Social Comparison Perspective Research Articles

A Social Comparison Perspective to Investigating the Influence of Social Media on Employee Creativity

Previous research evident that social media provides a platform to individuals social comparison, namely social comparison on social media (USC-SM). Drawing from social comparison theory, this study explores the creative consequences of such USC-SM, focusing on the underlying mechanism of emotional exhaustion. Additionally, the study examines how social media dependency influences these emotional experiences resulting from USC-SM. Results of data collected from 435 employees and their supervisors through a multi-source, two-wave survey reveal that employees who engage in USC-SM platforms tend to experience emotional exhaustion, thereby detrimentally impacting their creativity. Furthermore, this research found that the extent of an employee’s dependence on social media for work tasks serves as moderator which strengthens the underlying relationship. This study makes a significant contribution to the existing literature on social media use and its effect on employee creativity. Theoretical contributions and practical guidelines are discussed in the subsequent sections.

A Double-Edged-Sword Effect of Overplacement: Social Comparison Bias Predicts Gambling Motivations and Behaviors in Chinese Casino Gamblers.

Overconfidence, a widely observed cognitive bias, has been linked to increased gambling motivations and behaviors. However, previous studies have largely overlooked overconfidence under a social comparison context, known as overplacement, i.e., the tendency of individuals to believe that they are better than their similar peers. In the present study, we tested the effect of overplacement on gambling motivations and behaviors though a Pilot Survey of Chinese college students (N = 129) and a Field Survey of Chinese Macao casino gamblers (N = 733). Our results revealed a double-edged sword effect of overplacement: Serving as a risk factor, evaluating one self's earning ability as higher than others was linked to more gambling motivations (β = 0.18, p = .005) and frequency (β = 0.18, p = .004); Serving as a protective factor, evaluating oneself as happier than others was linked to less gambling motivations (β = - 0.32, p < .001) and problem behaviors (β = - 0.26, p < .001). These findings expand the relationship between overconfidence and gambling from a cognitive bias perspective to a social comparison perspective. Our study not only revealed a typical profile of gambling motivations and behaviors among different demographic groups in Chinese casino gamblers, but also highlighted the importance of considering social factors in the study of the psychological mechanisms of gambling.

Employee reactions to perceived ‘non-talent’ designation: a social comparison perspective

Talent designation is one of the most sensitive and controversial topics in talent management. As organisations adopt workforce differentiation practices, a subset of employees is often considered ‘talent’, while other employees may implicitly perceive ‘non-talent’ status. Taking a social comparison perspective, we examine under which conditions employees are more likely to respond positively or negatively to perceived non-talent designation. Specifically, we draw on research on personal goals and extend the self-evaluation maintenance model. We argue that, contrary to common assumptions, perceived non-talent designation may not universally cause negative responses. Comparison can be experienced as inspiration or envy – depending on the relevance of talent status to one’s identity, attainability of talent status in the future, and a multitude of micro-, meso-, and macro-level contextual factors. This, in turn, shapes both employees’ approach motivation to gain talent status and self-serving attributions to defend non-talent status. In doing so, we provide a more nuanced understanding of employee reactions to perceived non-talent designation and highlight the value of dynamic talent designation in organisations.

Exploring the Dark and Bright Side of Leader-member Exchange Differentiation: A Social Comparison Perspective

Although Public sector organizations face many employee-related issues, it has been identified that the employee task performance and organization cynicism-related issues are affecting more of the success of the organizations. Despite prior studies exploring the inclusion of perfect leadership in the public sector organization, it can enhance and build positive behavioral tendencies of its employees. However, leaders are also the main cause of generating social comparison emotion and envy in their in-group and out-group employees. In line with the thoughts, the current objectives were to identify the impact of Leader-Member Exchange differentiation on positive and negative behavior through social comparison emotions. Positivism research philosophy following the deductive approach has been used for the current study. 235 sample collected through self-administrated questionnaires from Public Sector organizations has been used to meet the study's objective. Results suggested sequential mediation of social comparison emotions and envy on employees' positive and negative behavior. The study has several implications presented at the end of the study and will provide help for the management of public sector organizations.

Risks of passive use of social network sites in youth athletes: a moderated mediation analysis.

