When managers do not endorse their employees’ ideas, suggestions, or concerns about work-related issues, they may motivate neurotic employees to engage in counterproductive work behavior. The present study aims to explore the effects of employee neuroticism on counterproductive work behaviors following voice non-endorsement. Drawing on affective events theory, I propose that anger mediates the relationship between neuroticism and counterproductive work behaviors. I further argue that neuroticism has a stronger positive impact on counterproductive work behaviors via anger among employees who engage in surface acting. This study collected cross-sectional data on 212 participants. Hypotheses were tested using mediation, moderation, and moderated mediation analyses.
The paper is structured as follows: First, I outline the principles of AET before introducing voice non-endorsement as an affective work event. Second, I explain the relationships between neuroticism, anger, counterproductive work behaviors, and surface acting, along with the resulting hypotheses. Third, I elaborate on the methodological approach used by this study and present the statistical results of my analyses. Finally, I discuss implications for theory and practice, followed by the study’s limitations and future research directions.
Table of Contents
Theoretical Background and Hypothesis Development
Voice Non-Endorsement as an Affective Event
When Voice is not Endorsed: The Role of Neuroticism
Neuroticism and Anger Reactions to Voice Non-Endorsement
Anger and Counterproductive Work Behaviors
The Mediating Role of Anger
The Moderating Role of Surface Acting
Methods
Participants and Procedure
Measures
Neuroticism
Anger
Surface Acting
Counterproductive Work Behaviors
Control Variables
Analyses
Results
Descriptive Statistics
Test of Hypotheses
Discussion
Theoretical Contributions
Practical Implications
Limitations and Directions for Future Research
Conclusion
References
Appendices
Appendix A: Survey Questionnaire
Appendix B: Output Preliminary Analyses for Assumption Testing
Appendix C: SPSS Output Hypothesis Testing
Appendix D: SPSS Output Robustness Test
Research Objectives and Key Topics
This thesis investigates the relationship between employee neuroticism and counterproductive work behaviors following the non-endorsement of their voice (ideas or suggestions) by management. The study seeks to determine whether anger serves as a mediator and if surface acting acts as a moderator in this process.
- The influence of neuroticism on emotional reactions to workplace rejection.
- Anger as a primary mediator between organizational feedback and employee misbehavior.
- The role of surface acting in depletion of self-control resources.
- Conceptualizing voice non-endorsement as a significant affective workplace event.
- Development of a moderated mediation model to explain behavioral responses to non-endorsement.
Excerpt from the Thesis
When Voice is not Endorsed: The Role of Neuroticism
According to AET, dispositional factors influence individuals’ tendency to experience negative emotions in response to workplace events (Weiss & Cropanzano, 1996). That is, people show different emotional reactions to events depending on their personality (Rodell & Judge, 2009). Bolger and Zuckerman (1995) refer to this phenomenon as differential reactivity. They hypothesize that individuals with certain dispositional characteristics are more likely to exhibit affective responses to aversive events. These characteristics also affect the tendency to expose oneself to emotionally challenging and stressful situations (i.e., differential exposure) (Bolger & Zuckerman, 1995). However, previous research indicates that personality has a greater impact on how individuals respond to events than on the frequency with which they are exposed to them (Hahn, 2000). Consequently, in this study, I focus on the differential reactivity effect and model it for the personality trait neuroticism.
AET suggests that neuroticism is a personality characteristic that explains individual differences in emotional reactivity to negative stimuli (Weiss & Cropanzano, 1996). As one of the Big Five personality dimensions, neuroticism (i.e., emotional instability) is a widely studied personality trait. Neuroticism reflects an individual’s propensity to experience negative affect (McCrae & John, 1992). Neurotic individuals are inclined to experience negative emotional states such as anxiety, sadness, and anger (Bolger & Zuckerman, 1995; Tong, 2010). Tong (2010) argues that highly neurotic individuals are particularly prone to negative emotions because they are more likely to encounter stressful, emotionally arousing situations. This is because neurotic individuals focus on negative, rather than positive, events in their lives. High levels of neuroticism also predispose individuals to interpret aspects of their environment as threatening and overall negative, even when they are objectively neutral (McCrae & John, 1992; Suls & Martin, 2005).
Summary of Chapters
Theoretical Background and Hypothesis Development: This section establishes the conceptual framework using Affective Events Theory (AET) to link non-endorsement of voice to negative emotional states and subsequent behavioral outcomes.
Methods: This chapter details the study design, utilizing a cross-sectional approach with 212 participants, and describes the measures used for neuroticism, anger, surface acting, and counterproductive work behaviors.
Results: This section presents the statistical analyses, confirming that neuroticism is positively related to anger, which in turn leads to increased counterproductive work behaviors, moderated by surface acting.
Discussion: The author interprets the findings, highlighting the role of management in providing legitimate explanations for non-endorsement to mitigate negative emotional reactions among employees.
Conclusion: This final chapter synthesizes the main findings, reiterating that voice non-endorsement is an affective event that triggers counterproductive behaviors, exacerbated by high levels of neuroticism and surface acting.
Keywords
voice non-endorsement, counterproductive work behaviors, neuroticism, anger, emotional labor, affective work events, affective events theory, surface acting, employee voice, emotional instability, workplace stress, organizational behavior, mediation, moderation, management communication
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the core focus of this master thesis?
The thesis examines how employees with higher levels of neuroticism respond to the rejection of their ideas or suggestions by managers, specifically focusing on the transition from emotional frustration to counterproductive work actions.
What are the primary thematic areas covered?
The paper covers Affective Events Theory (AET), the personality trait of neuroticism, the psychology of anger in professional settings, the concept of counterproductive work behaviors (CWB), and the mechanism of emotional regulation through surface acting.
What is the main research question?
The research asks to what extent neuroticism is related to counterproductive work behaviors following the non-endorsement of voice, and what roles are played by anger and surface acting in this relationship.
Which scientific methods were employed?
The study uses a quantitative, cross-sectional design. Data were collected via an online survey of 212 participants, and hypotheses were tested using the SPSS PROCESS macro to perform regression-based moderation and mediation analyses.
What does the main body address?
The main body systematically links theoretical foundations with empirical evidence, covering the development of the conceptual model, the justification of hypotheses, the methodology of data collection, and the interpretation of statistical results.
Which keywords best characterize this work?
Key terms include voice non-endorsement, neuroticism, anger, counterproductive work behaviors, and affective events theory.
How does surface acting impact neurotic employees after voice non-endorsement?
The study finds that surface acting acts as a moderator; it depletes the cognitive resources of neurotic employees, making them more susceptible to acting out their negative emotions through counterproductive behaviors rather than regulating them constructively.
What practical advice does the author give to managers?
Managers are advised to provide thorough, legitimate, and sincere explanations when they cannot endorse an employee's idea, as this helps mitigate the feeling of interpersonal rejection and reduces subsequent negative emotional fallout.
- Quote paper
- Sabina Dörner (Author), 2022, Voice Non-Endorsement as an Affective Event. The Impact of Neuroticism on Counterproductive Work Behaviors, Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/1415950
