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Though the influence of media evaluations on organizations' decisions and performance is generally recognized, empirical evidence on the impact of media evaluations on individuals is lacking. This study examines how and when individuals respond to negative media evaluations about themselves. To address these questions, we integrate insights from performance feedback research and attribution theory and test our theoretical framework with a panel data analysis in the context of professional football (soccer) players in Germany. Our results indicate that the more critical individuals' media evaluations are, the greater their subsequent effort. Further, we reveal when individuals' attributions moderate this relationship. Specifically, we find that this relationship is stronger under certain circumstances: (a) when individuals are criticized similarly by different media sources, (b) when their reference group does not receive similar criticism, and/or (c) when they have received similar criticism in the past. Our findings have important implications for the growing body of research on performance feedback as well as attribution theory in a workplace setting. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Despite its theoretical and practical importance, empirical research on how employees deal with threats to their personal identity is surprisingly scarce. Using negative media coverage as an example, this study seeks to fill this void by shedding light on how employees make sense of and decide how to respond to such threats. To address this question, we conducted an in-depth case study in the context of professional football organizations in Germany. Our key contribution lies in developing a grounded process model and propositions that clarify employees' responses to media-induced identity threats. We identify strategies that employees use for dealing with the media, ranging from disregard to active attempts to influence the coverage. We also show when employees respond with which of these strategies. Our findings have important implications for the growing body of research on personal identity threats and organizational identity research more broadly. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]