Subjects: Psychology >> Applied Psychology submitted time 2024-04-28
Abstract： As an important extra-role behavior in the workplace, helping behavior refers to voluntarily caring for others and helping them deal with work-related affairs. To date, most studies focused on either the antecedents of helping behavior or its influences on helping providers and receivers. However, the discussion on the effects of helping behavior on observers is still limited. According to social comparison theory and the peer influence literature, this research argues that observed coworker helping behavior influences observers’ cognitive and emotional reactions and, ultimately, their behaviors. On the one hand, after witnessing coworker helping behavior, observers may experience higher indebtedness toward coworkers and shame emotions, which enhances their helping behavior. On the other hand, we propose that after witnessing coworker helping behavior, observers may experience lower organization-based self-esteem and pride emotions, which reduces their helping behavior. Based on social comparison theory, we further focus on observers’ helping behavior and consider that it can moderate the effects of observed coworker helping behavior.
Hypotheses were tested using a multi-wave survey and three experiments from the Eastern and Western samples. An original sample (Study 1) of participants in a food supply company in China were invited to participate in the survey. An experiment (Study 2) manipulated observed coworker helping behavior and observers’ helping behavior and then measured observers’ indebtedness toward coworkers and organization-based self-esteem. An experiment (Study 3) manipulated indebtedness toward coworkers and organization-based self-esteem, and then measured observers’ emotions and helping behavior. Another experiment (Study 4) manipulated observed coworker helping behavior and observers’ helping behavior and then measured the remaining variables of the model.
The above studies supported our hypotheses. Results demonstrated that observed coworker helping behavior is positively related to observers’ indebtedness toward coworkers and shame emotions, which, in turn, is positively related to observers’ helping behavior. At the same time, observed coworker helping behavior is negatively related to observers’ organization-based self-esteem and pride emotions, which, in turn, is negatively related to observers’ helping behavior. Observers’ helping behavior moderates the effects of coworker helping behavior. Specifically, when their helping behavior is higher (versus lower), the effects of coworker helping behavior on indebtedness toward coworkers and organization-based self-esteem are weaker.
This study contributes to the helping behavior literature in several ways. First, our study provides a new direction for existing research on helping behavior by introducing the third-party perspective. Different from the previous studies, this study examines the psychological and behavioral responses of observers to observed coworker helping behavior, which transfers the traditional research perspective to the observers in the process of helping. Second, this study considers both positive and negative ways of observed coworker helping behavior in influencing observers’ helping behavior, explaining why observed coworker helping behavior is a double-edged sword for observers. Thus, this study provides a more complete picture of the psychological mechanisms by which observed coworker helping behavior affects observers’ subsequential behavior. Third, this study focuses on observers’ initial helping behavior as the boundary condition and explains when observers are more likely to react positively or negatively to observed coworker helping behavior. This examination helps us understand the third party’s response to observed coworker helping behavior more comprehensively and accurately.
Subjects: Psychology >> Personality Psychology Subjects: Psychology >> Other Disciplines of Psychology submitted time 2023-03-31
Abstract： Persistence, a personality to finish what one starts even when faced with obstacles, is one of the most important personalities for human beings to achieve their goals and objectives. Although most persistence studies have discovered the significant influence persistence has on the individual level, extant research on persistence is incomplete because whether persistence varies on the regional level is still unknown. However, recent research has indicated that personalities vary systematically across regions, and correlate significantly with macro indexes on the regional level. To address this literature gap, we argue that persistence varies across Chinese provinces, and develop and validate a province-level persistence index (PPI) to quantify such provincial variations. We also try to explore the province-level antecedents and consequences of provincial variations in persistence. We used the Chinese General Social Survey (CGSS) as our main data source for the development of province-level persistence index. CGSS measured participant’s persistence in 2008 and 2011. A high correlation between the province-level persistence index in 2008 and in 2011 allowed us to combine data from the two years. Therefore, the final sample included 11,330 participants (6,006 were female) from 29 provinces, municipalities and autonomous regions. In the CGSS, the persistence scale was consisted of three items. We first carried out a survey on Credamo.com to validate the persistence scale in CGSS, the sample of which included 286 participants (142 were female). We also used data from National Bureau of Statistics of China, CSMAR, etc. as the data sources of antecedent and outcome variables of persistence. We used STATA 15 to analyze the data. Results showed that the three-item measure of persistence in CGSS is reliable and valid and the persistence data from CGSS is suitable for aggregation. In general, persistence does vary systematically across Chinese provinces and the PPI we developed is significantly related to antecedent and outcome variables documented in the existing research. Specifically, the harshness of the natural environment (coldness, air pollution and agricultural disasters), cultural values of masculinity and collectivism are positively related to PPI. Moreover, PPI is positively related to political (local government officials’performance orientation and effort allocation distortion), economic (economic development quality, industrial structure upgrade and foreign investment introduction), social (education attainment, income, and well-being of the residents) and innovative and entrepreneurial (patent authorization, company incubation) outcomes, even after controlling for provincial GDP and year fixed effect. The current study demonstrates the systematic difference in persistence across Chinese provinces, extends individual level research on persistence to macro regional level, and develops province-level persistence indexes to provide an important tool for future research dealing with regional differences. We also systematically explored antecedents of provincial variations in persistence, and its influences on province-level macro metrics, offering a perspective of macro-micro intersection. Furthermore, we provide new references for government’s development policy making and companies’ branch management.
