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Using a field sample of 23 executives, 173 managers and supervisors, and 466 non-supervisory personnel--and a subsample linking 96 leaders with 198 followers across four major subsidiaries of a Fortune 1000 regional utility company--this study aims to (a) make a case for including change orientation in models of proactivity and (b) test the proposition that proactive personality and organizational rank interact to influence change orientation in the workplace. Results showed that change orientation was positively associated with individual proactive behavior (i.e., proactive idea implementation) and partially mediated the relationship between organizational rank and proactive behavior such that executives and supervisors adopted more positive change-oriented attitudes and were generally more proactive than non- supervisory personnel. Moreover, supporting the tenets of trait activation theory, the antecedents of change orientation varied as a function of one's position within the organization. Specifically, organizational rank moderated the relationship between proactive personality and change orientation such that proactive personality was positively related to change orientation for executives and supervisors but not for non-supervisory personnel. Rather than personal dispositions, follower change-oriented attitudes reflected leader change orientation. Findings are discussed regarding implications for research on proactivity. Finally, recommendations for developing a proactive workforce are considered. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Using a threat conceptualization, this study examined the cross- level consequences of group relationship conflict on group members' identity, voice behaviors, and performance through interpersonal group processes, and the threat regulating effect of supervisor-to-member interpersonal emotion management. In a laboratory study (Study 1), we comparatively examined the induction potential of two interpersonal emotion management strategies (i.e. cognitive reappraisal and expressive suppression) on perspective taking - a key element of threat regulation. In a field study (Study 2) using a sample of supervisors and employees, a moderated mediation model was tested and the results for cognitive reappraisal v. expressive suppression were compared. In Study 1 interpersonal cognitive reappraisal from a supervisory-figure increased perspective taking, whereas interpersonal expression suppression did not. The results of Study 2 showed that relationship conflict indirectly and negatively influences members' feelings of group identification, voice behaviors, and performance through lower interpersonal group processes. As expected, these mediated relationships were attenuated when supervisors used reappraisal to manage members' emotional experiences. Theoretical and practical contributions of these findings is discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]