The performance costs of illegitimate tasks: The role of job identity and flexible role orientation

Abstract

The present study examined whether illegitimate tasks were negatively related to employee task performance and proactive work behaviors via employee job identity. Furthermore, this study investigated if employee flexible role orientation would moderate the illegitimate task – job identity relationship as well as the indirect effects of illegitimate tasks on task performance and proactive work behavior via job identity. Multi-sourced data (i.e., self-and supervisor-rating) were collected from a group of 130 Chinese full-time employees using a time-lagged research design. Illegitimate tasks and flexible role orientation at time 1 and job identity at time 2 were measured by employees' self-ratings, while task performance and proactive work behavior at time 3 were rated by direct supervisors. Results of Hierarchical Linear Modeling analyses found that job identify significantly mediated the effects of illegitimate tasks on employee task performance and proactive work behaviors. Flexible role orientation moderated the negative relationship between illegitimate tasks and job identity such that the relationship was significant only for employees with low flexible role orientation. It was further found that the indirect effects of illegitimate tasks on task performance and proactive work behavior via job identity were significant only for employees with low flexible role orientation. This is the first empirical study testing the threat-to-identity effect and our findings highlight the critical mediating role of job identity underlying the illegitimate tasks- job performance relationship. Results also suggest that employee flexible role orientation helps alleviate the threat-to-identity effect of illegitimate tasks. Theoretical and practical implications are discussed.