Peer Review Status:
Awaiting Review
Subjects: Psychology >> Management Psychology submitted time 2022-06-27
Abstract： Aesthetic is the first medium of a product in the era of “appearance economy.” Previous studies have explored the effects of aesthetic elements on consumer behavior, including color, packaging transparency, size, logo shape, and so on. Unlike existing studies, this research discusses the overall dimension of design, that is, the degree of complexity of the design. Specifically, we propose that people’s subjective social status affects their preference for complexity in design. Meanwhile, people with low social status are more likely to prefer a complex packaging design than those with high social status. We conducted five experiments to test the hypotheses. Experiment 1 used 2 (social status: low vs. high) × 2 (product design: simple vs. complex) between-subjects design with 198 adults (female = 128) participating in the experiment. The results showed that people with relatively low social status have higher evaluations of complex packaging designs (vs. simple designs). At the same time, the level of complexity did not influence how people with high social status evaluate products. Using a more rigorous method to manipulate the social status, experiment 2 employed a one-factor two-level (social status: low vs. high) between-subjects design with 134 adults (female = 97). After manipulating social statuses, participants reported their preferences between complex and simple packaging designs. The result confirmed that people with low social status prefer products with complex designs (vs. simple designs). Similar to experiment 2, experiment 3 (211 participants, female = 151) also used a one-way design (social status: low vs. high vs. control) but added a control group as the baseline group for comparison. The results confirmed that a low social status could drive preference for complexity. Furthermore, the results showed that people with low social status prefer complex packing design more than those in control and high social status groups. At the same time, no significant difference was observed in the preference between the high social status and control groups. Experiment 3 also found that consumers’ perceived effort mediated the above effect. Specifically, low social status individuals (vs. individuals in high social status vs. individuals in the control group) perceived that complex packing products entailed more effort from producers. Hence, they preferred such products. Experiment 4 was a pre-registration experiment (200 participants, female = 151). The experimental design and procedure were the same as in experiment 2. The results also showed that people with low social status preferred complex packaging designs and believed these products had a higher value. Compared with high social status individuals, low social status individuals perceived that producers spent more effort on a product if it had a complex packaging design. Thus, these consumers perceived higher product value, as well as higher preference toward the product (sequential mediation: model 6). Experiment 5 tested the mediation effect by moderators. We proposed that the impact of social status only existed in consumers who believed in the value of effort. Experiment 5 used a 2 (social status: low vs. high) × 2 (product design: simple vs. complex) × 2 (belief in effort value: low vs. high) between-subjects design (346 participants, female = 208). The ANOVA revealed a three-way interaction. Furthermore, the Johnson-Neyman analysis found that the preference for complex design among low social status individuals only existed among those who believed in the value of effort. The results of this interaction again suggested that the preference of low social status individuals for complexity stems from their perception of the producer’s effort in making these products. This study has the following theoretical contributions. First, it brings the perspective of subjective social status to the study of consumer aesthetics. Second, it provides a new mechanism for the role of social status, i.e., social status affects people’s behavior by influencing their perceived importance of effort. Previous explanations of the behavior of low social status individuals have tended to be from a compensatory psychological perspective. In contrast, the current research takes the perspective of effort to demonstrate that low social status individuals value effort, which influences their behavior. Third, this research also contributes to the study of consumer effort, as this study finds that simply changing the level of complexity of packaging design can change people’s perceptions of producer effort.
