View in EDS

Star Light, but Why Not So Bright? A Process Model of How Incumbents Influence Star Newcomer Performance.

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Title: Star Light, but Why Not So Bright? A Process Model of How Incumbents Influence Star Newcomer Performance.
Authors: Boekhorst, Janet A.1 (AUTHOR) janet.boekhorst@uwaterloo.ca, Basir, Nada1 (AUTHOR) nbasir@uwaterloo.ca, Malhotra, Shavin1 (AUTHOR) shavin.malhotra@uwaterloo.ca
Source: Academy of Management Review. Jan2024, Vol. 49 Issue 1, p56-79. 24p.
Subject Terms: *NEW employees, *JOB performance, *OCCUPATIONAL prestige, *INTERPROFESSIONAL relations, *EMPLOYEE competitive behavior, INFLUENCE, EMOTIONS
Abstract: Star performers do not always sustain their performance edge after moving to new organizations. We offer an important explanation for whether star performers may flourish or flounder when they join a new team. Integrating insights from attribution theory and social comparison research, we present a process model explaining how incumbents make sense of star newcomer status. We propose that incumbents determine whether the star newcomer attained their star status through internal factors (e.g., ability, grit) or external factors (e.g., luck, affiliation), which gives rise to one of four distinct emotions: optimism, inspiration, shame, or envy. Incumbents who feel optimism or inspiration attempt to enhance their status through learning or helping behaviors that subsequently facilitate star newcomer performance, whereas incumbents who feel shame or envy seek to protect their status through withdrawal or destructive behaviors that hinder star newcomer performance. We further propose that the effect of incumbent behaviors on star newcomer performance is particularly likely when there is a high need for task-related interactions and complementary skills among team members. Our theoretical framework helps to advance the star newcomer literature by examining the largely overlooked influence of incumbents and highlighting the cognitive process that precedes their behavior toward star newcomers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
Copyright of Academy of Management Review is the property of Academy of Management and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites without the copyright holder's express written permission. Additionally, content may not be used with any artificial intelligence tools or machine learning technologies. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)
Database: Business Source Index
Description
Abstract:Star performers do not always sustain their performance edge after moving to new organizations. We offer an important explanation for whether star performers may flourish or flounder when they join a new team. Integrating insights from attribution theory and social comparison research, we present a process model explaining how incumbents make sense of star newcomer status. We propose that incumbents determine whether the star newcomer attained their star status through internal factors (e.g., ability, grit) or external factors (e.g., luck, affiliation), which gives rise to one of four distinct emotions: optimism, inspiration, shame, or envy. Incumbents who feel optimism or inspiration attempt to enhance their status through learning or helping behaviors that subsequently facilitate star newcomer performance, whereas incumbents who feel shame or envy seek to protect their status through withdrawal or destructive behaviors that hinder star newcomer performance. We further propose that the effect of incumbent behaviors on star newcomer performance is particularly likely when there is a high need for task-related interactions and complementary skills among team members. Our theoretical framework helps to advance the star newcomer literature by examining the largely overlooked influence of incumbents and highlighting the cognitive process that precedes their behavior toward star newcomers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
ISSN:03637425
DOI:10.5465/amr.2020.0519