Dr. Brian Webster, an
associate professor of Management in the Miller College of Business at Ball State University,
recently co-authored a research paper about a study that explores the
relationships between high-performing employees and perceived entitlement in
the workplace.
The
paper, “Powerful, High-Performing Employees and
Psychological Entitlement: The Detrimental Effects on Citizenship Behaviors,” recently was published
in the Journal of
Vocational Behavior.
Findings
from this study could help organizations understand the possible downside of
rewarding top talent. Although valuable to the organization, the study suggests
that those individuals may be the ones who refrain from “going the extra mile.”
“We
consider the effects of employees’ high performance on their subsequent
psychological states and behaviors,” Dr. Webster said. "More specifically,
we explain why high-performing employees who are influential in their
organization may feel psychologically entitled to more than what is typical
from the organization—which then prevents them from engaging in discretionary
behaviors that help their co-workers and company.
Dr.
Webster added: “To preserve the best that comes from high performance,
organizations need to understand the conditions and processes that may propel a
high-performer to engage in less desirable behaviors.”
Serving
as co-authors for the research paper were Dr. Webster; Rebecca L. Greenbaum (Rutgers
University); Mary B. Mawritz (Drexel University); and Robert L. Reid (University
of New Mexico and Edge Philanthropy).