The construct of feeling trusted reflects the perception that another party is willing to accept vulnerability to one's actions. Although the construct has received far less attention than trusting, the consensus is that believing their supervisors trust them has benefits for employees' job performance. Our study challenges that consensus by arguing that feeling trusted can be exhausting for employees. Drawing on conservation of resources theory (Hobfoll, 2001), we develop a model where feeling trusted fills an employee with pride-a benefit for exhaustion and performance-while also increasing perceived workload and concerns about reputation maintenance-burdens for exhaustion and performance. We tested our model in a field study using a sample of public transit bus drivers in the London, England. Our results suggest that feeling trusted is a doubleedged sword for job performance, bringing with it both benefits and burdens. Given that recommendations for managers generally encourage placing trust in employees, these results have important practical implications.

No abstract

Although impression management scholars have identified a number of tactics for influencing supervisor evaluations, most of those tactics represent supervisor-targeted behaviors. This study examines the degree to which employees form supportive relationships with peers for impression management purposes. In so doing, we explore this intriguing question: Will employees gain more from forming supportive relationships with "stars" (i.e., top performers who are "on the fast track" in the organization) or "projects" (i.e., "works in progress" who need help and refinement to perform well)? We examined this question in 2 field studies. Study 1 included 4 sources and 2 time periods; Study 2 included 2 sources and 3 time periods. The results showed that supportive relationships with both stars and projects seemed to represent impression management opportunities, insofar as they predicted supervisor positive affect and perceptions of employee promotability. Impression management motives only predicted supportive relationships with stars, however, not projects. Relationships with projects were driven by prosocial motives not concerns about managing images. We discuss the practical and theoretical implications of our results for the managing of impressions and peer relationships.

No abstract

No abstract