Muncie Reporter

Ball State Study Explores Relationship Between High-Performing Employees and Entitlement in the Workplace

Dr. Brian Webster, an associate professor of Management in the Miller College of Business at Ball State University, recently co-authored a research paper about a study that explores the relationships between high-performing employees and perceived entitlement in the workplace.

 

The paper, “Powerful, High-Performing Employees and Psychological Entitlement: The Detrimental Effects on Citizenship Behaviors,” recently was published in the Journal of Vocational Behavior.

 

Findings from this study could help organizations understand the possible downside of rewarding top talent. Although valuable to the organization, the study suggests that those individuals may be the ones who refrain from “going the extra mile.”

 

“We consider the effects of employees’ high performance on their subsequent psychological states and behaviors,” Dr. Webster said. "More specifically, we explain why high-performing employees who are influential in their organization may feel psychologically entitled to more than what is typical from the organization—which then prevents them from engaging in discretionary behaviors that help their co-workers and company.

 

Dr. Webster added: “To preserve the best that comes from high performance, organizations need to understand the conditions and processes that may propel a high-performer to engage in less desirable behaviors.”

 

Serving as co-authors for the research paper were Dr. Webster; Rebecca L. Greenbaum (Rutgers University); Mary B. Mawritz (Drexel University); and Robert L. Reid (University of New Mexico and Edge Philanthropy).

Original source can be found here.