This research examines how individuals' relationship with others sharing the pursuit of the same individual goal may change from early to later stages of the pursuit. In one qualitative field study, one lab study, and a 7-day field experiment, consumers demonstrated a tendency to view others in shared pursuit as "friends" to seek support from and alleviate uncertainties during the early stage of the pursuit; however, once they reached the advanced stage and felt more certain about how to approach and complete the goal, this closeness significantly reduced. This shift in the relationship further influenced consumers' interaction with others, such as the sharing of helpful tips and information. The findings provide insights into the autonomous information-sharing behaviors of consumers in shared goal pursuit and the key drivers behind the effectiveness of shared-pursuit programs (e.g., Weight Watchers, AA). R uby, 33, is attending the Weight Watchers meeting that she has recently joined with the goal of losing 30 pounds. (The names are aliases because of the confi

Drawing from meaning maintenance theory, the authors posit that paradoxical leader behaviour causes some employees to feel subjectively ambivalent, depending on holistic thinking styles. Employees who feel ambivalent will then show greater creativity as they search for ways to alleviate discomfort, again depending on thinking styles. Two field studies, one using cross-sectional and one using panel data, confirm the hypotheses. For low (high) holistic thinkers, paradoxical leadership is more (less) positively associated with subjective ambivalence, and ambivalence is more (less) positively associated with creativity. The results offer theoretical and practical implications that holistic thinking determines whether paradoxical leadership evokes subjective ambivalence and subsequent creativity.

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