Cognitive-affective Personality System Theory Research Articles

The Impact of Benevolent Sexism on Women’s Career Growth: A Moderated Serial Mediation Model

This study investigates how benevolent sexism impedes women’s career growth, focusing on the mediating roles of self-esteem and emotional exhaustion and the moderating role of career development strategies. Using a three-wave, time-lagged survey, data from 410 female employees across various industries in China were analyzed with SPSS 24.0 and Mplus 8.3. Results indicate that benevolent sexism negatively influences career growth via reduced self-esteem and increased emotional exhaustion. Moreover, career development strategies mitigate this adverse effect, weakening the relationship between benevolent sexism and career growth. Higher levels of career development strategies lessen the detrimental impact of benevolent sexism on women’s professional progress. These findings enrich Cognitive-Affective Personality System theory by clarifying the mechanisms through which benevolent sexism undermines career development. They also highlight the practical significance of adopting robust career strategies to promote workplace gender equality and offer empirical insights into the broader implications of benevolent sexism on women’s career advancement.

Do Narcissistic People Exhibit More Authentic Self-Disclosure to Generative AI? The Roles of Short-Form Video Addiction, Loneliness, and Usage Intention

The widespread application of generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) technology has innovated human–AI interactions, making authentic self-disclosure to machines an emerging trend. Drawing on the cognitive–affective personality system theory, this study examined how narcissism, short-form video addiction, and loneliness contribute to the authentic self-disclosure to GenAI, as well as the moderating role of intention to use GenAI. The mediation and moderation analyses of data were collected from 524 college students (357 females, Mage = 21.25) in China. The results indicated that narcissism was positively associated with authentic self-disclosure to GenAI, and short-form video addiction and loneliness sequentially mediated this connection. Intention to use GenAI enhanced the positive association between loneliness and authentic self-disclosure to GenAI. The significance and limitations of the findings were discussed.

THE INFLUENCE MECHANISM OF SELF-LEADERSHIP ON ENTREPRENEURIAL RESILIENCE OF CHINESE AGRICULTURE ENTREPRENEURS

This study investigates how self-leadership influences entrepreneurial resilience among Chinese agricultural entrepreneurs. We constructed a theoretical model incorporating self-leadership, entrepreneurial identity, flow experience, perceived government entrepreneurial support, and entrepreneurial resilience, based on the Cognitive-Affective Personality System theory and self-leadership theory. We collected data through a questionnaire survey of 427 agricultural entrepreneurs and analyzed it using SPSS and AMOS. The findings indicate that: (1) self-leadership has a significant positive impact on entrepreneurial resilience, entrepreneurial identity, and flow experience; (2) entrepreneurial identity and flow experience play partial mediating roles between self-leadership and entrepreneurial resilience; and (3) perceived government entrepreneurial support positively moderates the relationships between entrepreneurial identity, flow experience, and entrepreneurial resilience. This study enriches the theoretical research in the field of agricultural entrepreneurship and provides practical guidance for enhancing the entrepreneurial resilience of agricultural entrepreneurs.

Research on the Influence of Humor Response in the Context of Artificial Intelligence Service Failure: Moderating Effect Based on User Humor

With the development of high and new technology, artificial intelligence technology has been widely used in all walks of life. However, limited by the technical development level and the complexity of the service environment, the failure of artificial intelligence robots is inevitable. How to make an effective remedy has become the focus of attention of enterprises and academia. Based on cognitive-affective system theory of personality, benign violation theory and personality trait congruence theory, this paper conducts three situational experiments. This paper explores the relationship between artificial intelligence humor response, perceived sincerity and user forgiveness in the context of artificial intelligence service failure, and discusses the moderating effect of user humor degree. It is found that artificial intelligence humor response has a positive effect on user forgiveness in the context of service failure, and perceived sincerity plays a part of mediating role. In addition, for users with different degrees of humor, the same humorous reply will cause users to perceive different sincerity, and then lead to different users' forgiveness. This study complements the research on consumer psychology and behavior theory and remedy strategies in the context of service failure by artificial intelligence robots. At the same time, it provides a reference for enterprises how to dynamically adjust the artificial intelligence humor response level according to the user portrait, and further provides practical enlightenment for enterprises to implement effective remedy strategies.

The influence of social exclusion on prosocial behavior of college students: the role of relational need threat and regulatory focus.