With the popularity of social media platforms, the use of social networks challenges the well-being and mental health of athletes. Despite ongoing scholarly discussions about the effects of passive use of social network sites, few studies have examined the relationship between the passive use of social network sites and mental health in young athletes from a social comparison perspective. To address this research gap, we draw on the social comparison and developmental systems theories to explore the mediating effect of upward social comparison on passive social network site use and mental health, as well as the moderating effects of positive psychological capital. We analyzed data about 350 young athletes from professional Chinese sports universities. As predicted, passive use of social network sites by young athletes increased anxiety (β = 0.26, p < 0.001) and decreased subjective well-being (β = -0.35, p < 0.001). Upward social comparisons had positive (β = 0.22, p < 0.001) and negative (β = -0.34, p < 0.001) mediating effects in passive social network site use and anxiety/subjective well-being. Positive psychological capital played a moderating effect between upward social comparison and anxiety (β = -0.28, p < 0.001), and subjective well-being (β = 0.24, p < 0.001); the moderated mediation effect was also supported. Our study informs the current research by highlighting the importance of upward social comparison as a critical mechanism and positive psychological capital as a boundary condition. We suggest actively maintaining and enhancing positive psychological capital to mitigate the adverse effects of upward social comparison.

The initiative paradox: A social comparison perspective on why and when relational crafting leads to loneliness

AbstractDrawing upon social comparison theory, we investigated the influencing mechanism between relational job crafting and workplace loneliness and its boundary condition. A multiple‐source, multi‐wave field study was conducted with data collected from 267 employee–peer dyads in three Chinese firms. The results showed that there is an inverted U‐shaped relationship between promotion‐oriented relational crafting and loneliness via peer social undermining. Meanwhile, prevention‐oriented relational crafting is positively related to loneliness through peer social undermining. Moreover, impression management motive moderates the inverted U‐shaped relationship between promotion‐oriented relational crafting and peer social undermining. Implications of these findings are discussed.

Taken for granted: When servant leadership may be negatively related to OCB via psychological entitlement

Despite the plethora of studies on why servant leadership can promote organizational citizenship behavior (OCB), there is a lack of understanding of when and why servant leadership may inhibit OCB. Taking a social comparison perspective, we hypothesize that individual-level servant leadership is negatively related to OCB via psychological entitlement, and this indirect relationship is moderated by group-mean servant leadership. Results from two time-lagged multi-source studies indeed show that individual-level servant leadership is negatively related to OCB via psychological entitlement, but only when group-mean servant leadership is low. Theoretical implications for servant leadership theory and related literature are discussed.

Competitive peer influence on knowledge contribution behaviors in online Q&A communities: a social comparison perspective

PurposeUsers' knowledge contribution behaviors are critical for online Q&A communities to thrive. Well-organized question threads in online Q&A communities enable users to clearly read existing answers and their evaluations before contributing. Based on the social comparison and peer influence literature, the authors examine peer influence on the informativeness of knowledge contributions in competitive settings. The authors also consider three levels of moderating factors concerning individuals' perception of competitiveness: question level, thread level and contributor level.Design/methodology/approachThe authors collected data from one of the largest online Q&A communities in China. The hypotheses were validated using hierarchical linear models with cross-classified random effects. The generalized propensity score weighting method was employed for the robustness check.FindingsThe authors demonstrate the peer influence due to social comparison concerns among knowledge contribution behaviors in the same question thread. If more prior knowledge contributors choose to contribute long answers in the question thread, the subsequent contributions are more informative. This peer influence is stronger for factual questions and questions with higher popularity of answering but weaker in recommendation-type and well-answered questions and for contributors with higher social status.Originality/valueThis research provides a new cue of peer influence on online UGC contributions in competitive settings initiated by social comparison concerns. Additionally, the authors identify three levels of moderating factors (question level, thread level and contributor level) that are specific to online Q&A settings and are related to a contributor's perception of competitiveness, which affect the direct effect of peer influence on knowledge contributions. Rather than focus on motivation and quality evaluation, the authors concentrate on the specific content of online knowledge contributions. Peer influence here is not based on an actual acquaintance or a following relationship but on answering the same question. The authors also illustrate the competitive peer influence in subjective and personalized behaviors in online UGC communities.

The neuroscience of social comparison and competition.