Peer Review Status:Awaiting Review
Subjects: Psychology >> Management Psychology submitted time 2022-03-25
Abstract：
Guanxi HRM practices depict how performance and contributions give their way to interpersonal relationships for personnel decisions. That is, an employee’s relationships with the supervisor can largely factor in job tasks, performance appraisal, promotion, compensation, and training opportunities. Prevalent and conspicuous, guanxi HRM practices compromise organizational justice and undermine the legitimacy of personnel decisions. The upshot would include a group of demotivated employees, discredited employer branding, and intensified organizational politics. The extant literature has paid much attention to the detriments to individuals, organizations, and society. Yet, reactions from the beneficiaries have been largely overlook. Would they take it for granted? Or would they otherwise seek to “call it even”? We can hardly reach to a firm conclusion on what guanxi HRM practices implicate until those with vested interests are involved in the analysis.
Drawing upon compensatory ethics theory, we made the first attempt to theoretically explicate and empirically investigate the position that guanxi HRM practices could spur the beneficiaries’ altruistic behavior by arousing the intention to “call it even.” We conducted four independent experiments with various samples and materials to allow for causal inferences. Specifically, we tested the main effect of guanxi HRM practices on the beneficiaries’ altruistic behavior (Hypothesis 1) and the mediation effect of guilt (Hypothesis 2) with a vignette of performance evaluation and bonus allocation in Study 1a (N = 124) and 1b (N = 184), respectively. The serial mediating effect involving moral self-image (Hypothesis 3) was tested in Study 2 (N = 211), with a vignette of promotion. Finally, we tested the moderating effect of coworker relationship closeness (Hypothesis 4) in Study 3 with a 2 (guanxi HRM practices: high vs. low) × 2 (coworker relationship closeness: high vs. low) factorial design (N = 211) using the vignette of bonus allocation.
The results of four experiments fully supported our theoretical model. We found that the beneficiaries’ moral self-image and sense of guilt serially mediated the effect of guanxi HRM practices on their altruistic behavior (Study 1 and Study 2). Moreover, coworker relationship closeness moderated the serial mediating effect such that guanxi HRM practice sparked a more substantial impact on the beneficiaries’ altruistic behavior when they enjoy more close relationships with coworkers than vice versa (Study 3). Collectively, the reported effect size – being from medium to large, the various samples, and the diverse set of materials lead to robust findings.
Therefore, those beneficiaries would “call it even” than take it for granted. This research stressed the power of moral compensation and revealed a bright side of guanxi HRM practices for non-beneficiaries, those deprived of justice and resources. We added a meaningful complement to the extant sentiments that deem guanxi HRM practices overwhelmingly detrimental. It is also essential to differentiate between supervisors, beneficiaries, and non-beneficiaries to better understand this phenomenon. In short, this research broadens the theoretical spectra and informs organizations on how to balance the pros and cons of guanxi HRM practices.
