Abstract
Although strengths-based approaches have reaped substantial interest from researchers and practitioners alike, little attention was paid to strengths mindset. This study investigated the relationship between employee strengths mindset and positive affect and job performance (i.e., task performance and innovative behavior), and considered the mediating role of positive affect in the strengths mindset-job performance relationship. Data with a sample of 407 employees from different industries in China were collected using a time-lagged research design. Structural equation modeling analysis was employed to test our research hypotheses. Analytical results illustrated that strengths mindset positively relates to positive affect and job performance. More importantly, positive affect was found to significantly mediate the relationship of strengths mindset with task performance and innovative behavior. This study contributes to advancing strengths mindset theory and research, and identifies a new pathway for improving employee job performance.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Aguinis, H., Gottfredson, R. K., & Joo, H. (2012). Delivering effective performance feedback: The strengths-based approach. Business Horizons, 55(2), 105–111. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bushor.2011.10.004
Bakker, A. B., & van Woerkom, M. (2018). Strengths use in organizations: A positive approach of occupational health. Canadian Psychology, 59(1), 38–46. https://doi.org/10.1037/cap0000120
Bakker, A. B., Hetland, J., Olsen, O. K., & Espevik, R. (2019). Daily strengths use and employee well-being: The moderating role of personality. Journal of Occupational and Organizational Psychology, 92(1), 144–168. https://doi.org/10.1111/joop.12243
Baron, R. A. (1990). Environmentally induced positive affect: its impact on self-efficacy, task performance, negotiation, and conflict 1. Journal of Applied Social Psychology, 20(5), 368–384. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1559-1816.1990.tb00417.x
Battistelli, A., Galletta, M., Portoghese, I., & Vandenberghe, C. (2013). Mindsets of commitment and motivation: Interrelationships and contribution to work outcomes. The Journal of Psychology, 147(1), 17–48. https://doi.org/10.1080/00223980.2012.668146
Bauer, T. N., & Green, S. G. (1996). Development of leader-member exchange: A longitudinal test. Academy of Management Journal, 39(6), 1538–1567. https://doi.org/10.5465/257068
Biswas-Diener, R., Kashdan, T. B., & Minhas, G. (2011). A dynamic approach to psychological strength development and intervention. The Journal of Positive Psychology, 6(2), 106–118. https://doi.org/10.1080/17439760.2010.545429
Borman, W. C., & Motowidlo, S. J. (1997). Task performance and contextual performance: The meaning for personnel selection research. Human Performance, 10(2), 99–109. https://doi.org/10.1207/s15327043hup1002_3
Brewis, J. (2014). The ethics of researching friends: On convenience sampling in qualitative management and organization studies. British Journal of Management, 25(4), 849–862. https://doi.org/10.1111/1467-8551.12064
Brislin, R. W. (1970). Back-translation for cross-cultural research. Journal of Cross-Cultural Psychology, 1(3), 185–216. https://doi.org/10.1177/135910457000100301
Byun, G., Karau, S. J., Dai, Y., & Lee, S. (2018). A three-level examination of the cascading effects of ethical leadership on employee outcomes: A moderated mediation analysis. Journal of Business Research, 88, 44–53. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbusres.2018.03.004
Dane, E. (2011). Paying attention to mindfulness and its effects on task performance in the workplace. Journal of Management, 37(4), 997–1018. https://doi.org/10.1177/0149206310367948
Ding, H., Yu, E., & Li, Y. (2020). Core self-evaluation, perceived organizational support for strengths use and job performance: Testing a mediation model. Current Psychology, 1–8. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12144-020-01029-z
Ding, H., & Yu, E. (2021). Followers’ strengths-based leadership and strengths use of followers: The roles of trait emotional intelligence and role overload. Personality and Individual Differences, 168, 110300. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.paid.2020.110300
Ding, H., Yu, E., & Xu, S. (2021a). Preliminary development and validation of the perceived strengths-based human resource system scale. International Journal of Manpower, 1–14. https://doi.org/10.1108/IJM-10-2020-0466
Ding, H., Lin, X., & Su, W. (2021b). Employee strengths use and innovative behavior: a moderated mediation model. Chinese Management Studies, 15(2), 350–362. https://doi.org/10.1108/CMS-05-2019-0191
Ding, H., & Liu, J. (2022). The dark side of strengths-based approach in the workplace: Perceived strengths-based human resource system spurs unethical pro-organizational behavior. Current Psychology, 1–10. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12144-022-03249-x
Drucker, P. F. (1967). The effective executive. New York: Harper Collins