The study of competition from a social comparison perspective offers valuable insights into the neuroscience of social judgment and decision making under uncertainty. When engaging in social comparison, individuals seek and assess information about similarities or differences between others and themselves, in large part to improve their self-evaluation. By providing information about one's relative position, abilities, outcomes, and more, social comparisons can inform competitive judgments and decisions. People reasonably turn to social comparisons to reduce uncertainty before, during, and after competition. However, the extent to which they do so and the behavioral consequences of social comparisons often fail to match the potential benefits of improved self-evaluation. An examination of the developing neuroscience of social comparison and competition in light of the behavioral evidence reveals numerous questions that merit further investigation.

How Do You Wish to Appear? An Empirical Study of Factors Affect Intention to Purchase Face-Swap Apps Under Social Comparison Perspective

Face-swap models have increasingly gained popularity in recent years because of their improvement in generation quality and applications in privacy protection and entertainment. The study primarily examines underlying factors that influence individuals’ intention to purchase Face swap apps. A research framework drawing upon the social comparison theory was proposed to explain the relationship between four categories of social comparison (upward identification, upward contrast, downward identification, downward contrast) on self-esteem, appearance dissatisfaction, curiosity, perceived enjoyment, privacy concern, and purchase intention toward paid apps. The PLS-SEM technique was employed to analyze data from a survey of 315 respondents. The results indicated that upon the aforementioned variables, curiosity and privacy concerns were two key factors driving users a higher intention to purchase Face-swap apps. Meanwhile, perceived enjoyment had no significant impact on purchase intention. These exploratory findings contributed a number of theoretical and practical implications.

The Factors, Individual and Cultural Difference of Competition Motivation on Students

Learning motivation is the central part that stimulates students to learn. Scholars in the education and psychology field have studied motivation for a long time to develop an appropriate teaching and learning strategy for students. In contrast, many studies conducted do not have enough generalization. The paper aimed to review factors involved in a competition from the social comparison perspective and examined individual and cultural differences in competition motivation among students. The results showed that Situational and individual factors led to comparison concerns and triggered competitive behaviors. Gender and cultural differences significantly distinguished students' learning motivation in a competitive environment, while no age variation was founded. This study drew a comprehensive interpretation of the relationship between competition and the learning motivation of students. Further study about the relationship between long-lasting competitive phenomenon and motivation needs to be encouraged.

Perception of Influencers among Young Consumers: An Overview of Marketing Communication Practices in Social Media from a Social Comparison Perspective

Etkili kişilerin alternatif pazarlama iletişimi stratejisi olarak giderek daha fazla kullanılıyor olması, bu kişilere dair sosyal karşılaştırma süreçlerini ve hedef kitleler tarafından bu kişilerin nasıl algılandığını belirlemeyi önemli kılmaktadır. Bu araştırmada, sosyal medyadaki etkili kişilerin takipçileri tarafından nasıl algılandığı ve bunun pazarlama iletişimi uygulamalarına olan yansıması sosyal karşılaştırma perspektifinden ele alınmaktadır. Nitel araştırma deseniyle gerçekleştirilen çalışma, sosyal medyayı aktif kullanan, asgari iki farklı etkili kişiyi takip eden, üniversite öğrencisi 16 katılımcıyla gerçekleştirilmiştir. Veriler, yarı yapılandırılmış görüşme tekniğiyle toplanmış, tümevarımsal yaklaşımla analiz edilmiştir. Görüşmeler sonucunda, katılımcıların etkili kişilere yönelik görüşleri “etkili kişilere yönelik algı ve motivasyonlar”, “etkili kişilere yönelik duygular ve sosyal karşılaştırma” ve “marka-etkili kişi iş birliği ve sosyal karşılaştırma” temaları altında toplanmıştır. Araştırma sonuçlarına göre katılımcılar, kendilerine yakın hissettikleri etkili kişilere karşı daha olumlu yaklaşmakta, katılımcılarda olumlu izlenimler daha çok yukarı yönlü asimilasyon olarak ortaya çıkmakta, sınırlı da olsa sempati, acıma gibi aşağı yönlü asimilasyon kodlarına rastlandığı görülmektedir. Ayrıca kıskançlık, haset gibi yukarı yönlü kontrast duygularla sıklıkla karşılaşılırken, etkili kişinin yetersiz görüldüğü durumlarda belirginleşen aşağı yönlü kontrast duygular da gözlenmektedir. Etkili kişi – marka iş birliği boyutuyla bakıldığında ise etkili kişinin, reklam içerikli paylaşımlarda benimsediği doğal akışın dışına çıkmasının tüketiciler tarafından olumsuz karşılandığı tespit edilmiştir.

