Journal article

Publication year: 2019

Pages: 468-484

Journal: European Journal of Work and Organizational Psychology

Volume number: 28

Issue number: 4

ISSN: 1359-432X

eISSN: 1464-0643

DOI Link: https://doi.org/10.1080/1359432X.2019.1613979

Publisher: Taylor and Francis Group

Abstract: 
This manuscript aims to address existing ambiguity on the behavioural consequences of (low) status in groups by examining mechanisms and moderating factors in the linkage between individual members' lack of status and their attempts at improving their status position. Specifically, we propose an indirect relationship between a group member's lack of status and enhancement behaviour, through his or her high-arousal negative affective reactions, and we cast a member's status striving as a key motivational boundary condition for this indirect association. We tested our predictions across three studies, namely (1) a scenario experiment, (2) a critical-incident recall design and (3) an organizational survey study. Results demonstrated an interactive relationship of perceived status and status striving with high-arousal negative affect, such that lower (rather than higher) status triggered high-arousal negative affective reactions among individuals with higher (but not lower) status striving. Moreover, a group member's high-arousal negative affect was positively related with his or her enhancement behaviour. Together, these findings shed new light on key psychological mechanism and contingency factors that may explicate individuals' diverse behavioural reactions towards a lack of status in groups.

Harvard Citation style: Hohmann, S. and Walter, F. (2019) Looking up with a frown: status, negative affect and enhancement behaviour in groups, European Journal of Work and Organizational Psychology, 28(4), pp. 468-484. https://doi.org/10.1080/1359432X.2019.1613979

APA Citation style: Hohmann, S., & Walter, F. (2019). Looking up with a frown: status, negative affect and enhancement behaviour in groups. European Journal of Work and Organizational Psychology. 28(4), 468-484. https://doi.org/10.1080/1359432X.2019.1613979