位居次席: 备选对员工主动担责和时间窃取行为的影响机制

doi:10.3724/SP.J.1041.2026.0683

摘要/Abstract

摘要： 备选是指最终被组织安排承担某项任务或角色, 但并非该任务或角色首选的员工, 近年来逐渐受到学者关注。然而现有研究却忽视了任务分配情境下备选对员工自身态度和行为的影响。本研究基于社会信息加工理论和联想命题评价理论, 采用情境实验(研究1)和三阶段问卷调查(研究2), 探讨了任务分配情境下备选对员工行为的“双刃剑”效应及边界条件。研究结果表明, 当上级发展性反馈水平高时, 备选会激发和谐型激情, 进而引发主动担责行为; 当上级发展性反馈水平低时, 备选会引起工作拖延倾向, 进而发生时间窃取行为。研究结论为大众更加客观、辩证地认识备选提供参考和借鉴。

关键词: 备选, 和谐型激情, 工作拖延倾向, 主动担责行为, 时间窃取行为, 上级发展性反馈

Abstract: Alternative choice—employees who are ultimately selected to complete tasks but were not the first choice to do so—have garnered increasing scholarly attention in recent years. Some studies have revealed the psychological effects of being compared to the first choice, as well as the behaviors of alternative employees in various contexts, such as those involving employee rewards and recruitment. However, these studies overlook how being an alternative choice impacts employees’ attitudes and behaviors specifically in task allocation contexts. To address this research gap, we drew on the social information processing (SIP) and associated proposition evaluation (AP-E) theories to examine the interaction between the alternative choice and supervisor developmental feedback and its effects on employees’ taking charge and time theft behaviors within task contexts. We also explored the mediating effects of harmonious passion and work procrastination tendency, constructing a moderated mediation model.
Our hypotheses were tested through a scenario-based experimental study (Study 1; N = 232) and a three-stage survey (Study 2; N = 332). For Study 1, we designed a 2 × 2 between-subject experiment with four scenarios depicting a leader selecting a suitable project manager for a new task. We recruited 234 participants from the Credamo platform and randomly assigned each to one of the four scenarios. Each participant read the scenario and took on the role of a project manager candidate. Following this, participants reported their levels of harmonious passion and work procrastination tendency, completed a manipulation check, and provided demographic information. Finally, 232 participants who passed the attention test were retained. In Study 2, we collected empirical data from 332 employees in China using a three-stage questionnaire survey. Before completing the questionnaire, the participants were asked a screening question: “Have you had any alternative choice experience in the past six months?” Only those who responded “yes” were instructed to proceed with the questionnaire. At Time 1, employees reported their alternative choice experience, supervisor developmental feedback, and demographic information. At Time 2, they reported their levels of harmonious passion and work procrastination tendency. At Time 3, they reported their taking charge and time theft behaviors.
We employed an analysis of variance, a confirmatory factor analysis, the bootstrap method, and Harman’s single-factor test to analyze the data. The results showed that when supervisor developmental feedback was high, the alternative choice was positively associated with employees’ harmonious passion, which, in turn, enhanced their taking charge behaviors and reduced their time theft behaviors. Conversely, when supervisor developmental feedback was low, the alternative choice was positively associated with employees’ work procrastination tendency, which subsequently increased their time theft behaviors.
This study has both theoretical and practical implications. First, it enriches the research on “alternative choice” by examining the context of task allocation, revealing employees’ perceptions and responses to being an alternative choice for performing a task and enhancing the research framework on diverse employee groups within organizations. Second, it transcends the traditional social comparison perspective by integrating SIP and AP-E theories to explore the underlying mechanisms through which being an alternative employee influences psychological and behavioral outcomes. Third, it validates the moderating role of supervisory developmental feedback in the double-edged sword effect of alternative choice on employees’ work behavior, thereby extending the boundary conditions of the alternative choice phenomenon. Moreover, the findings offer valuable practical implications for managers and policymakers.

Key words: alternative choice, harmonious passion, work procrastination tendency, taking charge behaviors, time theft behaviors, supervisor developmental feedback

占小军, 吴可盈, 王涛, 马君, 祝养浩, 周雯珺. (2026). 位居次席: 备选对员工主动担责和时间窃取行为的影响机制. 心理学报, 58(4), 683-697.

ZHAN Xiaojun, WU Keying, WANG Tao, MA Jun, ZHU Yanghao, ZHOU Wenjun. (2026). Coming in second: Influence mechanism of alternative choice on employee taking charge and time theft behaviors. Acta Psychologica Sinica, 58(4), 683-697.

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