Underdog Expectations and Employees’ Interpersonal Counterproductive Work Behavior: The Mediating Roles of Perceived Insider Status and Moral Disengagement
Huichi Qian, Jin Cheng, Yuan Yuan, Tao Zhang · 2026
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Description
Huichi Qian and co-authors study in 2026 how feeling like an underdog at work can push employees toward nasty behavior toward coworkers. Underdog expectations mean sensing that others rate your chances low, a cue that can sting and steer conduct. A three wave survey of 221 employees tracked these feelings, two inner states, and later behavior over time.
Feeling underrated predicted more interpersonal harm, through two paths at once: a loosened moral brake, and a weaker sense of being an insider. Oddly, strong pride in the organization made both paths stronger, not weaker. The authors say low expectations can wound through both ties and thoughts, and that pride can sharpen the sting.
Catalog record
| CREATOR | Huichi Qian, Jin Cheng, Yuan Yuan, Tao Zhang |
|---|---|
| YEAR | 2026 |
| COLLECTION | PAPERS |
| FORMAT | TXT |
| FILE SIZE | 57 KB |
| VERSION | 1.0 |
| LICENSE | CC BY 4.0 |
| RIGHTS | CC BY |
| SOURCE | Europe PMC |