The Silver Lining in the Dark Cloud of Social Status Insecurity: The Mediating Role of Popularity Goals in the Association Between Social Status Insecurity and Chinese Adolescents’ Bullying Bystander Behaviors

2021 ◽  
pp. 088626052110234
Author(s):  
Yuchi Zhang ◽  
Xiaoyu Lan ◽  
Guanyu Cui ◽  
Jingke Wang

Bullying bystander behavior has an important effect on bullying—both in stopping and facilitating it. Although bullying bystander behaviors have long been understood as a peer group process, existing research that focuses on the role of peer factors is still limited. Moreover, less is known about the social cognitive-related role of peer factors and its underlying mechanisms in adolescents’ bullying bystander behaviors. Accordingly, using resource control theory, this study examines the mediating effects of popularity goals on the associations between social status insecurity and bullying bystander behaviors (active defending behaviors, passive bystanding behaviors) among 333 Chinese adolescents (181 males; Mage = 13.10; SD = .50). Analyses were conducted using SPSS 23 to conduct descriptive and correlation analyses. The hypothesized mediation model was tested using a structural equation modeling approach with bootstrapping techniques (bootstrap replications: 5,000) using AMOS 23. The results showed that popularity goals fully mediated the relationship between adolescents’ social status insecurity and their active defending behaviors. No gender differences in these mediating effects were observed. The results also indicated that popularity goals did not mediate the relationship between social status insecurity and passive bystanding behaviors. These findings enrich our understanding of bullying bystander behaviors and highlight the positive role of social cognitive factors (e.g., popularity goals) in active defending behaviors. Our findings deepen our understanding of bullying bystanders through integrating proximate and ultimate approaches. Our findings have significant practical implications, which suggest that school anti-bullying interventions should value the positive roles of social status insecurity and popularity goals in promoting active defending behaviors.

2021 ◽  
Vol 9 (4) ◽  
pp. 56-64
Author(s):  
Muhammad Rahman Khan ◽  
Hamid Khan ◽  
Sajjad Ahmad Jan ◽  
Aziz Javad ◽  
Aman Ullah Khattak

Purpose of Study: The study aimed to examine the mediating effects of employee commitment in the relationship between toxic leadership and employee performance in the context of the banking sector, KP, Pakistan. The study is expected to provide significant information to existing knowledge databases about the toxic leaders, organizational commitment, and employees’ performance. Methodology of Study: The cross-sectional design was used to conduct the study by using a 5-point Likert scale through the questionnaire to collect primary data from the high-level managers of selected commercial banks located south region of KP, Pakistan. The sample of 234 employees of both public/private sector banks was taken randomly as the sample. To compute sample, Yamane (1967) formula for selecting sample from finite population: n=population (566), level of significance, e = 0.05 & n=sample size, sample size (n) = N/1+Ne2 = 566/1+566(0.05), 2 = 234. Main Findings: The results of the study revealed that the significant and positive association among the research variables, the significant impact of the predictors on the criterion variable, and the significant partial mediating role of the employee commitment in the relationship between the toxic leadership and employees’ performance. Applications of Study: The current study focuses on examining the role of toxic leadership on employee performance with mediating effect of employee commitment within the banking sector of KP, Pakistan. This study's significance lies in the banking sector, desiring to acquire sustainable competitive advantage through increased employee performance and employee commitment. Novelty/Originality of Study: The expectation that organizational commitment can improve the relationship between toxic leadership and employee performance is missed to a certain extent in the educational context that is expected to offer a new contribution to an existing database of research.


