Exploring the Daily Relationship Between Envy and Well-Being Through Envy-Coping Behaviors at Work

Abstract

Envy, while being stressful and painful, is an inevitable part of our contract with life. We draw on control theory and the functional perspective on emotions to evaluate the effectiveness of envy-coping behaviors, including both others-dysfunctional (i.e., harming the envied) and self-functional (i.e., seeking self-improvement) behavior. In contrast to control theory, which suggests that closing the gap between desired and actual states is beneficial, we posit that the distinctive nature of envy-coping behavior produces differential well-being for the envier. Furthermore, because envy is often rooted in unfair advantages received by others, we explore an envier disposition related to fairness—justice orientation, or the extent to which individuals internalize justice as a moral virtue and pay attention to issues of unfairness—as a moderator. We argue that justice orientation is a contingency factor driving functional versus dysfunctional reactions to envy, thus contributing to our understanding of the envy --> coping behavior --> well-being relationship. We conducted an experience-sampling study with a sample of 192 Taiwanese massage therapists, whom we surveyed for 14 consecutive workdays. Confirming most of our predictions, we find that envious individuals high in justice orientation engage in more others-dysfunctional behavior, which in turn results in reduced positive well-being and increased negative well-being. Envious individuals high in justice orientation also engage in less selffunctional behavior, which has an adverse impact on positive well-being. Interestingly, such individuals with low justice orientation engage in more self-functional behavior, which is beneficial for positive well-being. Theoretical contributions and practical implications are discussed.