Examining boss phubbing and employee outcomes through the lens of affective events theory

PurposeIn this study, the impact of boss phubbing, or using a phone during interaction with subordinates, on important employee outcomes — work meaningfulness and employee phubbing behavior — through the mediating role of self-esteem threat was investigated using affective events theory. The moderating role of rejection sensitivity was also examined.Design/methodology/approachData were collected in three time lags from head nurses (N = 178) working in public and private hospitals. The hypothesized relationships were tested using variance-based structural equation modeling with partial least squares.FindingsBoss phubbing negatively affected employees' sense of work meaningfulness and had a positive direct and indirect relationship with employee phubbing behavior through self-esteem threat. The hypothesized moderating role of rejection sensitivity was not supported.Practical implicationsThe authors recommend that organizations develop policies addressing boss phubbing in the workplace, particularly in contexts in which a high leader–member exchange is desired for organizational effectiveness, such as health-related services. Superiors, such as doctors, should review their mobile phone usage during interactions with subordinates because it is detrimental to employee outcomes.Originality/valueThis study is a nascent attempt to test the hypothesized relationships on the emerging phenomenon of phubbing at work in the human–computer interaction domain in Pakistan, a developing country, particularly in hospital settings where a high leader–member exchange is pivotal.

How Do Leaders vs. Followers Construct Followership? A Field Study of implicit followership theories and Work-Related Affect Using Latent Profile Analysis

In this study, we integrate follower categorization theory with affective events theory (AET) to investigate the extent to which within-person patterns of implicit followership theories (IFTs) and work-related affect predict job satisfaction for leaders versus followers. Latent profile analysis (LPA) was used to identify and to describe distinct profiles of IFTs and work-related affect for leaders versus followers. For the sample of 242 leaders, two profiles with distinct patterns of IFTs and work-related affect ( Proactive and Alienated) were found. Leaders with Proactive views of followers showed above-average ratings of work-related affect, while leaders with Alienated views of followers showed lower ratings of work-related affect. In the sample of 240 followers, there were four profiles of followers with distinct patterns of IFTs and work-related affect ( Conforming, Alienated, Proactive, and Negative). Despite showing a similar pattern of IFTs, followers with Alienated views of their own role showed below-average ratings of work-related affect, while followers with Negative views of their own role showed the highest ratings of work-related affect. These findings suggest that IFTs and work-related affect show unique within-person interaction for followers. Furthermore, for followers, profile membership of IFTs and work-related affect significantly predicted mean levels of job satisfaction. Implications are discussed.

Fear after being fired: the moderating role of resilience in lessening the time between employment

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to study how the interplay of the emotion of fear and the personality trait of resilience affect time to reemployment after job termination. The authors carried out the research by extending affective events theory (AET) beyond the workplace.Design/methodology/approachThis paper is a conceptual paper intended to lay the groundwork for future analysis in the areas of fear and resilience, specifically in the time after job termination.FindingsThe paper suggests that fear is a natural response to job termination, and there are two responses to fear: one of action to rid oneself of fear (“fight or flight”) and one of paralysis, in which an individual remains in a fear state. The authors put forth that one's level of resilience is a factor in determining time to reemployment.Originality/valueWhile there are numerous studies on the role emotions play in the workplace and in particular, the role of fear about potentially getting fired, there are few, if any, studies on the role of fear after losing a job. The authors feel this is a warranted area of study as fear can have both positive and negative responses. The authors also contend that a major diver of these fear responses is an individual's level of resilience, and this can be a significant predictor of the individual's time to reemployment.