Dweck, C. S., Chiu, C. Y., & Hong, Y. Y. (1995). Implicit theories and their role in judgments and reactions: A word from two perspectives. Psychological Inquiry, 6(4), 267–285. https://doi.org/10.1207/s15327965pli0604_1
Dweck, C. (2016). What having a “growth mindset” actually means. Harvard Business Review, 13, 213–226
Eisenberger, R., Armeli, S., Rexwinkel, B., Lynch, P. D., & Rhoades, L. (2001). Reciprocation of perceived organizational support. Journal of Applied Psychology, 86(1), 42–51. https://doi.org/10.1037/0021-9010.86.1.42
Fredrickson, B. L. (2004). The broaden-and-build theory of positive emotions. Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society of London Series B Biological Sciences, 359(1449), 1367–1378. https://doi.org/10.1098/rstb.2004.1512
Ghielen, S. T. S., van Woerkom, M., & Christina Meyers, M. (2018). Promoting positive outcomes through strengths interventions: A literature review. The Journal of Positive Psychology, 13(6), 573–585. https://doi.org/10.1080/17439760.2017.1365164
Graziosi, M., Yaden, D. B., Clifton, J. D., Mikanik, N., & Niemiec, R. M. (2020). A strengths-based approach to chronic pain. The Journal of Positive Psychology, 1–9. https://doi.org/10.1080/17439760.2020.1858337
Gupta, A. K., & Govindarajan, V. (2002). Cultivating a global mindset. Academy of Management Perspectives, 16(1), 116–126. https://doi.org/10.5465/ame.2002.6640211
Harzer, C., & Ruch, W. (2014). The role of character strengths for task performance, job dedication, interpersonal facilitation, and organizational support. Human Performance, 27(3), 183–205. https://doi.org/10.1080/08959285.2014.913592
Harzer, C., & Ruch, W. (2016). Your strengths are calling: Preliminary results of a web-based strengths intervention to increase calling. Journal of Happiness Studies, 17(6), 2237–2256. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10902-015-9692-y
Heslin, P. A., Vandewalle, D., & Latham, G. P. (2006). Keen to help? Managers’ implicit person theories and their subsequent employee coaching. Personnel Psychology, 59, 871–902. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1744-6570.2006.00057.x
Hodges, T. D., & Clifton, D. O. (2004). Strengths-based development in practice. Positive Psychology in Practice, 1, 256–268
Hui-Hua, Z., & Schutte, N. S. (2015). Personality, emotional intelligence and other-rated task performance. Personality and Individual Differences, 100(87), 298–301. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.paid.2015.08.013
Jach, H. K., Sun, J., Loton, D., Chin, T. C., & Waters, L. E. (2018). Strengths and subjective wellbeing in adolescence: Strength-based parenting and the moderating effect of mindset. Journal of Happiness Studies, 19(2), 567–586. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10902-016-9841-y
Jones-Smith, E. (2011). The strength mindset: Understanding the nature of strengths. In E. Jones-Smith (Ed.), Spotlighting the strengths of every single student: Why US. Schools need a new, strengths-based approach. United States: Greenwood Publishing
Justus, K., Arghode, V., & Barker, D. (2022). Principal self-efficacy, mindset and performance outcomes: exploring the connection. European Journal of Training and Development. https://doi.org/10.1108/EJTD-07-2021-0092
Kong, D. T., & Ho, V. T. (2016). A self-determination perspective of strengths use at work: Examining its determinant and performance implications. The Journal of Positive Psychology, 11(1), 15–25. https://doi.org/10.1080/17439760.2015.1004555
Lavy, S. (2020). A review of character strengths interventions in twenty-first-century schools: Their importance and how they can be fostered. Applied Research in Quality of Life, 15(2), 573–596. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11482-018-9700-6
Leary, M. R., Diebels, K. J., Davisson, E. K., Jongman-Sereno, K. P., Isherwood, J. C., Raimi, K. T., Deffler, S. A., & Hoyle, R. H. (2017). Cognitive and interpersonal features of intellectual humility. Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, 43(6), 793–813. https://doi.org/10.1177/0146167217697695
Li, J. (2016). Humility in learning: A Confucian perspective. Journal of Moral Education, 45(2), 147–165. https://doi.org/10.1080/03057240.2016.1168736
Li, R., Zhang, H., Zhu, X., & Li, N. (2021). Does employee humility Foster performance and promotability? Exploring the mechanisms of LMX and peer network centrality in China. Human Resource Management, 60(3), 399–413. https://doi.org/10.1002/hrm.22025
Locke, E. A., Frederick, E., Lee, C., & Bobko, P. (1984). Effect of self-efficacy, goals, and task strategies on task performance. Journal of Applied Psychology, 69(2), 241–251. https://doi.org/10.1037/0021-9010.69.2.241
Lopez, S. J., & Louis, M. C. (2009). The principles of strengths-based education. Journal of College and Character, 10(4), 1–8. https://doi.org/10.2202/1940-1639.1041