The present study investigated the impact of social exclusion on prosocial behavior, examining the roles of relational need threat and regulatory focus. Utilizing a questionnaire study with 483 participants (Study 1) and an experimental study with 100 participants (Study 2), we found that (1) social exclusion negatively predicted prosocial behavior; (2) relational need threat fully mediated the relationship between social exclusion and prosocial behavior; and (3) regulatory focus, categorized as either promotion or prevention, moderated this relationship in opposite directions. In conclusion, our findings reveal that social exclusion does indeed trigger prosocial behavior. Meanwhile, relational need threat and regulatory focus have a co-action impact on this process. These findings have been carefully discussed within the frameworks of the temporal need-threat model and the cognitive-affective personality system theory.

The effect of supervisor developmental feedback on employee silence behaviour: perspective of cognitive-affective personality system

PurposeThis study aims to examine the effect of supervisor developmental feedback on employee silence behaviour by developing a moderated mediation model. The model focuses on the mediating role of role breadth self-efficacy and high activated positive affect underpinning the relationship between supervisor developmental feedback and employee silence behaviour, and the moderating role of interdependent self-construal.Design/methodology/approachThe two-wave survey was conducted among 265 employees. Structural equation modelling was conducted to test the mediation and moderation mediation hypotheses.FindingsResults indicated that high activated positive affect mediated the negative relationship between supervisor developmental feedback and employee silence behaviour. The authors also found that interdependent self-construal moderated the relationship between supervisor developmental feedback and role breadth self-efficacy, as well as the indirect effect of supervisor developmental feedback on employee silence behaviour via role breadth self-efficacy.Originality/valueThis empirical study provides preliminary evidence of the mediating role of breadth self-efficacy and high activated positive affect in the negative relationship between supervisor developmental feedback and employee silence behaviour. The moderated mediation results further show that the mediation of role breadth self-efficacy between supervisor developmental feedback is contingent on individual interdependent self-construal, such that the mediation effect is significant among individuals with high interdependent self-construal, but the mediation effect of high activated positive effect is independent of individual interdependent self-construal. The findings further extend boundary conditions (interdependent self-construal) that may constrain the effect of supervisor developmental feedback on role breadth self-efficacy and high activated positive affect. The research makes considerable contributions to the cognitive-affective personality system theory by specifying the cognitive and affective mechanisms between supervisor developmental feedback and employee silence behaviour, as well as the boundary conditions.

Are People More Horrible Than Ghosts? Workplace Haters and Employee Creativity

Based on the cognitive-affective personality system theory and social network theory, this study examines how three common workplace haters influence employee well-being and creativity. It also explores the negative moderating effects of personal social capital and organizational pride. The study utilized 496 valid supervisor-employee dyads (comprising 286 direct supervisors and 496 employees) from 13 companies in Taiwan. The findings revealed that: (1) Workplace haters negatively affect employee well-being; (2) Employee well-being positively affects employee creativity; (3) Employee well-being mediates the relationship between workplace haters and employee creativity; (4) Personal social capital moderates the relationship between workplace haters and employee well-being; and (5) Organizational pride moderates the relationship between employee well-being and employee creativity. Implications for behavioral researchers and human resource managers are discussed.

A chain mediation model of inclusive leadership and voice behavior among university teachers: evidence from China

As a vital mode in which teachers can participate in university management, voice behavior is an important way of enhancing the efficiency of organizational decision-making, promoting democratic management, and facilitating sustainable development in universities. Although previous studies have confirmed the positive impact of inclusive leadership on employees' voice behavior, the mechanism underlying this effect remains unclear. Therefore, based on the cognitive-affective system theory of personality, this study aims to examine the mediating effects of psychological empowerment and organizational identification on the relationship between inclusive leadership and voice behavior among university teachers. A total of 517 valid questionnaires were administered to university teachers in mainland China using a convenience sampling approach. Structural equation modeling and bootstrap testing were used to analyze the data, and the results reveal that inclusive leadership is positively related to teachers’ promotive and prohibitive voice behavior. This relationship is mediated by psychological empowerment and organizational identification, in which context a partial mediating effect is observed in the relationship between inclusive leadership and promotive voice and a full mediating effect is observed in the relationship between inclusive leadership and prohibitive voice. These findings can enrich the extant research on the impact of inclusive leadership in the field of higher education to a certain extent. Moreover, they provide a new perspective that can support an in-depth analysis of the mechanism underlying the effect of inclusive leadership and generate valuable practical insights into ways of stimulating voice behavior among university teachers.

