and standardized guidance for the design of vignettes in the field of management. Based on this, this study first introduced the definition and types of EVM. The differences between EVM and contextual priming methodology were also clarified. Secondly, this study coded and analyzed 93 scenario experiments drawn from 20 major domestic and foreign management-related journals in the past five years. Utilizing the coded data, we answered the question of how to design the vignettes of EVM from the three stages of pre-design, design and post-design. Among them, the pre-design phase focused on when to use the EVM; the design stage focused on how to draft the vignettes, which was divided into five sub-stages: determining the number of vignettes, drafting the vignettes, choosing the media, standardizing vignettes and enhancing vignettes realism. The post-design stage focused on evaluating whether the vignettes were clear, realistic, complete and effective. If the vignettes didn’t pass the test or there was a need for another scenario experiment, the researcher should return to the design stage to continuously modify or rewrite the vignettes until they met the standards. Future research could use incident technique, information technology to design the vignettes. Furthermore, vignettes with iterative decision are encouraged to be created. It is also important to note that the design process of vignettes should follow theoretical guidance. In doing so, it will help enhance the applicability, richness and authenticity of vignettes.
Subjects: Psychology >> Management Psychology submitted time 2023-11-20
Abstract： Performing explorative and exploitative behaviors simultaneously is a key means for teams to quickly adapt to environmental and task changes. How to improve team ambidexterity is an important topic of concern in theoretical and management practice. Although scholars have conducted preliminary analyses on the antecedents of team ambidexterity, conclusions at the between-team level can only be used to identify ambidextrous teams but not to answer the question of how to cultivate team ambidexterity. Based on the "differentiation-integration" framework, this study argues that the realization of team ambidexterity requires team members to obtain and process different types of information. Open collective reflexivity activities provide a rich source of information for teams. However, reflexivity activities are highly complex and resource-consuming, and companies need to use reflexivity interventions (e.g., team reflexivity training) to guide teams to engage in reflexivity activities on their own initiative. The team information processing model states that teams enhance team effectiveness and adaptability through two paths of information sharing and integration. Based on the above deduction, this study suggests that meta-knowledge sharing and perspective picking are the key cognitive mechanisms through which team reflexivity training positively influences team ambidexterity development.
We test our theoretical propositions in an experimental study and a quasiexperimental study. In Study 1, we conducted a course experiment with students and seven wave measurement waves over 4 months, resulting in 630 observations from 90 teams. We invited 360 undergraduates majoring in economics or management from a university in southern China. We randomly and equally assigned 360 college students into 90 teams and then divided the teams into experimental and control groups. We gave the experimental group team reflexivity training and assisted them with reflexivity activities in subsequent sessions, while the control group was given team building training to avoid a placebo effect. We measured team ambidexterity at all seven measurement waves and team reflexivity after and before intervention using established scales and items. Conditional latent growth modeling was applied to test the slope difference of the team ambidexterity trend between the experimental and control groups. To investigate the theoretical hypotheses in Study 2, we further conducted a quasiexperimental study, which took one year and involved three measurement waves; the study resulted in 222 observations from 74 teams. We invited a total of 656 employees from R&D teams in 26 companies engaged in high-tech industries related to information technology, precision instruments, and biopharmaceuticals in a southern Chinese province in this study. Seventy-four R&D teams were randomly and equally divided into experimental and control groups. We gave the experimental group team reflexivity training in the first month and required them to conduct a formal reflexivity activity at a regular time each week (or two weeks) thereafter. We measured team ambidexterity in the first and second measurement waves and meta-knowledge sharing and perspective taking in the second and third measurement waves. To account for the mediating effect of meta-knowledge sharing and perspective taking between team reflexivity training and team ambidexterity development, latent change score modeling was applied.
The statistical analyses supported our hypotheses. The results of Study 1 showed that teams that did not participate in team reflexivity training showed a nonsignificant downward trend in team duality; in contrast, teams that participated in reflexivity training showed a significant upward trend in team ambidexterity. Based on this, for Study 2, we further analyzed the mediating role of meta-knowledge sharing and perspective taking and improved the external validity of the Study 1 finding with a quasiexperimental research design. It was found that teams' meta-knowledge sharing and perspective taking improved after participating in reflexivity training, which led to an increase in team ambidexterity.
By increasing our understanding of how to improve team ambidexterity and the key information cognitive mechanisms of it, our study contributes to the literature in three ways. First, this study provides rich empirical evidence for ambidexterity research by confirming the role of team reflexivity training in sustainably enhancing team ambidexterity. The findings support the consistent view of team reflexivity training research that it is effective in enhancing team adaptability as a management intervention. At the same time, this study bridges the gap regarding how to help teams build the capacity to perform ambidextrous behaviors, responding to the call for research on "exploring how to guide paradoxical coping into a beneficial developmental process”. Second, based on the "differentiation-integration" framework and the team information processing model, this study infers and confirms that team meta-knowledge sharing and perspective taking are important cognitive processes that influence the development of team ambidexterity through team reflexivity training. The findings are not only consistent with the view that "information exchange and adoption among team members is necessary for team ambidexterity" but also expand ambidexterity research from a cognitive perspective. Meanwhile, the findings enrich the narrow research on the team information processing model in enhancing team adaptability and flexibility and reaffirm the fundamental role of efficient information processing in determining team effectiveness. Third, this study introduces the element of time in the empirical study of team ambidexterity for the first time, deepening the understanding of the nature of ambidexterity dynamics. The results found that team ambidexterity was unable to show positive trends over time, which is consistent with the expected negative self-reinforcing effect. This suggests that our team members are not willing to consistently adopt complex behavioral patterns such as ambidexterity for work but instead prefer specific activities due to behavioral inertia.
