Paying close attention to strengths mindset: the relationship of employee strengths mindset with job performance

Employee Strengths Mindset and Voice Behavior: The Roles of General Self-Efficacy and Leader–Member Exchange

“…Since strengths-based approaches such as strengths use, strengths-based intervention, and strengths-based leadership were found to have significant positive effect on employees' attitudes, emotions, behaviors, and performance [17][18][19], more and more researchers have begun to attempt to develop more constructs relevant to strengths-based approaches so as to fully unleash the potential of strengths-based approaches in cultivating employees' positive behaviors. Recently, researchers have developed an important new strengths-based approach construct (i.e., strengths mindset) by integrating mindset into strengths-based approaches [20]. Because an individual's mindset plays a crucial role in determining an individual's behaviors, we should devote more attention toward employee strengths mindset and its effectiveness [21].…”

“…Strengths mindset refers to the attitudes or belief that an individual indicates toward his/her own and others' strengths [20]. Although Ding and Liu have confirmed that strengths mindset is conductive to increased positive affect, task performance, and innovative behavior, we have yet to know the association of strengths mindset with voice behavior.…”

“…Employees who have a strengths mindset know their own strengths and can proactively capitalize on their strengths at work [20], which implies that they have a greater ability to provide ideas, suggestions, or information about problems. Given that the ability to voice is a proximal antecedent to voice behavior [23], it is reasonable to posit that there is a positive link between strengths mindset and voice behavior.…”

“…Selfefficacy theory suggests that past successful experience can stimulate individuals' general self-efficacy, thereby leading to positive behaviors [24]. Employees with stronger strengths mindsets are always good at utilizing their strengths at work [20], which enables employees to achieve success more easily [25]. Such successful experience contributes to building employees' general self-efficacy, which in turn, motivates employees to execute more voice behaviors [26].…”

“…For another, we anticipated that leader-member exchange (LMX) is an important explanation for why strengths mindset can lead to enhanced voice behavior. Employees high in strengths mindset also pay more attention to others' strengths [20]. For example, strengths mindset employees always appreciate and praise others' strengths.…”