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Researchers have emphasized the positive and negative influences of ambivalent leader-follower relationships, but it is not clear when the ambivalent relationship is associated with good or bad influences. To answer this question, we reviewed the definition and identified 10 different types of ambivalent leader-follower relationships. Further, we demonstrate that the negative outcomes (more inflexibility, disengagement, and worse performance) can be explained by the workplace stressor perspective, and that the positive outcomes (more flexibility, engagement, and better performance) can be explained by paradox view. Finally, drawing from conservation of resources (COR) theory, we integrate workplace stressor framework and the paradox view to address when the ambivalent leader-follower relationship is beneficial or detrimental for followers. We proposed that the degree of ambivalence, support from the third party, and integrative complexity of follower will influence the possible positive or negative influences. Limitations and future directions were also discussed.

While there is evidence that high performance work systems (HPWS) are related to positive employee attitudes, the underlying mechanism is not yet thoroughly understood. Similarly, though the benefits of employees’ psychological capital (PsyCap) in the workplace are well documented, little is known about the extent to which PsyCap stems from the context in which people work. Adopting a multi-level approach and using the ability-motivation-opportunity (AMO) framework and the conservation of resources (COR) theory as theoretical backdrop, we develop and test a moderated mediation model to explain how organization-level HPWS relate to individual employee work attitudes (job satisfaction and affective organizational commitment) that reflect well-being through the mediating mechanism of employees’ PsyCap. Analysis of multi-source data from 569 employees in 44 firms showed that HPWS were positively related to job satisfaction and affective commitment, and that these relationships were partially mediated by PsyCap. Furthermore, moderated path analysis revealed that an interactional justice climate strengthened the direct effect of HPWS on PsyCap and work attitudes as well as the indirect effects of HPWS on work attitudes. The theoretical and practical implications of these findings are discussed.

Drawing on the goal-setting theory and social cognitive career theory (SCCT), this study empirically proposes an operational definition of career success criteria clarity (CSCC) and further explores its impact on career satisfaction, person-job fit, and subjective well-being through the mediating role of career decision-making self-efficacy (CDSE). A pilot study of 231 samples showed that the CSCC scale had good reliability and validity. To further test the effects of CSCC on crucial employment outcomes, as well as the mediating role of CDSE, 240 employees were included in an additional survey. Structural equation modeling path analysis supported all the expected hypotheses. Results indicated that: (1) CSCC was positively correlated to career satisfaction; (2) CSCC was positively correlated to person-job fit; (3) CSCC was positively correlated to subjective well-being; (4) CSCC was positively correlated to CDSE; (5) CDSE fully mediated the relationship between CSCC and career satisfaction; (6) CDSE fully mediated the relationship between CSCC and person-job fit; and (7) CDSE partly mediated the relationship between CSCC and subjective well-being. The results contributed to social cognitive career theory model and provided suggestions for both the career educators and consultants.

By responding to the call for research on negative career shocks and future time perspective, this study regarded internal social capital as a tool of resource retention which shifts attention to negative career shocks’ positive effects. We test a moderated mediation model which illustrates the effect of negative career shocks on focus on opportunities—positive dimension of occupational future time perspective. Results revealed that internal social capital acts as the mediator between negative career shocks and focus on opportunities, and organizational embeddedness moderats the mediation effect. The relationship is stronger when individuals are highly embedded in organizations.

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a destructive affair for both workplace and community. However, with the strengthen of global anti-pandemic measures, COVID-19 becomes the norm and there is an increased trend for people to reflect on life or death. Moreover, regardless of its facilitating role in advancing organizational behavior (OB) study, very few studies empirically examine the effects of death reflection in the work domain. Drawing on the generativity theory, we identify how death reflection influences employees’ in-role and extra-role performance under the COVID-19 pandemic. A longitudinal study is performed by using multi-source data from 387 employees in China. Our results reveal that the COVID-19-triggered death reflection is associated with the stronger in-role performance and organizational citizenship behaviors. We find that duty orientation is the mechanism that can explain the effects of the COVID-19-triggered death reflection on employees’ work behaviors. Furthermore, employees who reflect on death with high (vs. low) career and calling orientations tend to have higher in-role and extra-role performance, while employees who reflect on death with low (vs. high) job orientation are likely to have lower in-role and extra-role performance.

The turnover literature focuses mainly on the reasons and consequences of turnover, as well as the strategies for reducing employee turnover, paying limited attention to the effect of employee turn...

