When competitive rewards create obsessions with bottom‐line outcomes: A social interdependence theory perspective of the mediating role of bottom‐line mentality

Mawritz, Mary B.; Greenbaum, Rebecca L.; Deng, Yingli; Rosikiewicz, Blythe L.; Farro, Andrea C.; Mitchell, Mark

Abstract

We rely on social interdependence theory to examine bottom-line mentality (BLM) as a motivational state that explains the effects of competitive rewards on oppositional actions in the forms of decreases in interpersonal organizational citizenship behavior (OCBI) and increases in social undermining. In line with social interdependence theory, we also examine learning goal orientation as a motivational attribute that can weaken these effects, suggesting that in comparison to employees low on learning goal orientation, employees high on the attribute are less likely to respond to their BLMs (that result from competitive rewards) with dysfunctional behaviors,
because these employees will pursue their bottom-line outcomes with an innate motivation to learn. We tested our hypotheses with three studies: an experimental study, a multisource, field study from a U.S. corporation, and a diverse, multisource, time-lagged field study. Results from the experimental study and first field study revealed that BLM mediated the negative relationship between competitive rewards and OCBI; the second field study replicated these findings and demonstrated support for our full moderated mediation model. We provide theoretical and empirical support for the notion that BLM can serve as a motivational state that explains the effects of competition on workplace behaviors and learning goal orientation influences these effects.

Citation

Mawritz, M. B., Greenbaum, R. L., Deng, Y., Rosikiewicz, B. L., Farro, A. C., & Mitchell, M. (2024). When competitive rewards create obsessions with bottom‐line outcomes: A social interdependence theory perspective of the mediating role of bottom‐line mentality. Journal of Organizational Behavior, 45(8), 1231-1248. https://doi.org/10.1002/job.2791

• Journal Article Type: Article
• Acceptance Date: Mar 10, 2024
• Online Publication Date: Apr 22, 2024
• Publication Date: 2024-10
• Deposit Date: Sep 26, 2024
• Journal: Journal of Organizational Behavior
• Print ISSN: 0894-3796
• Electronic ISSN: 1099-1379
• Publisher: Wiley
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• Volume: 45
• Issue: 8
• Pages: 1231-1248
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1002/job.2791
• Public URL: https://durham-repository.worktribe.com/output/2466893