Mitigating The Unfortunate Aftermath Of Negative Performance Feedback Through Emotion Regulation: The Role Of Supervisor Empathic Concern And Recipients’ Mindfulness

Aiva Gorab

Advisor: Reeshad S. Dalal, PhD, Department of Psychology

Committee Members: Lauren Kuykendall, Seth Kaplan, Lois Tetrick

Online Location, https://gmu.zoom.us/j/98606029157?pwd=cThGU1pJbUZPeFFEcEJnVDlrSjJEZz09
April 06, 2023, 11:00 AM to 01:30 PM

Abstract:

Given the common disconnect between the intended goals and the actual consequences of negative feedback (NF), this study draws on affective events theory (AET; Weiss & Cropanzano, 1996) and the transactional model of stress (Lazarus & Folkman, 1984; Folkman & Lazarus, 1988) to examine employee qualities that may be useful in bridging this gap. Specifically, the current research investigates (1) the role of supervisor empathic concern (SEC) and (2) the moderating role of NF recipients’ mindfulness. Using a vignette-based experiment, 466 working adults were randomly assigned to receive NF with either expressed or absent SEC. The results of mediational analyses supported the hypotheses which predicted that SEC (a) enhances NF acceptance and (b) diminishes supervisor-directed counterproductive work behavior (CWB) intentions through increased guilt and reduced anger. In addition, mindful awareness and mindful acceptance both moderated the positive relation between NF-elicited anger and supervisor-directed CWB intentions, such that this relation was weaker (less positive) for employees high (vs. low) in mindful awareness and mindful acceptance. Counter to expectations, however, NF recipients who were higher (vs. lower) in mindful awareness did not show differential experience of anger (less vs. more) and guilt (more vs. less) depending on expressed as opposed to absent SEC. The limitations, practical implications, and future research avenues are discussed.