The fight for the alpha position (original) (raw)
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The fight for the alpha position:: Channeling status competition in organizations
European Management Journal, 2001
A long-standing debate on incentive and reward schemes has taught us that employees are not motivated by money and resources alone. A fundamental emotional motivator is the seeking for status and recognition. Traditional conceptualizations of status-seeking behavior viewed it as a rational means by which to attain resources. The managerial implications were that by breaking the connection between status and resources-by making it clear that status would not lead to resources, managers could eliminate status-seeking behavior. However, new research suggests that status is emotionally sought as an end in itself. The quest for status is deeply embedded, pervasive and powerful. It cannot be repressed, as was previously suggested. Status competition can lead employees and managers to counterproductive behavior, such as suppressing others, withholding information, or wasting resources. But all is not lost, a conscientious management can also actively channel the status-seeking energy in positive directions, by manipulating the environment and the criteria and symbols of status within the organization. Rather than being a source of politicking and inter-group squabbles, the drive for status can be turned into a powerful motivator serving the interests of the group.
Holding your place: Reactions to the prospect of status gains and losses
Journal of Experimental Social Psychology, 2010
This paper examines individuals' reactions to the prospect of gaining or losing status in groups. The results of three experiments provide evidence that individuals attach greater value to status when recalling the risk of status loss than when recalling the potential for status gain (Experiment 1), are willing to pay more to avoid a status loss than to achieve a status gain (Experiment 1), and put forth greater effort when striving to prevent status loss than when striving to gain status (Experiment 2). Finally, individuals who risk losing status allocate more resources toward personal status concerns (and away from group interests and potential monetary gain) than do individuals who have a chance of gaining status (Experiment 3). We discuss the implications of this research both in terms of individuals' psychological experience of their status, as well as status attainment and maintenance concerns in groups.
Drivers of desire for social rank
Current Opinion in Psychology, 2019
Individuals desire social rank due to the inter-and intrapersonal benefits it affords Although the desire for rank is nearly universal, individual differences moderate this desire Threatening or challenging situations tend to predict stronger desire for rank Desire for rank leads to various psychological and behavioral outcomes In certain situations, individuals may not desire high social rank Abstract Why are humans so often obsessed with climbing social hierarchies and increasing their social rank? This question has fascinated psychologists for decades and, in this paper, we review recent research intended to answer five specific questions related to people's desire for high social rank: 1) why do people desire high social rank, 2) for whom is the desire for high social rank the strongest, 3) under which circumstances is the desire for social rank the strongest, 4) what are the consequences of the desire for high social rank, and 5) when and why do people not desire to maximize their social rank? Finally, we offer future directions for research on drivers of desire for social rank.
Status: Insights from Organizational Sociology
Annual Review of Sociology, 2012
Status has become an increasingly influential concept in the fields of organizational and economic sociology during the past two decades. Research in this area has not only helped explain behavior within and between organizations, but has also contributed to our understanding of status processes more generally. In this review, we point to the contributions of this field in terms of the determinants of status, the effects of status, and the mechanisms by which these effects are produced. We next appraise the way in which a network approach has contributed to our formal understanding of status positions and status hierarchies. We then highlight recent studies that demonstrate the value of studying the structures of status hierarchies themselves rather than focusing solely on the actors within them. After suggesting potential directions for future research, we conclude by calling for renewed efforts to translate concepts and theories across levels of analysis and substantive commitment...
Br. J. Soc. Psychol., 2014
What type of behaviour affords status, agentic, or communal? Research to date has yielded inconsistent answers. In particular, the conflict view holds that agentic behaviour permits the imperious to grab status through overt force, whereas the functional view holds that communal behaviour permits the talented to earn status through popular appeal. Here, we synthesize both views by taking into account the moderating role played by group hierarchy. Group hierarchy can range from being dominance based (where status is grabbed) to prestige based (where status is granted). In a field study (Study 1), and a laboratory experiment (Study 2), we demonstrate that in different groups, status can be achieved in different ways. Specifically, agentic behaviour promotes status regardless of hierarchy type, whereas the effect of communal behaviour on status is moderated by hierarchy type: it augments it in more prestige-based hierarchies but diminishes it in more dominance-based hierarchies.
Status competition and performance in work groups
Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, 2000
We show that status competition based on merit can push group members to work hard. However, if status can also be achieved through political maneuvering, it can lead to lower overall performance. Moreover, group performance may ...
Status Incentives and Performance
Managerial and Decision Economics, 2012
Studies in economics and management suggest that people invest effort to achieve pure status, and this investment increases in status incentives. We design field experiments to investigate these two behavioral hypotheses. We define status as the subjects' relative rank in their group based on their performance in a task. We explore two real tasks. In both of the tasks, subjects' earnings are nominal and independent of their performance; so status-seeking preference should be the sole reason for achieving higher ranks. Our results indicate that inducing higher status incentives may not necessarily improve individual performance and may depend upon the task. denote significance at 1%, 5%, 10% level, respectively; each number denotes the absolute value of the test statistic; significance corresponds to appropriate one-tailed test for each pair.
Picking Up the Gauntlet: How Individuals Respond to Status Challenges
Journal of Applied Social Psychology, 2008
How do people respond to status challenges? We suggest that responses depend on the relative status and genders of challenger and target. These variables affect appraisals about the status challenge (operationally defined as an act of incivility) and likely outcomes of various responses, and those appraisals proximately determine responses. Studies 1 and 2 show that male gender and high status were associated with more aggressive responses, whereas female gender and low status were associated with more avoidant responses. Study 3 shows that men's and women's responses were not perfectly antithetical: Men showed the greatest resistance toward peers, which may reflect greater sensitivity to status contests among men. Perceived legitimacy of challengers' actions and consequences affect the status–gender–response relationships.