A Paradoxical Study of the Influence of Underdog Expectations on Employees' Work Status

Abstract

While prior studies have demonstrated that underdog expectations (UEs) can benefit or harm performance, research of whether they are detrimental or beneficial to employees' work status has not been much explored. Based on the two-mode models of self-regulation theory, the authors develop a model of the double-edged sword effect of UEs on employees' work status and their boundary conditions. Data from 357 employees showed that: (1) UEs positively affect affective rumination (AR), AR positively affects work alienation (WA) and thus mediates between UEs and WA; (2) UEs positively affect problem-solving pondering (PSP), PSP positively affects work engagement (WE) and thus mediates between UEs and WE; (3) Mindfulness moderated the relationship between UEs and AR, thereby moderating the mediating effects of AR and PSP; (4) Mindfulness moderated the relationship between UEs and PSP, thereby moderating the mediating effects of PSP. This study advances the UEs research. It also provides suggestions on how to leverage the positive effects of UEs with the alertness to mitigate its negative effects.