同事帮助行为对观察者的人际影响：基于社会比较理论

doi:10.3724/SP.J.1041.2024.01125

摘要/Abstract

摘要： 职场中的帮助行为不仅对施助者、受助者产生重要影响, 也会影响观察者的后续反应。现有研究在一定程度上忽视了帮助行为对于观察者的潜在作用。该文章探讨了目睹同事帮助行为对于观察者后续帮助行为的影响。1项问卷调查研究和3项实验研究的数据表明, 观察到的同事帮助行为是一把双刃剑, 它既增加员工亏欠同事的感知及羞愧情绪, 进而产生更多的帮助行为, 又可能减少员工基于组织的自尊及自豪情绪, 从而产生更少的帮助行为。员工自我对他人的帮助行为水平越高, 观察到的同事帮助行为与亏欠同事间的正向关系, 以及与基于组织的自尊间的负向关系越弱。研究揭示了目睹同事帮助行为对于第三方帮助行为的双刃剑效应及其不同的影响路径, 从而丰富了帮助行为的文献。

关键词: 帮助行为, 同事, 观察者, 第三方视角

Abstract: As an important extra-role behavior in the workplace, helping behavior refers to the voluntarily act of caring for others and assisting them with work-related affairs. To date, most studies have focused on the antecedents of helping behavior or its impact on the providers and recipients of help. However, there is limited discussion on the effects of helping behavior on observers. Drawing on social comparison theory and the peer influence literature, this research contends that observed coworker helping behavior influences observers’ cognitive and emotional reactions, and ultimately, their behaviors. On the one hand, observers may experience increased indebtedness and shame upon witnessing coworker helping behavior, which can enhance their own helping behavior. On the other hand, observers may experience reduced organization-based self-esteem and pride upon witnessing coworker helping behavior, thereby diminish their own helping behavior. We further investigate the moderating role of observers’ initial helping behavior in the effects of observed coworker helping behavior.
Hypotheses were tested using a multi-wave survey and three experiments with Eastern and Western samples. Study 1 (an initial field survey), participants from a Chinese food supply company were invited to participate. Study 2 (an experiment) manipulated observed coworker helping behavior and observers’ helping behavior, measuring observers’ subsequent feelings of indebtedness toward coworkers and organization-based self-esteem. Study 3 (an experiment) manipulated feelings of indebtedness toward coworkers and organization- based self-esteem, then assessed observers’ emotions and helping behavior. Study 4 (an experiment) manipulated observed coworker helping behavior and observers’ helping behavior, then assessed the remaining variables of the model.
The above studies supported our hypotheses. Results demonstrated that observed coworker helping behavior is positively related to observers’ indebtedness toward coworkers and shame, which in turn, increases their helping behavior. At the same time, observed coworker helping behavior is negatively related to observers’ organization-based self-esteem and pride, which in turn, decreases their helping behavior. Additionally, the level of observers’ helping behavior moderates the effects of coworker helping behavior. Specifically, when their helping behavior is higher (versus lower), the effects of coworker helping behavior on indebtedness toward coworkers and organization-based self-esteem are weaker.
This study contributes to the literature on helping behavior in several ways. First, it introduces the novel perspective of third-party observers, thereby shifting the traditional research focus. Different from the previous studies, this study examines the psychological and behavioral responses of observers to observed coworker helping behavior. Second, this study considers both the positive and negative consequences of observed coworker helping behavior, as well as explains why observed coworker helping behavior is a double-edged sword for observers. Thus, this study provides a more complete picture of the psychological mechanisms by which observed coworker helping behavior affects observers’ subsequential behavior. Third, by examining observers’ initial helping behavior as a boundary condition, it clarifies the conditions under which observers are more likely to react positively or negatively. This examination provides a deeper understanding of the third party’s response to observed coworker helping behavior.

Key words: helping behavior, coworker, observer, a third-party perspective

中图分类号:

B849: C939

倪丹, 郑晓明. (2024). 同事帮助行为对观察者的人际影响：基于社会比较理论. 心理学报, 56(8), 1125-1140.

NI Dan, ZHENG Xiaoming. (2024). The interpersonal effects of coworker helping behavior on observers: Insights from social comparison theory. Acta Psychologica Sinica, 56(8), 1125-1140.

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