The Costs of Proactivity: Proactive Employees and the Challenge-Hindrance Stressor Framework

Abstract

Although the benefits of proactive personality have been well documented for both organizational and individual careers, there may be costs and risks associated with trait proactivity to which managers and researchers should pay attention. Drawing on the conservation of resources model, we suggest that, as a behavioral tendency associated with situational change, highly proactive people may be especially sensitive to hindrance stressors–barriers in organizations that impede personal growth and achievement and are inherently resistant to change. In a sample of 229 licensed architects, we find that those high in proactive personality were even more likely than others to feel emotionally exhausted and form turnover intentions when hindrance stressors were prevalent. In contrast, proactive people were less likely to be exhausted and form turnover intentions when challenge stressors were prevalent. We propose and find support for perceived organizational support as a mediating link explaining the proactivity-stressor interaction’s effect on employee outcomes, suggesting that proactive people may blame frustrations with hindrances on lacking organizational resources, but may credit organizations for providing challenging opportunities to express their proactivity. We discuss the implications of our research for managers and organizational researchers.