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Peer Review Status:Awaiting Review
Subjects: Psychology >> Management Psychology submitted time 2021-11-26
Abstract： "
Peer Review Status:Awaiting Review
Subjects: Psychology >> Management Psychology submitted time 2021-08-13
Abstract： "
Peer Review Status:Awaiting Review
Subjects: Psychology >> Other Disciplines of Psychology submitted time 2020-11-06
Abstract：目前，绝大部分组织行为学研究都是从静态视角聚焦变量在一段时间内的整体平均水平，而忽视了时间的角色，如变量在一段时间内的动态变化特征。通过引入时间的角色，从动态视角关注变量的动态变化特征并探讨其影响因素和结果，可能为现有研究提供新的、突破性视角，进而帮助拓展传统管理理论。鉴于其对理论发展的重要性，近年来，部分新近研究开始逐步关注时间的角色，从动态视角探索变量的动态变化特征。然而，整体来看，这类研究仍相对较少，且分散在不同的研究领域，还未能形成结构化体系。基于此，在将相关研究按照两个维度——变量的动态变化特征的类别(趋势 vs. 波动)与变量的动态变化特征的角色(自变量 vs. 因变量)分为四大类别后，系统地回顾和梳理相关研究，并厘清研究背后的理论机制。最后，基于以上梳理分析，未来研究可从关注变量的波动；考察趋势、波动和整体平均水平等的交互作用等角度出发，更加全面、系统地扩展组织行为学理论。
Peer Review Status:Awaiting Review
Subjects: Psychology >> Management Psychology submitted time 2019-09-29
Abstract： Trust is a crucial part of interpersonal relationships within work environments. Previous research has revealed that feeling trusted, or “the perception that another party is willing to accept vulnerability to one’s actions,” by one’s supervisor benefits both subordinates and organizations in various ways such as enhancing organization-based self-esteem and improving individual and organizational performance. While extant research has provided insightful knowledge to help us understand the beneficial effects of feeling trusted, we know little about its potential drawbacks. We suggest that scholars may have overstated the benefits of feeling trusted and overlooked its potential costs. Thus, several important questions are arisen: When dose feeling trusted induce employees subsequent counterproductive work behavior (CWB), and Why? Drawing upon self-evaluation theory and trust literature, we propose that feeling trusted by their supervisors may promote employees’ psychological entitlement, which leads to subsequent CWB. Furthermore, we consider the perceived rarity of trust as a boundary condition and suggest that when employees perceive the rarity of trust is high, feeling trusted is more likely to make them feel psychologically entitled, thus leading to CWB. To test our theoretical model, we conducted three studies, including two experiments (i.e., Study 1 and 2) and one multi-wave, multi-source field study (i.e., Study 3) among diverse samples. In Study 1, we invited 115 full-time employees through the alumni networks of several large universities in China to participate our experiment. Participants were randomly assigned to one of two experimental conditions: the feeling trusted condition (n = 58) versus the control condition (n = 57). Feeling trusted was manipulated by the critical incident technique. Each participant was required to recall and describe a recent interaction with their supervisor. Next, participants completed an ostensibly unrelated task (filler task) and reported psychological entitlement, manipulation check, and demographics. In Study 2, we recruited 145 full-time working adults as participants from the United States using Amazon’s Mechanical Turk. Participants first reported the perceived rarity of trust in their organizations. Then, they were randomly assigned to one of two experimental conditions (the feeling trusted condition [n = 73] versus the control condition [n = 72]) and were subjected to the same manipulation and questionnaire as those defined in Study 1. In Study 3, we employed a multi-wave, multi-source design to test our full model in a field setting using a Chinese employee sample. At Time 1, the employees reported feeling trusted, perceived rarity of trust, psychological entitlement, and demographics. Approximately one week later (Time 2), their supervisors were invited to rate subordinates’ CWB. The final sample included 187 employees from 60 workgroups. The results of the studies revealed that feeling trusted positively influenced subordinates’ psychological entitlement, which in turn enhanced their subsequent CWB. Subordinates perceived rarity of trust moderated the effect of feeling trusted on psychological entitlement. Furthermore, subordinates perceived rarity of trust moderated the indirect effect of feeling trusted on CWB. That is, the positive indirect effect of feeling trusted on CWB via subordinates’ psychological entitlement was significant and positive when perceived rarity of trust was high and did not exist when perceived rarity of trust was low. This research makes several important contributions. First, we challenge the consensus regarding the universally positive effects of trust by suggesting that feeling trusted may have the potential to induce subordinates CWB. In doing so, this research provides a more dialectical perspective in understanding the effects of feeling trusted. Second, not only do we examine the potentially negative effects of feeling trusted, but we also examine when and why this effect unfolds. By exploring the dynamics of feeling trusted, we answer Bare et al.’s call for more research on feeling trusted. Finally, this research contributes to CWB literature by identifying an important but neglected antecedent of CWB in the workplace. We suggested that beyond leaders’ negative behaviors (e.g., abuse and injustice), their positive behaviors (i.e., expressed trust) may lead to subordinates’ CWB. "
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