Kang, F; Shi, Y; Li, J and Zhang, H (2025) Impacts of leader anger expressions on newcomer proactive career behavior and work alienation in the construction industry. Engineering, Construction and Architectural Management, 32(6), pp. 3659-3678. ISSN 0969-9988
Abstract
Purpose: Despite the growing body of empirical research on leader anger expressions, the issue of how and when leader anger expressions shape newcomers' proactive career behavior and work alienation in the construction industry has been largely overlooked. Building upon social information processing theory, this research identifies newcomers' organization-based self-esteem as a mediator, and suggests that newcomers' performance goal orientation could moderate the relationship. Design/methodology/approach: A questionnaire study was conducted on the construction industry in China, and the PROCESS program developed by Hayes was used to test the hypothetical model with 215 valid cases. Findings: The results suggest that leader anger expressions are negatively associated with newcomers' organization-based self-esteem, and organization-based self-esteem mediated the link between leader anger expressions and newcomers' proactive career behavior and work alienation. Furthermore, the newcomers' performance goal orientation moderates the negative impact of leader anger expressions on newcomers' organization-based self-esteem. Research limitations/implications: Due to the cross-sectional nature of this study, causal implications are difficult to draw. Moreover, all data we received was based on participant self-reports, which may raise concerns about common method variance. Originality/value: In this paper, we contribute to a deeper understanding of the mediating mechanisms and boundary conditions by which leader anger expressions influence newcomers' proactive career behavior and work alienation from social information processing perspective, in addition to providing valuable insights for management of newcomers in the construction industry.
| Item Type: | Article |
|---|---|
| Uncontrolled Keywords: | leader anger expressions; organization-based self-esteem; performance goal orientation; proactive career behavior; work alienation |
| Index terms: | information processing, construction industry, boundary condition, mediator, variance, China, questionnaire, program, career, methodology |
| Subjects: | Geography, research methods, structural engineering, industry analysis, measurement and scaling, professional development, software systems, data science, dispute resolution, data collection methods |
| Topics: | Legal Issues, Geographical Context, Engineering Principles, Digital Applications, Research Practice, Information Management |
| Descriptive scope: | 4 PCTA |
N.B. Descriptive scope is a count of how many of the five facets of empirical research are indicated by the words used in title, abstract and keywords. It is not intended as a judgement on the research; merely a count of the kind of word we would expect to indicate Phenomenon, Concepts, Theoretical framing, Empirical techniques, Analytical techniques. If all five are present, then a code of “5 PCTEA” will indicate this. If you feel the coding for this record is questionable, we welcome discussion around the terms we matched or the way we categorized them. The facet you would expect may not be coded, or a facet may be coded inappropriately. This can also bear on a larger question, of which facets should be treated as defining in construction management research. Please get in touch, and we will look at it. More details here