Core Self-Evaluation Buffers or Amplifies the Nightmare of Injustice? Role of Contingent Self-esteem

Abstract

In response to the call to investigate the mixed findings about the moderating role of core self-evaluations (CSE) on ego threats, we draw on the contingency perspective of self-esteem to propose leader-contingent self-esteem (LCSE) as the boundary condition. Across a multi-wave field study and an online vignette experiment, the empirical results consistently corroborated our theorizing that when employees’ self-esteem was highly contingent on leader’s approval or recognition (i.e., high LCSE), CSE enacted an amplifying effect that causes employees under conditions of leader injustice to experience more ego depletion. In contrast, when employees’ self-esteem was less contingent on the leader (i.e., low LCSE), CSE exhibited a buffering effect that allows employees under leader injustice to experience less ego depletion. In addition, Study 2 found that this ego depletion effect further leads to deviant behaviors in employees. Implications for literatures on CSE, self-esteem and injustice were discussed.