How do illegitimate tasks affect hospitality employees’ adaptive performance? An explanation from the perspective of cognitive-affective system theory of personality

PurposeGuided by the cognitive-affective system theory of personality (CAPS), this study aims to investigate the parallel mediating effects of cognitive and affective cynicism on the relationship between illegitimate tasks and employees’ adaptive performance. It also proposes growth need strength as a moderating variable for relationships between illegitimate tasks and employees’ adaptive performance.Design/methodology/approachUsing a time-lagged design, data were gathered from 330 frontline hotel employees in China.FindingsThe authors found that the presence of illegitimate tasks is negatively associated with employees’ adaptive performance, this relationship being mediated by cognitive and affective cynicism. Growth need strength weakens the negative impacts of cognitive and affective cynicism on employees’ adaptive performance. In addition, the indirect effect of illegitimate tasks on employees’ adaptive performance via cognitive and affective cynicism is stronger for employees with lower levels of growth need strength.Practical implicationsHotel managers must heed the negative impact of illegitimate tasks. Furthermore, they should underscore the importance of promoting a harmonious and positive organizational culture and atmosphere. Naturally, hotel managers must also establish effective communication with employees, assisting them in fostering a desire for excellence in their work.Originality/valueThis study provides valuable insights for the hospitality industry by investigating how illegitimate tasks hold sway over hotel employees’ adaptive performance. The study uses a moderated dual-path model to uncover the mechanisms behind this impact and the influence of boundary conditions, thereby expanding the understanding of the topic.

Helping others but Hurting Yourself? The underlying mechanism linking helping behavior to task performance

Helping behavior positively influences organizational effectiveness, which is why the importance of this behavior is highlighted in Chinese enterprises, and employees are encouraged to engage in it. However, from an actor-centric perspective, helping behavior is not always beneficial. In this paper, cognitive-affective personality system theory is applied to link helping behavior to task performance, thus enhancing the understanding of the effects of helping behavior. By adopting a two-wave questionnaire survey, data from 202 leader-subordinate dyads were gathered. Then, the BruceR (V0.7.2) package of Rstudio (V4.1.1) was used to generate a multi-mediated moderation model and test the hypotheses. The following results were obtained: 1) Helping behavior was negatively associated with task performance. 2) Cognitive irritation and emotional exhaustion serially mediated the influences of helping behavior on task performance. 3) Team-level communal goal striving moderated the indirect influence of helping behavior on task performance; the indirect influence was only significant when the levels of team communal goal striving were low. From an actor-centric perspective, this paper presents evidence for the connection between helping behavior and task performance. Numerous implications for management approaches are presented to maximize the management of helping behavior.

The Impact of Family Supportive Supervisor Behavior on Employees’ Proactive Behavior: A Cognitive and Affective Integration Perspective

With the increasing complexity of the external organizational environment, employees’ proactive behavior has become a critical factor for organizational success. However, there is limited research exploring the mechanisms behind employees’ proactive behavior from the perspective of family supportive supervisor behavior, which satisfies employees’ work–family balance. Based on the Cognitive–Affective Personality System theory and in the context of escalating work–family conflict and the Chinese cultural context, which emphasizes reciprocity, this study collected survey data from 535 employees in two stages. The study aimed to investigate the relationship between family supportive supervisor behavior and employees’ proactive behavior. The results show that family supportive supervisor behavior has a positive impact on employees’ proactive behavior; perceived insider status and affective commitment partially mediate the impact of family supportive supervisor behavior on employees’ proactive behavior; and perceived insider status and affective commitment play chain-mediating roles in the influence of family supportive supervisor behavior on employees’ proactive behavior. This study innovatively reveals the “black box” of the relationship between family supportive supervisor behavior and employees’ proactive behavior from the internal perspective of individual cognition–emotion. This expands the research on the consequences of family supportive supervisor behavior in the work field and provides inspiration for enterprises on how to motivate employees’ proactive behavior.

