Challenge or threat? Exploring the dual effects of temporal social comparison on employee workplace coping behaviors

The extant literature has indicated that comparison with high-performers could lead to negative emotions and behaviors among colleagues (including superiors). In contrast, other researchers also demonstrated that comparison can effectively motivate low-performance employees to work hard. In this study, we apply the temporal dimension to social comparison to explore how temporal social comparison influences the actor’s coping behaviors. A scenario experiment and a three-wave questionnaire survey study show that the performance temporal social comparison (PTSC) can lead to the actor’s social undermining towards the target (leveling-down) and effectively promote the actor’s self-improvement (leveling-up) simultaneously. Based on the cognitive appraisal theory of stress, we have further tested the significant mediating effects of challenge/hindrance stress. We also find that the actor’s general self-efficacy is an essential individual characteristic that affects stress perceptions and moderates the indirect effects of PSTC on different coping behaviors. Overall, our findings enrich the social comparisons theory development and provide critical managerial implications for high-potential talent management.