The attractiveness of group potential: The mediating role of anticipated future achievements in willingness to join
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The attractiveness of group potential: The mediating role of anticipated future achievements in willingness to join Zhijie Xie 1,2,3 & Fangfang Wen 1,2 & Xiao Tan 1,2 & Jin Wei 1,2,4 & Bin Zuo 1,2 Accepted: 11 November 2020 # Springer Science+Business Media, LLC, part of Springer Nature 2020
Abstract The current research examined the effect of group potential—characterized by upward trend—on individuals’ preference for groups. In three experiments, participants (Total N = 189) assessed group members’ impressions, anticipated future achievements, and willingness to join high-potential moderate-achievement and moderate-potential high-achievement groups. As predicted, anticipated future achievements led to willingness to join in the high-potential groups. Specifically, compared with highachievement groups, participants formed better impressions of high-potential groups, anticipated higher future achievements of them, and were more willing to join them. Importantly, anticipated future achievements totally mediated the effect of group potential on willingness to join. Future directions of research on moderating roles of stereotypes and culture on preference for group potential are discussed. Keywords Preference . Group . Potential . Upward trend . Anticipation . Impression
Introduction Imagine two companies, one rated as high achievement but moderate potential, and one rated as moderate achievement but high potential. Which one do you prefer? Specifically, if you are an applicant, which company would you prefer to join? Objectively, it seems reasonable to suggest that the first * Bin Zuo [email protected] Zhijie Xie [email protected] Fangfang Wen [email protected] Xiao Tan [email protected] Jin Wei [email protected] 1
School of Psychology, Central China Normal University, Tianjiabing Building, NO. 152 Luoyu Road, Wuhan, Hubei 430079, People’s Republic of China
2
Center for Studies of Social Psychology, Central China Normal University, Wuhan, China
3
School of Psychology, Xinxiang Medical University, Xinxiang, China
4
Mental Health Center, Wuchang Shouyi University, Wuhan, China
one is more impressive. Indeed, its achievements have shown that it is more powerful than the second one. Consistent with this idea, when people judge the quality of a company, they usually pay attention to the company’s sales revenue or market capitalization. Similarly, when people judge a country, it may be based on the country’s gross domestic product or purchasing power parity. Accordingly, groups often introduce themselves by stating what they have achieved. On the surface, emphasizing achievements is a wise strategy. While achievement denotes what has been achieved, potential means what might be achieved in the future. When groups want to build a positive public image, they may be inclined to place more emphasis on their achievements than on their potential. Indeed, research shows that emphasizing accomplishments and successes is an effective impression management strategy (Bolino, Kacmar, Turnley, & Gilstrap, 2008;
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