I have received more help than others! A social comparison perspective on receiving help

I have received more help than others! A social comparison perspective on receiving help

I Have Received More Help Than Others! A Social Comparison Perspective on Receiving Help

In the current research, we developed and tested a model of how and when receiving help social comparison influenced the recipient’s job performance (i.e., interpersonal citizenship behavior, task performance). Based on social exchange theory and social comparison theory, we posited that receiving help social comparison influenced the recipient’s feelings of gratitude, which in turn had a positive relationship with interpersonal citizenship behavior (ICB) and task performance. Further, we argued that the effects of receiving help social comparison were influenced by the recipient’s psychological entitlement. Using data collected in three waves from 307 employees in China, we found that receiving help social comparison was positively associated with the recipient’s feelings of gratitude while controlling for overall receiving help. Gratitude, in turn, benefit ICB and task performance. Moreover, high levels of psychological entitlement weakened the relationship between receiving help social comparison and the recipient’s feelings of gratitude, and further weakened the indirect relationship between receiving help social comparison and the recipient’s ICB as well as task performance via gratitude. Overall, these findings had the potential to extend our knowledge of receiving help literature by introducing a social comparison perspective.

You Have Received More Help than I Did and I Envy You: A Social Comparison Perspective on Receiving Help in the Team.

In the current research, we developed and tested a model of how and when upward social comparison of received help influenced an employee’s interpersonal citizenship behavior. Based on social comparison theory, we posited that upward social comparison of received help triggered an employee’s feelings of envy, which in turn had a negative relationship with interpersonal citizenship behavior (ICB). Further, we argued that the effects of upward social comparison of received help on envy differed in the employee’s social comparison orientation. Using data collected in three waves from 411 employees in China, we found that upward social comparison of received help was positively associated with the employee’s feelings of envy while controlling for overall receiving help, which further negatively affected interpersonal citizenship behavior. Moreover, the relationship between the upward social comparison of received help and the employee’s feelings of envy was stronger when employees had high levels of social comparison orientation and further strengthened the indirect relationship between the upward social comparison of received help and the employee’s ICB via envy. Overall, these findings have the potential to extend our knowledge of the adverse effects of receiving help in a team by introducing a social comparison perspective.

The dark side of social media in the workplace: A social comparison perspective

Social media has widely permeated the workplace because of its potential benefits. Nowadays, it is not surprising that employees browse what friends are sharing on social media (e.g., Facebook and WeChat) during working hours. But interestingly, people tend to present themselves in a positive manner and thus selectively share positive information (e.g., positive profiles, images, or living situations) on social media platforms for others to browse. This would easily cause feelings like “how successful they are” and “I am so inferior to them” when employees browse social media information. What does this mean for their job performance? Findings from our two-wave longitudinal survey suggest that employees comparing themselves with friends who are better off on social media would fall into ego-depletion, which further reduces their job performance. Moreover, employees’ preferences for online social interaction can exacerbate this process. Although short breaks obtained from using social media may help employees better engage in subsequent work tasks, the present research suggests managers be wary of the dark side of social media stemming from social comparison. This research contributes to the literature regarding employee social media use by focusing on its dark side from the lens of online social comparison.

