Prosociality and hoarding amid the COVID-19 pandemic : a tale of four countries

The COVID-19 pandemic is an unprecedented public health crisis that poses a challenge to humanity. Drawing on the stress and coping literature, we argue that people around the world alleviate their anxiety and stress induced by the pandemic through both prosocial and 'self-interested' hoarding behaviours. This cross-cultural survey study examined the pushing (threat perception) and pulling (moral identity) factors that predicted prosocial acts and hoarding, and subsequently psychological well-being. Data were collected from 9 April to 14 May 2020 from 251 participants in the United Kingdom (UK), 268 in the United States (US), 197 in Germany (DE), and 200 in Hong Kong (HK). Whereas threat perception was associated positively with both prosocial acts and hoarding, benevolent moral identity was associated positively with the former but not the latter behaviour. We also observed cross-cultural differences, such that both effects were stronger in more individualistic (UK, US) countries than less individualistic (HK, DE) ones. The findings shed light on the prosocial vs. self-interested behavioural responses of people in different cultures towards the same pandemic crisis

Affective Reactions to Difference and their Impact on Discrimination and Self-Disclosure at Work: A Social Identity Perspective

Based on Social Identity Theory and related concepts, the present paper argues that a negative affective state is caused by dissimilarity at the workplace, which in turn influences discrimination and self-disclosure. Based on a review of the literature, it develops propositions about the positive effects of surface- and deep-level dissimilarity on this affective state and perceived interpersonal discrimination at work, as well as on the decision to self-disclose personal information to peers. Self-disclosure is further linked to perceptions of discrimination in two opposing ways. An individual’s perceived degree of difference from others on demographic and underlying characteristics serve as moderators of the proposed relationships, strengthening the effects of actual dissimilarity on feelings. The paper concludes by examining implications and contributions of the proposed theoretical framework to the diversity literature

Organizational Behavior in a Discontinuous World

Organizational Behavior in a Discontinuous World, by Knud S. Larsen, Kees van der Veer, Reidar Ommundsen & Krum Krumov, is a detailed analysis of both individual and group behavior at the workplace. The book is based on the premise that "Research must be reevaluated in the context of a world where change is rapid, global in nature and discontinuous" (back cover). In documenting the role of OB across years through history and the present, the book reports that we live and work in a fluid world and such a context calls for a deep, change-related understanding of Organizational Behavior issues

Unfolding the role of team diversity in the entrepreneurial process

Although research on entrepreneurial team diversity has recently emerged,t findings have been inconclusive. We argue that the way entrepreneurship scholars approach diversity can benefit from examining three important diversity types: separation, variety, and disparity. We examine the meaning, shape, and assumptions underlying each type and the implications of diversity for key aspects of the entrepreneurial process as occurring at different stages of the development of an entrepreneurial team. We conclude by discussing future research directions, in order to enhance theory development and address inconsistencies in previous research

Sexualize One, Objectify all? The Sexualization Spillover Effect on Female Job Candidates

We examined whether sexualization of females impacts attitudes toward subsequently evaluated, nonsexualized, females applying for a coorperate managerial position. Research shows that sexualized women are perceived as less warm and competent (i.e., objectified). Integrating this work with research on social cognition, we hypothesized that the negative effect of sexualization “spills over” onto other, nonsexualized women, reducing their hireability. Across two experiments, initially sexualized women were perceived as less warm and competent, as were subsequently evaluated nonsexualized female job candidates. In turn, these negative perceptions reduced the applicants’ probability of being hired. Sexualization of women also increased intentions to hire a subsequently evaluated male candidate. The results were robust when we controlled for evaluators’ gender and age. Our findings demonstrate that female job applicants can experience detrimental effects from sexually based objectification, even when they are not the individuals initially sexualized. We discuss implications for women’s careers

Deep-level dissimilarity and leader–member exchange (LMX) quality: the role of status

PurposeThis study explores how status, demographic and positional, moderates the negative effect of deep-level dissimilarity on leader–member exchange (LMX) quality.Design/methodology/approachData from three samples were analyzed using hierarchical linear regression and linear mixed-effects methods.FindingsResults suggest that the negative effect of deep-level dissimilarity (perceived work-related attitude and perspective differences) on LMX quality is stronger when the LMX partner has low demographic status (e.g. the LMX partner is an African-American woman). This moderating effect was not significant when deep-level dissimilarity was extended to include differences in personality, interests and values. Results were mixed on whether low positional status (i.e. when the LMX partner is a member rather than a leader) strengthens the negative effect of deep-level dissimilarity on LMX quality.Practical implicationsThis study may help leaders, organizational members and diversity managers better manage attitude and perspective dissimilarity in leader–member dyads.Originality/valueThis study expands research exploring interactive effects of dissimilarity and status on work-related outcomes. It is novel in that it explores status not in relative terms but at the societal level. It is also the first study to analyze the moderating effects of two types of status: demographic and positional

Don’t Shoot the Messenger? A Morality- and Gender-based Model of Reactions to Negative Workplace Gossip

We conducted three studies to examine how the recipients of negative workplace gossip judge the gossip sender’s morality and how they respond behaviorally. Study 1 provided experimental evidence that gossip recipients perceive senders as low in morality, with female recipients rating the sender’s morality more negatively than male recipients. In a follow-up experiment (Study 2), we further found that perceived low morality translates into behavioral responses in the form of career-related sanctions by the recipient on the gossip sender. A critical incident study (Study 3) enhanced the external validity and extended the moderated mediation model by showing that gossip recipients also penalize senders with social exclusion. We discuss the implications for practice and research on negative workplace gossip, gender differences in attributions of morality, and gossip recipients’ behavioral responses

That wasn't our deal: A psychological contract perspective on employee responses to bullying

Research on the effects of workplace bullying has concentrated on direct negative attitudinal employee responses, typically ignoring the cognitive mechanisms underlying this link. We integrate social exchange and attribution theories to propose and test a model wherein the link between workplace bullying and job and life satisfaction is explained by a breach of the psychological contract, i.e., employee beliefs that the organization failed to meet its commitments towards them. In two studies, we tested our hypotheses with experimental data from 69 business students and field data from 275 employees in France and Greece, respectively. Results from our experimental study revealed that bullying causes psychological contract breach. Study 2 replicated the findings in a field setting and found that psychological contract breach mediated the main effect of workplace bullying on job and life satisfaction. Interestingly, our results from moderated mediation analysis of Study 2 also showed that the effects of bullying are strongest for older women. We discuss theoretical and practical implications for literatures on workplace bullying and the psychological contract