Effects of humor climate within online brand community

PurposeThis study examines the effects of the online brand community's (OBC) humor climate on the value cocreation (VCC) behavior of consumers using the affective events theory. It also evaluates the serial mediating roles of positive emotions and brand engagement and the moderating effect of membership duration.Design/methodology/approachThe authors collected data from 601 Chinese consumers of OBCs using an online questionnaire survey and applied structural equation modeling to analyze the data.FindingsThe authors found a positive relationship between OBC humor climate and VCC behavior, which was mediated by positive emotions and brand engagement. Additionally, there was a serial mediation effect of these two variables. The influence of the OBC humor climate on positive emotions was stronger for short-term members than long-term ones.Practical implicationsThis research contributes toward OBC management and VCC marketing strategy for constructing brand equity.Originality/valueThis study is among the first to focus on the significance of the OBC humor climate, thus enriching the OBC literature and providing a new perspective on how to facilitate VCC behavior. It also broadens the application of the affective events theory in marketing.

Drivers of intrapreneurship: an affective events theory viewpoint

PurposeIn the current study framework, the authors test the underlying assumptions of affective events theory concerning the impact of job satisfaction and job insecurity driven by incivility on intrapreneurial behaviour.Design/methodology/approachData were collected with a sample of 510 employees from five organisations. All hypotheses were tested via SmartPLS3. Additionally, a distinction between formative and reflective measures was performed.FindingsFindings revealed that incivility decreases intrapreneurial behaviour, mediated by job satisfaction and job insecurity. Additionally, this study’s results show that the relationship between job satisfaction and job insecurity and intrapreneurial behaviour distinguishes unionised employees from employees who are not unionised.Research limitations/implicationsThe cross-sectional nature of the present data precluded definitive statements about causality. Additionally, further studies should increase the sample size and include an international perspective to ensure the overall generalisability of the results.Practical implicationsPractically, this study’s findings point to the need for organisational management to understand better underlying employees' perceptions and their antecedents and consequences.Originality/valueThe study results contribute to the literature by testing the core assumptions of affective events theory and by extending the affective events theory model, incorporating contextual influences on the relationship between attitudes and behaviours. The authors also show for the first time that incivility can be directly (compared to indirectly) linked to emotional-based responses, but not to those responses driven by cognitive appraisals. Thus, the study also contributes to the incivility literature and the understanding of various antecedents and consequences of incivility. Additionally, this study addressed the notion of formative versus reflective measurement models for the first time relating to incivility and intrapreneurial behaviour, allowing for more sensitive and less biased results. Herein lies an additional methodological contribution.

Dealing With Negative Workplace Gossip: From the Perspective of Face

In this study, we investigate the coping response of individuals who are being gossiped about. Drawing on face research and affective events theory, we propose that employees who are targets of negative gossip will actively respond to the gossip about them via engagement in negative gossip themselves. The findings showed that negative workplace gossip stimulated fear of losing face and led to subsequent behavioral responses, namely, engaging in negative gossip. Moreover, self-monitoring, as a moderating mechanism, mitigated the negative impacts of negative workplace gossip on the targets. We discuss theoretical implications for gossip research and note its important practical implications.

The role of events and affect in perceived organizational support: a within-person approach

PurposeThe purpose is to understand how affective events employees experience at work, and emotions those events elicit, influence within-person fluctuations in perceived organizational support (POS). The authors explore the possibility of socioemotional needs as a boundary condition of the effects. They integrate affective events theory with organizational support theory to develop their arguments.Design/methodology/approachUsing a diary study method, 55 working adults responded to three surveys per day for ten days (876 total datapoints).FindingsThe results suggest POS fluctuates daily. Furthermore, workplace affective events are significantly related to discrete emotions (happiness and anger), which are significantly related to fluctuations in POS. Indirect effects were generally stronger when socioemotional needs were high compared to low, though the moderation was not statistically significant.Research limitations/implicationsThe authors extend organizational support theory by integrating affective events theory; they highlight the role of affective events and transient emotion in relation to momentary changes in POS and explore socioemotional needs as a moderator of those relationships.Practical implicationsOrganizations can be mindful of employees' daily experiences when considering how to foster POS; minimizing negative affective events and maximizing supportive affective events may enhance POS.Originality/valueThis study is the first to consider predictors of short-term fluctuations in POS. Moreover, the authors integrate affective events and discrete emotions to consider the role of affect in organizational support theory.