Same gratitude, different pro-environmental behaviors? Effect of the dual-path influence mechanism of gratitude on pro-environmental behavior

The existing literature notes the effects of gratitude on pro-environmental behavior. However, most studies have examined the impact of gratitude on a single pro-environmental behavior, with a lack of research investigating the divergent pathways of gratitude's effects on various pro-environmental behaviors. Based on the appraisal tendency framework and cognitive-affective personality system theory, this research constructs a dual path influence mechanism of gratitude on pro-environmental behavior. Furthermore, it examines the moderating role of social class and the mediating role of ambiguity tolerance and environmental efficacy. First, in line with previous research, pro-environmental behavior is divided into private pro-environmental behavior and public pro-environmental behavior. Second, a longitudinal survey and three experiments are implemented to test the hypothesis model. The results show that gratitude promotes both private and public pro-environmental behavior. Moreover, individuals in low social class demonstrate a stronger preference towards private pro-environmental behavior, whereas those in high social class exhibit a stronger preference towards public pro-environmental behavior. In addition, ambiguity tolerance and environmental efficacy play mediating roles. This research provides valuable insights for social marketers and policymakers on leveraging gratitude to stimulate differentiated pro-environmental behaviors among diverse social classes.

Leadership styles and employee pro-environmental behavior in the tourism and hospitality industry: A cognitive-affective personality system perspective

Despite substantial attention given to employee pro-environmental behaviors (PEBs) in recent years, the role of leadership and the underlying mechanisms for employee PEBs remain unclear. By integrating regulatory focus theory, conservation of resources theory, and cognitive-affective personality system theory, we constructed a chain mediation pathway to reveal the effect of transformational and transactional leadership on employee PEBs via the distinct personality system of employees in the tourism and hospitality industry. Adopting a field investigation of 935 employees in Chinese hospitality corporations, we found that transformational leadership motivates subordinates to engage in PEBs by instilling a work promotion focus mindset, which later leads to a reduction in their emotional exhaustion. Transactional leadership, however, exerts a negative influence on PEBs by evoking subordinates’ work prevention focus, which increases employees’ emotional exhaustion. Theoretical and practical implications are discussed, along with the study’s limitations and future directions.

Why does leader aggressive humor lead to bystander workplace withdrawal behavior?-Based on the dual path perspective of cognition- affection.

Based on the Cognitive-Affective Personality System Theory, this study takes 443 employees of several Chinese enterprises and their direct superiors as the research objects, then a 1:1 paired survey is carried out at three different time points, and data is processed by Mplus 7.4 software. This study finds from a bystander perspective: leader aggressive humor plays a positive role in bystander affective rumination and bystander workplace anxiety. Both bystander affective rumination and bystander workplace anxiety play a mediation role between leader aggressive humor and bystander workplace withdrawal behavior. Besides, organization-based self-esteem alleviates the positive impact of leader aggressive humor on bystander affective rumination and bystander workplace anxiety, and then moderates the indirect impact of leader aggressive humor on bystander workplace withdrawal behavior through bystander affective rumination and bystander workplace anxiety, respectively. This study has practical guiding significance for promoting the organization to reduce the occurrence of aggressive humor, helping employees better integrate into the organization, and building a harmonious organizational environment.

Influence of entrepreneurial ambidextrous leadership on ambidextrous innovation: An integrated model construction of ‘cognitive/affective’ composite perspective in Chinese context

BACKGROUND: China’s 14th Five-Year Plan for National Economic and Social Development and the Long-Range Objectives Through the Year 2035 clearly points out that it is necessary to implement innovation driven strategy, promote enterprise technological innovation, and better play the important role of entrepreneurs in enterprise technological innovation. Therefore, it is of great significance to explore the impact of entrepreneurial leadership on enterprises’ technological innovation. OBJECTIVE: From the perspective of technological innovation stream, we divide ambidextrous innovation into mainstream innovation and new stream innovation. Integrating ambidexterity theory, innovation streams theory and cognitive affective personality system theory (CAPS), we explore the mediating mechanism of entrepreneurial ambidextrous leadership on ambidextrous innovation from cognitive path, affective path and cognitive-affective compound path. METHODS: Based on the data collected from 254 top managers in 12 provinces in China, we conducted descriptive statistical analysis, reliability and validity analysis, regression analysis and bootstrap mediating effect test on the sample data. RESULTS: Our empirical results revealed that: 1) entrepreneurial ambidextrous leadership positively related with the ambidextrous innovation; 2) organizational paradoxical cognition plays a partly mediating role between ambidextrous leadership and ambidextrous innovation; 3) organizational affective conflict plays a partly mediating role between ambidextrous leadership and ambidextrous innovation; 4) organizational paradoxical cognition negatively related with organizational affective conflict; 5) organizational paradoxical cognition and organizational affective conflict play a chain mediating role between entrepreneurial ambidextrous leadership and ambidextrous innovation. CONCLUSIONS: Combined with the cognitive affective personality system theory, our research explores the mediating mechanism of entrepreneurial ambidextrous leadership on ambidextrous innovation from cognitive path and affective path and “cognitive-affective” compound path, which not only have great theoretical contributions, but also have important significance in enterprise management practice.

