The Relationship Between Gender Self-Stereotyping and Life Satisfaction: The Mediation Role of Relational Self-Esteem and Personal Self-Esteem

Individuals voluntarily internalize gender stereotypes and present personality characteristics and behaviors that conform to gender role requirements. The aim of the current study was to explore the reasons people internalize gender stereotypes. We conducted surveys with 317 college students in China to examine the relationship between gender self-stereotyping and life satisfaction. We also analyzed the mediating roles of relational self-esteem (RSE) and personal self-esteem (PSE) and the moderation role of gender. The results of path analysis showed that gender self-stereotyping directly affected life satisfaction and indirectly affected life satisfaction through RSE and PSE in a serial pattern; however, the serial mediation model was only significant in the male sample. Higher gender self-stereotyping was associated with male participants’ higher level of RSE and PSE and further correlated with higher life satisfaction. This study addressed the questions: “What are the benefits of gender self-stereotyping?” and “What are the major barriers to counter-stereotyping?” The results enrich our understanding of these issues, especially relative to the collectivist culture in China, and may be used to create more effective interventions to help people break through the stereotypes.

The mediating role of competitive orientation in determining self-construal in unethical decision-making

PurposeThe ethics literature has focused on the influence of self-construal dimensions on unethical decision-making. However, the literature is unclear about why these self-construal dimensions (Independent-self, Relational-self, Collective-self) impact differently on unethical decision-making. Based on the theory of cooperation and competition, this study empirically examines the mediating role of competitive orientation and addresses the theoretically unexplained question of why self-construal dimensions influence differently on unethical decision-making.Design/methodology/approachBased on the deductive approach, a quantitative research study was conducted on the Sri Lankan banking industry because there have been many instances of unethical behavior reported in this sector lately. Data were collected from 305 bank branch managers using a structured survey questionnaire.FindingsThe findings revealed that competitive orientation mediates the self-construal dimensions and explained that competitive orientation is one reason why independent-self, relational-self and collective-self influence differently on unethical decision-making.Originality/valueThis paper addresses the unanswered question of why self-construal dimensions relate to unethical decision-making differently.

The Relationship between Mentoring Functions and Employee Performance: Mediating Effects of Protégé Relational Self-Efficacy

Organizational scholars concurred that positive workplace relationships with others can helps employee to gain from these relationships but, they lack insights into how or why this occurs. Moreover, the relationship dynamics focus on what the relationships provide without considering the how these relationships initiated, builds and maintains. To line of this, the current study aims to find the impact of mentoring functions (career, psychosocial, role modeling) and employee performance (career success, organization citizenship behavior, and job performance) via mediating effect of relational self-efficacy. For this purpose, the data were gathered from 310 branch banking employees of Pakistani conventional banks. PLS-SEM was used for data analysis. The results indicate that there is direct relationship between mentoring functions and employee’s performance. Moreover, the finding also shows that employee relational self-efficacy mediates the relationship between mentoring functions and employee performance. Theoretical and practical implications are discussed along with suggestions for future research.

The Relationship between Mentoring Functions and Employee Performance: Mediating Effects of Protégé Relational Self-Efficacy

Organizational scholars concurred that positive workplace relationships with others can help the employee to gain from these relationships but, they lack insights into how or why this occurs. Moreover, the relationship dynamics focus on what the relationships provide without considering how these relationships are initiated, builds and maintains. In the line with this, the current study aims to find the impact of mentoring functions (career, psychosocial, role modeling) and employee performance (career success, organization citizenship behavior, and job performance) via mediating effect of relational self-efficacy. For this purpose, the data were gathered from 310 branch banking employees of Pakistani conventional banks. PLS-SEM was used for data analysis. The results indicate that there is a direct relationship between mentoring functions and employee performance. Moreover, the finding also shows that employee relational self-efficacy mediates the relationship between mentoring functions and employee performance. Theoretical and practical implications are discussed along with suggestions for future research.