Our findings also offer empirical evidence that companies need to provide reflexivity courses for their teams to help members acquire and develop good work rethinking habits. At the same time, supervisors can activate and optimize the team information processing process by developing corresponding systems (e.g., a set time and frequency), providing necessary support (e.g., venue and accompanying guidance), and building a good team climate to continuously improve team ambidexterity.
Subjects: Psychology >> Management Psychology submitted time 2023-08-25
Abstract： AI-employee collaboration is an interactive system composed of “AI-human-task environment” with the goal of completing tasks efficiently. Improving AI-employee collaboration is crucial for promoting the integration of AI and the real economy, as well as the mental health and career development of employees in the digital and intelligent era. However, due to the complexities of the interaction between AI and employees, the current researches are fragmented and lack a comprehensive understanding of AI-employee collaboration research. Therefore, it is necessary to clarify relevant concepts and sort out the literature of the AI-employee collaboration systematically and comprehensively. Based on a systemic view, we clarify the concept of AI and AI-employee collaboration, sorts out the compositions of AI-employee collaboration system, analysis the interactive effects of compositions and constructs an integrated research framework. Finally, based on the research framework of AI-employee collaboration, future research prospects are proposed.
Subjects: Psychology >> Management Psychology submitted time 2023-08-21
Abstract： Personal initiative behavior contributes to organizational success and helps employees navigate workplace uncertainty, and is therefore an essential research topic. However, most studies have focused on the influence of personal initiative behavior on leaders rather than coworkers. Moreover, the findings regarding the interpersonal effects of such behavior on coworkers are inconsistent. To address these issues, we take a contingency perspective that shifts the focus from a binary “good or bad for coworkers” logic to an understanding of the interpersonal benefits and risks of personal initiative behavior. Drawing on research stereotype traits, in this study we examine the moderating effect of the trait of employee warmth trait and explore the differential emotional and behavioral responses of coworkers toward employees with high or low warmth traits. We apply the approach-avoidance systems theory and hypothesize that warm and initiative-taking employees generate relational energy, leading to active facilitation behavior, whereas initiative-taking but non-warm employees may experience interpersonal disliking and subsequent ostracism behavior from coworkers.
We conducted two studies to test our hypotheses. Study 1 involved a multi-source round-robin survey to test the proposed model. Each survey wave was separated by a three-week interval. At Time 1, team leaders assessed each team member’s personal initiative behavior and demographics. The team members then rated their own warmth trait and demographics. Three weeks later at Time 2, the team members evaluated relational energy and interpersonal disliking through a round-robin design. Finally, three weeks later at Time 3, they rated their active facilitation behavior and interpersonal ostracism behavior using a round-robin design. The dataset comprised 1,164 dyads of 305 members in 65 teams. In Study 2, to enhance causal inference, a scenario-based experiment with a 2 (personal initiative behavior: high vs. low) × 2 (employee warmth trait: high vs. low) factorial design was conducted. The participants (280 full-time workers) were recruited from an online survey platform (Credamo) and randomly assigned to one of four scenarios. They reported their demographics, read the scenario, and provided responses to manipulation checks and questions regarding relational energy, interpersonal disliking, active facilitation behavior, and interpersonal ostracism behavior.
In terms of data analysis, we considered the complex nested structure of the round-robin data in Study 1 and utilized a multilevel social relations modeling approach to test the research model. In Study 2, we used ANOVA and regression analyses to examine the causal relationships in our theoretical model. The empirical results supported our hypotheses, indicating that initiative-taking and warm employees were more likely to stimulate coworkers’ relational energy and increase their active facilitation behavior. Conversely, initiative-taking but non-warm employees were more likely to trigger interpersonal disliking among coworkers, subsequently leading to increased interpersonal ostracism behavior.
This study has several theoretical implications. First, unlike studies that focus on singular effects, we explored the dual nature of the effects of personal initiative behavior on coworkers, thus providing a deeper understanding and a more comprehensive perspective. Second, by building on the literature on stereotype traits, we identified the employee warmth trait as a critical boundary that distinguishes the interpersonal benefits and risks of personal initiative behavior toward coworkers, thus reconciling other contradictory findings. Finally, by drawing on approach-avoidance systems theory, we revealed that relational energy and interpersonal disliking explain how and why coworkers have differential behavioral responses toward the personal initiative behavior exhibited by employees with high or low warmth traits.
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