Appraising proactive behavior: Do supervisors’ attributionS of employees’ motives to engage in proactive behaviors matter?

Abstract

In recent proactivity literature, it is recommended to study how supervisors appraise proactive behavior, because of the mixed findings of positive and negative consequences for employees (e.g. Bolino et al., 2010; Grant & Ashford, 2008). The present research responded to this call. Using a sample of 153 supervisor-employee dyads, I explored the influence of attributed motives of supervisors on the appraisal of proactive behaviors of their employees. Findings suggest that the attributed performance-enhancement motive is the most important predictor of supervisor’s appraisal. Also, employees’ affective organizational commitment as perceived by supervisors was found to significantly explain the appreciation, and supervisors’ role breadth self efficacy the desirability of proactive behavior. Implications and limitations of the study as well as future research directions on the study of the appraisal of proactive behavior are discussed.