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WHEN AND WHY PEOPLE ENGAGE IN DIFFERENT FORMS OF PROACTIVE BEHAVIOR: INTERACTIVE EFFECTS OF SELF-CONSTRUALS AND WORK CHARACTERISTICS
ABSTRACTWhen and why do people engage in different forms of proactive behavior at work? We propose that, as a result of a process of trait activation, employees with different types of self-construal engage in distinct forms of proactive behavior if they work in environments consistent with their self-construals. In an experimental Study 1 (N = 61), we examined the effect of self-construals on proactivity and found that people primed with interdependent self-construals engaged in more work unit-oriented proactive behavior when job interdependence also was manipulated. Priming independent self-construals did not enhance career-oriented proactive behavior, even when we manipulated job autonomy. In a field Study 2 (N = 205), we found that employees with interdependent self-construals working in jobs with high interdependence reported higher work unit commitment and higher work unit-oriented proactive behavior than employees in low interdependent jobs. Employees with independent self-construals working in jobs with high autonomy also exhibited stronger career commitment and more career-oriented proactive behavior than those in jobs with low autonomy. This research offers a theoretical framework to explain how dispositional and situational factors interactively shape people's engagement in different forms of proactive behavior.Keywords: Self-construal, Job design, Proactive behavior, Trait activation, Commitment 3
WHEN AND WHY PEOPLE ENGAGE IN DIFFERENT FORMS OF PROACTIVE BEHAVIOR: INTERACTIVE EFFECTS OF SELF-CONSTRUALS AND WORK
CHARACTERISTICSThere is a pressing need for proactive behavior in today's global work context (Crant, 2000).It has become increasingly important to anticipate opportunities and initiate actions to operate effectively in complex and uncertain work environments (Campbell, 2000;Griffin, Neal, & Parker, 2007). Consequently, scholars have investigated proactive behavior, defined as "self-initiated and future-oriented action that aims to change and improve the situation or oneself" (Parker, Williams, & Turner, 2006, p. 636 Although researchers who focus on co...