Psychosocial effects of proactivity

Abstract

Purpose Although proactivity is thought to have positive effects in the workplace, researchers still need to learn more about the contingent aspects of these effects. Proactivity, a challenging form of promotive behavior that is generally desired by organizations, can lead to unexpected consequences such as role overload, job strain, and conflict with coworkers, which may undermine future proactivity. The purpose of this paper is to examine the impact of proactive behavior on job satisfaction, affective commitment, and conflict with coworkers, in the context of collaborative work. This study investigates the extent to which collaborative behavior, an affiliative form of promotive behavior, can mitigate the impact of proactive behavior on conflict and promote positive individual psychosocial outcomes, thus making proactive behavior more sustainable in the workplace. Design/methodology/approach Using a survey methodology, data were collected from a sample of 170 teachers engaged in collaborative work. Findings Results show that both proactivity and collaborative behavior positively impact affective outcomes, but have opposite effects on conflict. Collaborative behavior complements proactive behavior in that it enhances the effects of proactivity on satisfaction and reduces its impact on conflict. Research limitations/implications Creating the appropriate organizational conditions to support employee proactivity is critical for enhancing proactive employees’ work experience and success, effectively motivating and retaining them, and promoting future proactivity. The results indicate that collaboration creates a context where the positive effects of proactivity are enhanced and its negative effects are weakened. Originality/value This research is one of the first studies to examine the interactive effects of proactivity and collaboration. The study shows that collaborative behavior can play an important role in enhancing the benefits of proactivity. Thus, the research advances a contingency perspective of proactivity and contributes to a better understanding of its effects.

Emotion and Proactivity at Work

“…Another cross-sectional study with teachers showed that proactive behaviour was positively related to affective well-being outcomes, including job satisfaction and commitment (Ghitulescu, 2018). In addition, collaborative behaviour buffered the negative link of proactive behaviour with experienced conflict.…”

Linking empowering leadership to work-related well-being and project citizenship behavior in the construction context: a self-determination perspective

“…Finally, individual initiative means that individuals voluntarily and creatively engage in workrelated behaviors that exceed the requirements (Podsakoff et al, 2000). According to Ghitulescu (2018), work-related problems that require flexibility and adaptation can trigger individual initiative behavior. In construction projects, such behaviors specifically includes putting forward constructive opinions, adopting advanced management and technical methods, pointing out potential improvements, voluntarily undertaking tasks, etc.…”

Effects of Proactive Behavior on Within-Day Changes in Occupational Well-Being: the Role of Organizational Tenure and Emotion Regulation Skills

“…On the one hand, the positive association between proactive behavior and well-being outcomes has been found in several empirical studies. In addition to crosssectional evidence (e.g., Claes & Van Loo, 2011;Ghitulescu, 2018;Greenglass & Fiksenbaum, 2009;Wang & Li, 2015), researchers have started to employ daily-diary (e.g., Starzyk et al, 2018;Weigelt et al, 2018) and experimental designs (e.g., Wolsink et al, 2019) to study relationships between proactivity and well-being. For example, Starzyk et al (2018) conducted a daily-diary study, which found that problem-focused voice (i.e., a form of proactive behavior) during meetings was associated with higher positive affect at the end of the next working day.…”