Drawing upon value change and self-determination theories, a cross-lagged panel survey study was conducted to examine the dynamic changes among different career value dimensions (i.e., external compensation, intrinsic fulfillment, and work-life balance values), as well as the reciprocal relations between career values and professional ability development (PAD, the development of career-related knowledge, skills, ability, and experience). Results from a two-wave survey study across 1 year among 2446 Chinese university students show that students undergo significant value changes across 1 year with the test-retest correlations of the value dimensions ranging from 0.34 to 0.41. While value dimensions and PAD generally have positive concurrent correlations, the cross-lagged analyses show that external compensation value (T1) negatively predicts intrinsic fulfillment value (T2), work-life balance value (T2), and PAD (T2); work-life balance value (T1) negatively predicts intrinsic fulfillment value (T2); PAD (T1) positively predicts work-life balance value (T2). Theoretical and practical implications are discussed.

Despite an increase in research on calling, few studies have examined how calling influences overt workplace behaviors and job satisfaction. Drawing on goal facilitation theory we examined the psychological mechanisms underlying the effects of calling on organization-directed citizenship behavior (OCBO) and job satisfaction in a sample of 322 Chinese employees. The results showed that calling (employee-reported at time 1) was positively related to OCBO (supervisor-reported at time 2) and job satisfaction (employee-reported at time 2), and organizational instrumentality (employee-reported at time 2) provided an explanatory mechanism for these relations. The theoretical and practical implications of the findings are discussed.

Despite an increase in research on calling orientation, few studies have investigated its antecedents. Drawing on social learning theory, we hypothesized that subordinates' perceptions of their supervisor's role modeling mediate the relationship between supervisor's and subordinates' calling orientations. Supervisor's organizational status is supposed to augment the trickle-down process for calling orientation. We used multilevel modeling to test these hypotheses in a sample of 738 subordinates nested in 77 work teams in Chinese firm. We found that supervisor's calling orientation was positively related to subordinate's calling orientation and that the relationship was fully mediated by subordinates' perceptions of role modeling. Additionally, the relationship between supervisor's calling orientation and subordinates' calling orientation via role modeling was moderated by supervisor's organizational status at the second stage.

Drawing on career construction theory, this study examined the relationship between calling and work engagement and subjective career success (i.e., career satisfaction) and the mediating role of career adaptability with a sample of 832 Chinese employees. Results from a time-lagged survey study showed that: (1) calling (measured at time 1) positively related to an employee's career adaptability, work engagement, and career satisfaction (measured at time 2), and (2) career adaptability mediated the relationship between calling and work engagement and career satisfaction. Based on the findings, theoretical and practical implications of this study and directions for future research are discussed.

Existing research tends to treat individuals’ career values as relatively stable and independent factors that shape subsequent attitudes and behaviors, yet overlooks reverse causal effects. Employi...

As boundaryless careers become mainstream, individuals need to enhance career decision-making self-efficacy (CDSE) during career transitions to secure better employment outcomes and sustainable career development, especially when moving from a school to a work environment. Drawing on social cognitive career theory, this study empirically proposed a moderated mediation model to examine whether proactive personality (measured at Time 1), career success criteria clarity (CSCC, measured at Time 2), and family socioeconomic status (including family income, parents&rsquo, educational level, and parents&rsquo, occupational level, measured at Time 1) would contribute to CDSE (measured at Time 2). Results based on a two-wave survey of 235 college students showed that: 1) proactive personality positively predicted CDSE, 2) CSCC positively predicted CDSE, 3) CSCC partly mediated the relation between proactive personality and CDSE, 4) the positive effect of CSCC on CDSE was stronger among students with a lower family socioeconomic status. Individuals with strong proactive personalities were more likely to develop salience in career success criteria and in turn became more confident in making career decisions. Therefore, vocational educators in higher education could help to improve students&rsquo, CDSE by promoting training programs for proactive thinking, providing successful role models, and encouraging family involvement, especially for students with a lower family socioeconomic status.

Drawing on social cognitive theory, the study focused on the influence of the leader’s creativity on the employees’ creativity in organizational settings, and further incorporated Leader Member Exchange Relationship (LMX) and authoritarian leadership as situational factors to track their interaction effect on employees’ creativity. We conducted two studies using two different samples of leader–subordinate dyads in China to test our assumptions. The findings showed: (1) the presence of the leader’s creativity had a positive association with the employees’ creativity; (2) authoritarian leadership can positively moderate this relationship; (3) LMX interacted with the joint condition to affect employees’ creativity – more specifically, the effect of the leader’s creativity on the employees is stronger when LMX is high and authoritarian leadership is high than when LMX is high and authoritarian leadership is low; the effect of the leader’s creativity on the employees is stronger when LMX is low and authoritari...

