A Relational Model of Perceived Overqualification: The Moderating Role of Interpersonal Influence on Social Acceptance

Journal of Management, Forthcoming

49 Pages Posted: 26 Sep 2016

See all articles by Hong Deng

Hong Deng

University of Manchester - Alliance Manchester Business School

Yanjun Guan

Durham Business School

Chia‐Huei Wu

University of Leeds - Division of Management

Berrin Erdogan

Portland State University - School of Business Administration

Talya N. Bauer

Portland State University

Yao Xiang

Peking University

Date Written: August 16, 2016

Abstract

Theories of perceived overqualification have tended to focus on employees’ job-related responses to account for effects on performance. We offer an alternative perspective and theorize that perceived overqualification could influence work performance through a relational mechanism. We propose that relational skills, in the form of interpersonal influence of overqualified employees, determine their tendency to experience social acceptance and thus engage in positive work-related behaviors. We tested this relational model across two studies using time-lagged, multi-source data. In Study 1, the results indicated that for employees high on interpersonal influence, perceived overqualification was positively related to self-reported social acceptance, whereas for employees low on interpersonal influence, the relationship was negative. Social acceptance, in turn, was positively related to in-role job performance, interpersonal altruism, and team member proactivity evaluated by supervisors. In Study 2, we focused on peer-reported social acceptance and found that the indirect relationships between perceived overqualification and supervisor-reported behavioral outcomes via social acceptance were negative when interpersonal influence was low and nonsignificant when interpersonal influence was high. The implications of the general findings are discussed.

Keywords: perceived overqualification, social acceptance, interpersonal influence, performance

Suggested Citation

Deng, Hong and Guan, Yanjun and Wu, Chia‐Huei and Erdogan, Berrin and Bauer, Talya N. and Xiang, Yao, A Relational Model of Perceived Overqualification: The Moderating Role of Interpersonal Influence on Social Acceptance (August 16, 2016). Journal of Management, Forthcoming, Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=2842664

Hong Deng

University of Manchester - Alliance Manchester Business School ( email )

Booth Street West
Manchester, M15 6PB
United Kingdom

Yanjun Guan (Contact Author)

Durham Business School ( email )

Mill Hill Lane
Durham, Durham DH1 3LB
United Kingdom

Chia‐Huei Wu

University of Leeds - Division of Management ( email )

United Kingdom

Berrin Erdogan

Portland State University - School of Business Administration ( email )

Portland, OR 97207-0751
United States

Talya N. Bauer

Portland State University ( email )

Portland, OR 97207-0751
United States

Yao Xiang

Peking University ( email )

No. 38 Xueyuan Road
Haidian District
Beijing, Beijing 100871
China

Do you have a job opening that you would like to promote on SSRN?

Paper statistics

Downloads
65
Abstract Views
521
Rank
540,262
PlumX Metrics