When and why does status threat at work bring out the best and the worst in us? A temporal social comparison theory

This paper seeks to explain when and why people respond to status threat at work with behaviors oriented toward either self-improvement or interpersonal harming. To that end, we extend the established static social comparison perspective on status threat. Specifically, we introduce the notion of temporal proximity of status threat, which is informed by five temporal social comparison markers. We argue that people construe distal future status gaps as a challenge (and thus show self-improvement-oriented responses), but construe a more proximal status gap as a threat (and thus engage in negative interpersonal behaviors). Further, we introduce three factors of uncertainty that may render the underlying temporal comparison less reliable, and thereby less useful for guiding one's response. Overall, our temporal social comparison theory integrates and extends current theorizing on status threat in organizations by fully acknowledging the dynamic nature of social comparisons. Plain Language Summary Employees often compare themselves to others to evaluate their status. If they perceive that their status is at threat or risk losing status, they engage in behaviors to prevent status loss. These behaviors can be positive, aimed at improving one's position or they can be negative, aimed at harming others. This paper develops a theoretical framework to examine when employees engage in more challenge- vs. threat-oriented behaviors. We argue that an important question how employees react to status threat is its temporal proximity—will an employee's status be threatened in the near versus distal future? We propose that the more distal (vs. proximate) the status threat is, the more employees gravitate towards challenge- and less threat-oriented behaviors. But how do employees know when a status threat occurs in the future? We argue that employees will compare their past status trajectories to co-workers’ status trajectories to mentally extrapolate the temporal proximity of such a threat. More specifically, we propose five characteristics (temporal markers) of social comparison trajectories that inform employees about the temporal proximity: their relative current position, the relative velocity and acceleration of their status trajectory, their relative mean status level, and their relative minimum and maximum status. Moreover, we suggest that employees’ conclusions from these markers are weakened by uncertainty in the “data stream” of social comparison information over time, that is, the length of the time span available, the amount of interruptions in this data stream, and the number of fluctuations in their own and others’ status trajectories.

Affective organizational commitment, self‐concept, and work performance: A social comparison perspective

AbstractUsing two studies and four samples, we introduce new forms of assimilative and contrastive affective organizational commitment (AOC) from a social comparison perspective and examine their distinctiveness from traditional AOC. We further explore the interplay among assimilative and contrastive AOCs and the self‐concept in predicting specific performance outcomes. Study 1 used two samples (Ns = 181 and 655) aimed at developing the measures of assimilative and contrastive AOC and found them to be distinct from traditional AC. Study 2 tested the idea that the self‐concept (collective vs. individual) would influence how strongly assimilative versus contrastive AOC would predict helping behavior versus task proficiency as performance outcomes. Using two samples (Sample 1 N = 192; Sample 2 N = 246) with multisource data from subordinates and supervisors, Study 2 found that controlling for traditional AOC, the relationship between assimilative AOC and employee helping behavior was stronger and positive at high levels of the collective self‐concept (Sample 1) and that the relationship between contrastive AOC and employee task proficiency was marginally stronger and positive at high levels of the individual self‐concept (Sample 2). Our findings bear implications for theory and practice and present openings for future research.

Effects of CEO Identity on Non-family Managers’ Pay Dispersion in Family Firms: A Social Comparison Perspective

The fairness of compensation has been a prominent focus for non-family managers, and pay dispersion, which reflects compensation fairness, has attracted much attention from scholars. Based on social comparison theory, this study investigates the factors that affect the pay dispersion between CEO and non-family managers. In family firms, the role of CEO, which is central in corporate governance, can be filled by either a family or a non-family member. This study provides insights into how the identity of the CEO affects pay dispersion and investigates the moderating effects of CEO tenure and institutional environment. Using the data of Chinese listed family firms from 2009 to 2015, the results show that the presence of non-family CEOs could decrease the pay dispersion between CEO and non-family managers. Empirical evidence also supports that the negative relationship between CEO identity and pay dispersion weakens when CEO tenure increases and the institutional environment matures.

How and When Leader-Member Exchange Social Comparison Hinders Employee Creativity

This research contributes to the growing research on the antecedents of creativity in the hospitality industry. Utilizing social comparison perspective, this study examines the indirect—via knowledge hiding behavior—relationship between employees perceived upward leader-member exchange (LMX) social comparison and their creativity. Moreover, this study proposes the moderating role of power distance orientation of an individual employee between the association of upward LMX social comparison and their creativity via knowledge hiding behavior. Based on time-lagged and multi-source data (n=308) collected from hospitality employees of tourist hotels, the findings of study revealed that upward LMX social comparison hinders employees' creativity via their knowledge hiding behavior. Additionally, the indirect effect of upward LMX social comparison on employee creativity was statistically significant for employees with low power distance orientation, but it was not significant for employees with high power distance. Based on the study findings, implications for theory and practice are discussed.