2019 ◽  
Vol 48 (2) ◽  
pp. 207-226 ◽  
Author(s):  
Choukri Menidjel ◽  
Abderrezzak Benhabib ◽  
Anil Bilgihan ◽  
Melih Madanoglu

Purpose Product category involvement and relationship proneness are crucial in explaining relationship outcomes. Nevertheless, the authors know little about their roles in the formation of loyalty, especially in the retail industry. Individual consumer traits and preferences are likely to play a critical role in the success of relationship marketing. Yet, relationship marketing studies have fallen short of considering such individual differences. The purpose of this paper is to examine the mediating effects of product category involvement and relationship proneness on the relationship between satisfaction and loyalty in retail clothing stores. Design/methodology/approach Data were obtained using a survey of 220 consumers. Partial least squares structural equation modeling was employed to test the proposed theoretical model. Findings The results show that satisfaction significantly affects product category involvement and relationship proneness, which, in turn, significantly affect purchase intention and word-of-mouth (WOM). The results also show that product category involvement and relationship proneness partially mediate the impact of satisfaction on purchase intention and WOM. Research limitations/implications Product category involvement and relationship proneness play a critical role in explaining the satisfaction–loyalty link. Future research could consider the role of potential moderating variables. Practical implications Retail managers should not only focus on improving customer satisfaction to achieve customer loyalty, but should also consider the importance of product category involvement and relationship proneness, and their role in the formation of customer loyalty both in traditional and online environments. Originality/value To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this study is the first to explore the mediating effects of product category involvement and relationship proneness on the relationship between satisfaction, purchase intention and WOM in the retail industry.


2018 ◽  
Vol 23 (2) ◽  
pp. 368-394 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ann Rousseau ◽  
Jennifer Stevens Aubrey ◽  
Steven Eggermont

The present three-wave panel study of 496 preadolescent boys ( Mage = 11.36, SD = 1.07) examined the impact of sports magazine consumption on mesomorphic body standards and self-sexualizing behaviors (e.g., drinking shakes in order to gain muscle mass, choosing clothing to show off muscles). Grounded in social cognitive theory, we also examined the moderating role of reward sensitivity. Results revealed that boys who consumed more sports magazines at wave 1 (W1) were more likely to report personal mesomorphic standards and perceived mesomorphic standards for men and boys in general at wave 2 (W2). Additionally, W2 personal mesomorphic standards mediated the relationship between sports magazine consumption at W1 and self-sexualizing behaviors at wave 3. Reward sensitivity moderated the relationship between personal mesomorphic standards and self-sexualizing behaviors.


2020 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Norizan M. Kassim ◽  
Mohamed Zain ◽  
Naima Bogari ◽  
Khurram Sharif

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to examine customer attitudes toward purchasing counterfeit luxury products (ATPCLP) in two cities in two different countries (Saudi Arabia and Malaysia) by testing the relationships between the various reasons for purchasing those products: social status insecurity, status consumption and value consciousness.Design/methodology/approachQuestionnaires were distributed conveniently to urban customers in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia and Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. Altogether 658 useable questionnaires were collected and analyzed using descriptive statistics, general linear model of univariate analysis of variance and structural equation modeling.FindingsQuality, price, popularity and status signaling represent the main motivating factors for their brand choices of counterfeit luxury products among the two country groups of customers. As expected, customers' social status insecurity influences their ATPCLP, but not their status consumption. However, status consumption does positively moderates the relationship of their social status insecurity and their ATPCLP. Furthermore, customers' value consciousness influences their ATPCLP and moderates the relationship between status consumption and ATPCLP. The impact of status consumption on ATPCLP depends on the importance one places on the value of the products. However, the authors found no differences in social status insecurity, status consumption and value consciousness, on their ATPCLP among the customers. Some implications and limitations of the results are discussed.Research limitations/implicationsThe use of convenience sampling and mainly college students (in Saudi Arabia) as respondents represent the main limitations of this study.Practical implicationsThe practical implication of this study is to discourage the purchasing of counterfeit luxury products in their respective country Malaysian marketers need to stress that their genuine products are of top quality while Saudi marketers need to stress that their genuine products are of well-known brands that are sourced from well-known countries of origin. Besides, Malaysian marketers need to offer genuine products that are not overly priced or ones that indicate value-for-money while Saudi marketers need to convey the message that their genuine products could help enhance or uplift their customers' social status. In this study, the authors did not find any support for differences in ATPCLP between the two rather different Muslim-majority countries. This could be due to the fact that the majority of the respondents were females in their mid-20s and that both countries have a growing number of young customer base, which makes them particularly attractive target customers for branded/luxury products and, at the same time, easy preys to luxury products counterfeiters. This implies that there are still more opportunities for academics to study the topic or related topics in the future.Originality/valueAs far as the authors know, no one has undertaken a comparative study involving two very different Islamic majority countries (more conservative mono-cultural and mono-ethnicity Saudi Arabia versus less conservative multicultural and multi-ethnicity Malaysia) before.


