The “Evil Pleasure”: Abusive Supervision and Third-Party Observers’ Malicious Reactions Toward Victims

2020 | Organization Science | Citations: 0

Authors: Xu, Erica; Huang, Xu; Jia, Rongwen; Xu, Jane; Liu, Wu; Graham, Les; Snape, Ed

Abstract: We investigated how abusive supervision influences interactions between third-pa ... Expand

Abstract: We investigated how abusive supervision influences interactions between third-party observers and abused victims and hypothesized when and why third parties react maliciously toward victims of abusive supervision. Drawing on the theory of rivalry, we predicted that third-party observers would experience an “evil pleasure” (schadenfreude) when they perceive a high level of rivalry with the victims of abusive supervision and that the experienced schadenfreude then would motivate third parties to engage in interpersonal destructive behaviors (i.e., undermining, incivility, and interpersonal deviance) toward the victims. We further proposed that such malicious reactions would be attenuated if groups have a high level of cooperative goals. Results based on one experimental study and two time-lagged field studies lend support to our propositions. Collapse

Topics: marketing management research and development entrepreneurship behavioral intention

Methods: survey descriptive statistic survey design field study simulation

Cross-national differences in individual knowledge-seeking patterns: a climato-economic contextualization

2015 | European Journal of Information Systems | Citations: 0

Authors: Chen, Liwei; Hsieh, J. J. Po-An; Vliert, Evert Van de; Huang, Xu

Abstract: Electronic Knowledge Repository (EKR) is one of the most commonly deployed knowl ... Expand

Abstract: Electronic Knowledge Repository (EKR) is one of the most commonly deployed knowledge management technologies, yet its success hinges upon employees’ continued use and is further complicated in today’s multinational context. We integrate multiple theoretical linkages into a research model, conceptualizing knowledge-seeking as an instrumental behavior, adopting the technology acceptance model to characterize the individual-level continued EKR knowledge-seeking behavioral model, and drawing on the climato-economic theory to explain cross-national behavioral differences. Using hierarchical linear modeling (HLM), we test the model with data from 1352 randomly sampled knowledge workers across 30 nations. We find that two national-level factors, climate harshness and national wealth, interactively moderate the individual-level relationship between perceived usefulness (PU) and behavioral intention (BI) to continue seeking knowledge from EKR, such that the difference in the strength of this relationship is larger between poor-harsh and poor-temperate nations than between rich-harsh and rich-temperate nations. We find similar cross-level cross-national differences for the link between perceived ease of use (PEOU) and PU but not for the link between PEOU and BI. Implications for research and practice are discussed. Collapse

Topics: self efficacy usage intention information system use national culture logistics management

Methods: hierarchical linear modeling theory development statistical hypothesis test SEM tool factor analysis

Theories: technology acceptance model cultural dimensions theory economic theory

Understanding Cross National Difference in Knowledge Seeking Behavior Model: A Survival Perspective

2009 | International Conference on Information Systems | Citations: 0

Authors: Chen, Liwei; Hsieh, JJ Po-An

Abstract: Electronic Knowledge Repository (EKR) is one of the most commonly deployed knowl ... Expand

Abstract: Electronic Knowledge Repository (EKR) is one of the most commonly deployed knowledge management technologies, yet its success is hindered by employees’ underutilization and further complicated when implemented in the multinational context. To address these challenges, we propose a research model by conceptualizing employees’ knowledge seeking via EKR as a survival-centric behavior, identifying the technology acceptance model as the individual-level explanation for EKR use, and drawing on the thermal demands-resources theory for explaining cross national behavioral differences. Using hierarchical linear modeling, we tested the model with data from 1352 randomly sampled knowledge workers across 30 nations. The results reveal interesting cross national behavioral patterns. Specifically, thermal climates and national wealth at the macro-level interactively moderate individual-level relationships between perceived ease of use and perceived usefulness and between perceived usefulness and behavioral intention. Collapse

Topics: perceived usefulness behavioral intention perceived ease of use technology adoption evaluation criteria

Methods: survey structural equation modeling SEM tool hierarchical linear modeling post-hoc analysis

Theories: technology acceptance model