Finding the New Path Between Goal Orientations and Idea Generation and Implementation: Mediating Role of Status-seeking Behavior and Moderating Role of Status Conflict

Abstract

Although numerous studies have examined the relationship between goal orientations and innovative performance based on consensus framework, researchers have rarely investigated such relationship using a dissensus framework. Given the importance of a balanced view between consensus and dissensus, we consider status-seeking behavior as an intermediate dissensus process and status conflict as a critical contingency to understand the condition that allows goal orientations to manifest as drivers of status-seeking behavior. We test our hypotheses through a series of multilevel structural equation modeling (MSEM) and hierarchical linear modeling (HLM) analyses. Our analyses using data from 255 employees of 48 teams show that (ⅰ) learning goal orientation is positively related to both idea generation and idea implementation

(ⅱ) prestige-seeking behavior positively mediates the relationship between proving goal orientation and idea generation and implementation

(ⅲ) dominance-seeking behavior negatively mediates the relationship between proving goal orientation and idea implementation

and (ⅳ) status conflict moderates the indirect effect of proving goal orientation on idea generation via prestige-seeking behavior. Our findings provide new insights into the relationship between goal orientations and innovative performance by considering status-related mechanisms.