Transitional Self-Disappear: The Journey of Cancer Survivors to Self Re-Coherence

Purpose People who experience cancer often face serious and unpleasant challenges in understanding their past, present, and future. They think they have lost their lifetime, agency, and interpersonal relationships, and no longer know their bodies. These experiences can change survivors' perceptions of themselves. Therefore, the present study aimed to develop a deep theoretical understanding of the change of self in cancer survivors. Methods Semi-structured interviews were used to collect data. Interviews were conducted with 17 cancer survivors, 2 oncologists, and 2 family members of survivors. In this study, grounded theory methodology was used to explore the process of understanding and experiencing "self" in cancer survivors. Results The present study generated a model about the change of self, with the main concept called "transitional self-disappear", which is understandable based on the concepts of self-disruption (temporal disruption, highlighted body, interference in the agency, - individual-self disruption, over differentiation, relational self-disruption, and painful emotional experiences), self-reconstruction strategy and quality of self-coherence; and occurs in the cancer-based contextual experiences and individual-environmental preparedness. Conclusion This model illuminated the complex paths and roads of the survivors' journey from self-disappear to self reconstruction/re-coherence. A healthier experience of this journey can be facilitated by the transcendence of the "self" conceptualized in the past, and the promotion of specific (cancer-based contextual experiences) and general (individual-environmental preparedness) conditions.

Exploring Locus-of-Hope: Relational Tendencies, Self-Esteem, Attachment, and Gender

Background: As little research has been devoted to examining associations between the four locus-of-hope dimensions (internal, external—peer, external—family, and external—spiritual) and individual differences, the current study explores the correlations with individual-level individualist and collectivist relational tendencies, self-esteem, insecure attachment, and gender within a culturally diverse sample of university undergraduate students. Methods: questionnaires were completed by a culturally diverse sample of undergraduate students measuring locus-of-hope, individualist and collectivist relational tendencies, self-esteem, insecure attachment, and gender. Results: State and trait locus-of-hope were significantly correlated. Individualism showed positive correlations with internal and external—family locus-of-hope. Collectivism positively correlated with internal locus-of-hope and the three external locus-of-hope dimensions. Internal locus-of-hope was significantly predicted by self-esteem, relational self-esteem, individualism, and collectivism. External—spiritual locus-of-hope was not significantly predicted by the variables. External—family locus-of-hope was significantly predicted by relational self-esteem and collectivism and external—peer locus-of hope was significantly predicted by relational self-esteem, collectivism, and avoidant attachment style. No significant gender differences in locus-of-hope were found. Conclusions: The results provide further understanding about the construct of locus-of-hope and provide a foundation for future research to continue exploring the role of locus-of-hope in the development and expression of self-esteem and attachment profiles.

No good deed is too small: field experimental studies of different self-identities and workplace saving behavior

Purpose This paper aims to propose that the extent to which activating self-identity increases resource-saving behavior varies across these three levels of self-identities. In particular, the authors hypothesize that activating relational or collective self-identity increases saving behavior more than activating individual self-identity does. Moreover, activating relational self-identity has a stronger impact on workplace saving behavior than activating collective self-identity does. In addition, the authors suggest that prosocial motive mediates the relationship between the three levels of self-identity and saving behavior. Design/methodology/approach Workplace saving behavior such as office supply savings could help save organizational resources and build more environmentally conscious organizations. Drawing from self-identity theory, the authors examine the influences of three types of self-identities (i.e. individual, relational and collective self-identities) on workplace resource-saving behaviors. Findings The results obtained from a field experiment conducted in a Chinese company and an online vignette study generally support the proposed hypotheses. The authors also discuss the theoretical and practical implications of the findings. Originality/value The authors contribute to the literature on saving behavior in organizations by studying an individual-level predictor from the perspective of self-identity and the research on self-identity and saving behavior by testing the mediating role played by prosocial motive. Based on the findings, the authors also propose some human resource policies to increase workplace saving behavior.