2020 ◽  
Vol 25 (03) ◽  
pp. 2050016
Author(s):  
EMRE ŞAHIN DÖLARSLAN ◽  
AKIN KOÇAK ◽  
PHILIP WALSH

Drawing from Social Cognitive Career Theory (SCCT), the purpose of the study is to enhance understanding of the intention formation mechanism within the context of perceived barriers and self-efficacy (SE). The current study assesses whether SE mediates the relationship between perceived barriers and entrepreneurial intention (EI). The study specifically analyzed the relationship among perceived barriers, SE and EI. In addition, the direct and indirect effects of perceived barriers on intention are examined. Based on a survey of 471 undergraduate students who have taken management courses, our findings suggest the SE level of potential entrepreneurs is not sufficient to determine the intention formation even if the decisive effect of SE on EI is found. Therefore, in contrast to earlier studies, the results obtained from this study reveal the necessity to take into account the deterrent effect of the perceived barriers to evaluating the effect of SE in the formation of EI.


2008 ◽  
Vol 30 (3) ◽  
pp. 285-301 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marcia I. Milne ◽  
Wendy M. Rodgers ◽  
Craig R. Hall ◽  
Philip M. Wilson

Across various social cognitive theories, behavioral intention is broadly argued to be the most proximal and important predictor of behavior (Ajzen, 1991; Gibbons, Gerrard, Blanton, & Russell, 1998; Rogers, 1983). It seems probable that an intention to increase behavior might be differentially determined from an intention to maintain behavior. Thus, the purpose of the current study was to examine (1) the change in two types of behavioral intention over time and (2) the relationship between intention and the social-cognitive factor mental imagery. Behavioral intention, exercise imagery, and observed exercise behavior was measured in 68 exercise initiates participating in a 12-week exercise program. Results revealed that behavioral intention to increase exercise behavior decreased over the exercise program, whereas intentions to maintain exercise behavior increased. Appearance and technique imagery were found to be significant predictors of intention to increase behavior during the first 6 weeks of the program, and only appearance imagery predicted intention to maintain exercise behavior during the last 6 weeks. These findings suggest that the two types of behavioral intention are distinguishable and may be useful targets for exercise behavior interventions.


2020 ◽  
Vol 35 (6) ◽  
pp. 815-827
Author(s):  
Caimeng Liu ◽  
Linjia Wang ◽  
Zhen Liu ◽  
Ying Li ◽  
Guangzhe Yuan

IntroductionPrevious studies have shown that mindfulness is associated with fewer cyberbullying behaviors in adolescents. The present study investigated the ways in which mindfulness is related to cyberbullying in Chinese adolescents by considering the role of empathy and perceived social support.MethodsA total of 1,390 Chinese high school students were recruited for this study. Adolescents' self-reports of mindfulness, cyberbullying, empathy, and perceived social support were used in the analyses. Results: The results showed our model fitted the data well [χ2/df = 2.413, CFI = 0.968, TLI = 0.958, RMSEA (90% CI) = 0.059 (0.040–0.078)], and revealed empathy and perceived social support partially mediate the relationship between mindfulness and cyberbullying.ConclusionThe results of this study indicate adolescents' mindfulness plays a crucial role on the likelihood of cyberbullying as well as empathy and perceived social support. Improving the mindfulness skills of adolescents should be considered by teachers and parents seeking to decrease cyberbullying.


2015 ◽  
Vol 44 (12) ◽  
pp. 2257-2274 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kim Pattiselanno ◽  
Jan Kornelis Dijkstra ◽  
Christian Steglich ◽  
Wilma Vollebergh ◽  
René Veenstra

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