Do we work hard or are we just great? The effects of organizational pride due to effort and ability on proactive behavior

Prisca Brosi,Matthias Spörrle,Isabell M Welpe

doi:10.1007/s40685-018-0061-7

Abstract

This study derives a conceptual framework for examining parallel and differential influences of organizational pride in employees’ efforts versus abilities on proactivity. Data from a field survey (N = 1218) confirm our theoretical model. Organizational pride in employees’ efforts and organizational pride in employees’ abilities both had positive indirect effects on proactive behaviors via affective organizational commitment. Yet, whereas organizational pride in employees’ efforts additionally had a direct positive effect on individual and team member proactivity, organizational pride in employees’ abilities showed a direct negative effect on proactive behaviors for the self, the team, and the organization including a behavioral measurement of employees’ provision of ideas for improvement. These findings contribute to the nascent literature on organizational pride by indicating towards employees as source of organizational pride, highlighting potential negative effects of organizational pride, and introducing the differentiation between employees’ efforts and abilities.

Highlights

In line with the introductory quote, research generally confirms the beneficial consequences of employees’ pride in their organization (Tyler and Blader 2001), which is defined as a collective form of pride resulting from one’s membership in a group (Helm 2013)
Whereas organizational pride in employees’ efforts had a direct positive effect on individual and team member proactivity, organizational pride in employees’ abilities showed a direct negative effect on proactive behaviors for the self, the team, and the organization including a behavioral measurement of employees’ provision of ideas for improvement. These findings contribute to the nascent literature on organizational pride by indicating towards employees as source of organizational pride, highlighting potential negative effects of organizational pride, and introducing the differentiation between employees’ efforts and abilities
Thereby, one important potential source of organizational pride has so far been overseen: Attributes of the organization’s employees. This is the more surprising considering that organizational pride is expected to result from seeing oneself as belonging to a group (Helm 2013), i.e., the employees of an organization, and employees are seen as an important source of organizational performance (Barney 1991)

Summary

Introduction

In line with the introductory quote, research generally confirms the beneficial consequences of employees’ pride in their organization (Tyler and Blader 2001), which is defined as a collective form of pride resulting from one’s membership in a group (Helm 2013). Organizational pride fuels employees’ affective commitment to the organization and motivates employees to deliver more than expected in terms of working harder, taking initiative, and overcoming obstacles (Katzenbach 2003). When examining employees as antecedents of organizational performance, research differentiates between employees’ motivation, i.e., employees’ intensity, direction, and duration of efforts, and human capital, i.e., employees’ knowledge, skills, and abilities (e.g., Jiang et al 2012; Liao et al 2009) This differentiation includes those dimensions, i.e., efforts and abilities, which have been previously identified as important in eliciting different facets of individual pride (Tracy and Robins 2007a)

Objectives

Results

Discussion

Conclusion