Integrating fair trade with circular economy: Personality traits, consumer engagement, and ethically-minded behavior

With the concept of circular economy gaining increasing momentum, its connection to consumer behavior, particularly focusing on fair trade, has been relatively unexplored. Building on cognitive-affective personality system theory, we examine the role of consumer personality traits as drivers of fair trade engagement and its subsequent impact on ethically-minded behavior concerning circular economy issues. Adopting a mixed-method approach, comprising a quantitative survey among 323 consumers in the UK and India and a qualitative study among 18 British consumers, we found that extraversion, agreeableness, and conscientiousness positively affect consumer fair trade engagement, whereas neuroticism has a negative effect, and openness has no significant impact. Consumer fair trade engagement was subsequently revealed to positively influence ethically-minded behavior related to circular economy. The association between consumer fair trade engagement and ethically-minded behavior was stronger in older, more educated, and high-income consumers, whereas gender had no moderating role.

Effects of customer incivility on turnover intention in China’s hotel employees: A chain mediating model

This study explores the relationship between customer incivility and hotel employees' turnover intention in China. The mediating effects of emotional exhaustion, job satisfaction and professional identity were also investigated. The proposed research framework was tested using data from 500 hotel employees who responded to an online questionnaire. The results show that customer incivility affects employees' turnover intention by affecting emotional exhaustion, job satisfaction and professional identity. Among the three mediating variables, the mediating effect of emotional fatigue is the most obvious. When hotel employees encounter customer incivility, it improves their emotional exhaustion, which will reduce job satisfaction, weaken professional identity, and finally lead to the enhancement of turnover intention. Based on conservation of resources theory and cognitive-affective personality system theory, this study proposes a conceptual model of experience development and testing, which enhances the understanding of the relationship between customer incivility and employees’ turnover intention and enriches the research on customer incivility.

The effect of negative workplace gossip on the targets’ behaviors: A meta-analysis based on the cognitive-affective personality system theory

The effect of negative workplace gossip on the targets’ behaviors: A meta-analysis based on the cognitive-affective personality system theory

Building skills in the context of digital transformation: How industry digital maturity drives proactive skill development

Digital transformation is changing the employee skills that organizations need to succeed. In this context, it is increasingly important for employees to proactively develop their skills. The emerging research on employee proactive skill development has largely ignored the possible role of employees’ perceptions of large-scale changes in organizations’ environments in their motivation to engage in such valuable behavior. We address this gap using cognitive-affective personality system theory to explain how macrolevel development affects employee behavior. Existing data on industry digital maturity were combined with survey data of 710 higher education graduates from various organizations and industries collected at two separate time points. The results support the hypothesized positive indirect effects of industry digital maturity on proactive skill development via employees’ interpretation of digitalization as controllable and as an opportunity for their organization. We discuss the implications for research and organizational practice.

How Does Organizational Compassion Motivate Employee Innovative Behavior: A Cross-Level Mediation Model.

This study aims to explore the mediating mechanisms between organizational compassion and employee innovative behavior by introducing perceived insider status and felt responsibility for constructive change (FRCC) as mediating variables. Drawing on cognitive-affective personality system theory, a cross-level mediation model was established. Data were collected via the online-based questionnaire from 420 employees of 12 enterprises in China. Multilevel path modeling was leveraged to examine hypotheses proposed in this study. The results indicate that FRCC mediates the relationship between organizational compassion and employee innovative behavior. Moreover, perceived insider status and FRCC serially mediate the relationship between organizational compassion and employee innovative behavior. This study has significant theoretical and practical implications as it is the first study to investigate the value of organizational compassion to employee innovative behavior at the workplace.