Based on the theories of career construction and of social exchange, the current research examined the joint and interactive effects of perceived organizational career management and career adaptability on indicators of career success (i.e., salary and career satisfaction) and work attitudes (i.e., turnover intention) among 654 Chinese employees. The results showed that career adaptability played a unique role in predicting salary after controlling for the effects of demographic variables and perceived organizational career management. It was also found that both perceived organizational career management and career adaptability correlated negatively with turnover intention, with these relationships mediated by career satisfaction. The results further showed that career adaptability moderated the relationship between perceived organizational career management and career satisfaction such that this positive relationship was stronger among employees with a higher level of career adaptability. In support of the hypothesized moderated mediation model, for employees with a higher level of career adaptability, the indirect effect of perceived career management on turnover intention through career satisfaction was stronger. These findings carry implications for research on career success and turnover intention.

Drawing on the inducement–contribution employment model, this article examines the mediation of affective commitment on the relationship between hierarchical plateau and turnover intention and how job content plateau moderates the relationship. The hypotheses are tested in a sample consisting of 288 Chinese employees from a variety of industries. The results of the hierarchical multiple regression analyses show that hierarchical plateau is positively related to turnover intention, and affective commitment fully mediates the relationship. The moderated mediation analysis reveals that the mediation of affective commitment on hierarchical plateau–turnover intention relation is conditional upon job content plateau. Specifically, job content plateau weakens rather than strengthens the effect of hierarchical plateau on affective commitment and the resultant turnover intention. Based on the findings, theoretical and practical implications of this study and directions for future research are discussed.

Subjective career success has long been of interest to scholars because of its importance in the career area. However, the subjective career success literature suffers from the lack of measurement. To fill this void, after reviewing the limitations of the existing instruments, the current study developed a three-dimensional scale of subjective career success based on the framework of Zhou et al. Three independent studies were conducted using three separate samples (N = 244; N = 411; N = 254) in China to examine the reliability and validity of the developmental scale. The results provided evidence of internal homogeneity, structural validity, convergent validity, discriminant validity, and incremental validity of the developed scale. To conclude the study, the limitations of the article and implications for future study were discussed.

The current research aimed to develop a multidimensional measure on the criteria of career success in a Chinese context. Items on the criteria of career success were obtained using a qualitative approach among 30 Chinese employees; exploratory factor analysis was conducted to select items and determine the factor structure among a new sample of Chinese employees ( N = 550); confirmatory factor analysis was conducted among another sample of Chinese employees ( N = 199). The results showed that Chinese employees regard intrinsic fulfillment, external compensation, and work–life balance as the major components of career success. The developed scale showed good reliability and structure validity. Implications for future research on career success were discussed.

The purpose of the study is to explore the relationship between career success and happiness using specific moderators during the process. Data was collected on MBA classes in China and 994 employees participated in the study. Regression analyses were used to test the hypotheses. Results showed two things: first that career success value (internal satisfaction) does in fact moderate the salary–happiness relationship, and second, that career commitment does moderate the career satisfaction–happiness relationship. This paper makes a valuable contribution to both happiness and career success literature by being one of the first to examine the moderating effects of career success value and career commitment and the relationships between these important career concepts.

International audience; This research developed and tested a comprehensive model of the antecedents of international graduate students' interest in an international career. Based largely on Social Cognitive Career Theory (SCCT), the model included elements that pertain to perceptions of external constraints (perceptions of the labor market, family pressure to return), international student experience (adjustment in the foreign country during graduate studies, exposure and immersion to the international context) and individual factors (self-efficacy with respect to working abroad and outcome expectancy). Participants were 139 international graduate students in the UK. Individual factors and perceived constraints were directly related to interest in an international career. The factors that comprised current international student experience were indirectly related to interest via their relationship with self-efficacy, while adjustment moderated the relationship between self-efficacy and interest. Although the hypothesized moderating role of family pressure to return did not materialize, the findings suggest that perceptions of constraints play a more substantial role in the formation of interest than has been assumed by SCCT theory thus far. The findings are discussed with respect to their implications for the literature and for the policies of host country stakeholders.

This paper explored LMX' impact on employees' organizational affective commitment and chose the perceived organizational support as a mediated variable, using structural equation model technology to verify the relationship of them. The results showed that: affection, loyalty and professional respect had a significant impact on affective commitment but the result of contribution is not significant. So work exchange (contribution) was different from social exchange (affect, loyalty and professional respect) in the influence on employee's organizational affective commitment. Perceived organizational support had a mediated effect between the affect exchange and affective commitment in the organization. Leader-member relationship had an important implication on the employee-organization relationships. The exchanges of different dimensions between leaders and members were different no matter for the affected contents of the attitude to the organization of the employee or for the affecting mechanism.

Whereas past studies focused on a leader's management activity, the present study, by drawing on social cognitive theory, focuses on the influence that a leader's creativity can have on the creativ...

Adopting a multilevel approach, we propose a mediated moderation model to explain how firm-level high-performance work systems (HPWS) affect employee attitudes (job satisfaction and affective commi...

Subjective career success has long been of interest to scholars due to its importance in the career area. However, the subjective career success literature suffers from the lack of measurement. To ...