Louis, M. C. (2011). Strengths interventions in higher education: The effect of identification versus development approaches on implicit self-theory. The Journal of Positive Psychology, 6(3), 204–215. https://doi.org/10.1080/17439760.2011.570366
Meyers, M. C., & van Woerkom, M. (2017). Effects of a strengths intervention on general and work-related well-being: The mediating role of positive affect. Journal of Happiness Studies, 18(3), 671–689. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10902-016-9745-x
Mielniczuk, E., & Laguna, M. (2020a). Positive affect mediates the relationship between self-efficacy and innovative behavior in entrepreneurs. The Journal of Creative Behavior, 54(2), 267–278. https://doi.org/10.1002/jocb.364
Miglianico, M., Dubreuil, P., Miquelon, P., Bakker, A. B., & Martin-Krumm, C. (2020). Strength use in the workplace: a literature review. Journal of Happiness Studies, 21(2), 737–764. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10902-019-00095-w
Mielniczuk, E., & Laguna, M. (2020b). Positive affect mediates the relationship between self-efficacy and innovative behavior in entrepreneurs. The Journal of Creative Behavior, 54(2), 267–278. https://doi.org/10.1002/jocb.364
Miner, A. G., & Glomb, T. M. (2010). State mood, task performance, and behavior at work: A within-persons approach. Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes, 112(1), 43–57. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.obhdp.2009.11.009
Moore, H. L., Bakker, A. B., & van Mierlo, H. (2021). Using strengths and thriving at work: The role of colleague strengths recognition and organizational context. European Journal of Work and Organizational Psychology, 1–13. https://doi.org/10.1080/1359432X.2021.1952990
Motowidlo, S. J. (2003). Job performance. In W. C. Borman, D. R. Ilgen, & R. J. Klimoski (Eds.), Handbook of psychology: Industrial and organizational psychology, Vol. 12: Industrial and organizational psychology (pp. 39 – 53). Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley & Sons
Newman, A., Herman, H. M., Schwarz, G., & Nielsen, I. (2018). The effects of employees’ creative self-efficacy on innovative behavior: The role of entrepreneurial leadership. Journal of Business Research, 89, 1–9. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbusres.2018.04.001
Noefer, K., Stegmaier, R., Molter, B., & Sonntag, K. (2009). A great many things to do and not a minute to spare: Can feedback from supervisors moderate the relationship between skill variety, time pressure, and employees’ innovative behavior? Creativity Research Journal, 21(4), 384–393. https://doi.org/10.1080/10400410903297964
Ötken, A. B., & Cenkci, T. (2012). The impact of paternalistic leadership on ethical climate: The moderating role of trust in leader. Journal of Business Ethics, 108(4), 525–536. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10551-011-1108-2
Owens, B. P., Johnson, M. D., & Mitchell, T. R. (2013). Expressed humility in organizations: Implications for performance, teams, and leadership. Organization Science, 24(5), 1517–1538. https://doi.org/10.1287/orsc.1120.0795
Pang, D., & Ruch, W. (2019). Fusing character strengths and mindfulness interventions: Benefits for job satisfaction and performance. Journal of Occupational Health Psychology, 24(1), 150–162. https://doi.org/10.1037/ocp0000144
Park, N., & Peterson, C. (2009). Character strengths: Research and practice. Journal of College and Character, 10(4), 1–10. https://doi.org/10.2202/1940-1639.1042
Peterson, C., & Seligman, M. E. (2003). Character strengths before and after September 11. Psychological Science, 14(4), 381–384. https://doi.org/10.1111/1467-9280.24482
Peterson, C., & Park, N. (2006). Character strengths in organizations. Journal of Organizational Behavior, 27(8), 1149–1154. https://doi.org/10.1002/job.398
Peterson, S. J., Gerhardt, M. W., & Rode, J. C. (2006). Hope, learning goals, and task performance. Personality and Individual Differences, 40(6), 1099–1109. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.paid.2005.11.005
Pieterse, A. N., Van Knippenberg, D., Schippers, M., & Stam, D. (2010). Transformational and transactional leadership and innovative behavior: The moderating role of psychological empowerment. Journal of Organizational Behavior, 31(4), 609–623. https://doi.org/10.1002/job.650
Podsakoff, P. M., MacKenzie, S. B., Lee, J. Y., & Podsakoff, N. P. (2003). Common method biases in behavioral research: A critical review of the literature and recommended remedies. Journal of Applied Psychology, 88(5), 879–903. https://doi.org/10.1037/0021-9010.88.5.879
Pressman, S. D., Jenkins, B. N., & Moskowitz, J. T. (2019). Positive affect and health: what do we know and where next should we go? Annual Review of Psychology, 70, 627–650. https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev-psych-010418-102955
Proctor, C., Maltby, J., & Linley, P. A. (2011). Strengths use as a predictor of well-being and health-related quality of life. Journal of Happiness Studies, 12(1), 153–169. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10902-009-9181-2
Proyer, R. T., Ruch, W., & Buschor, C. (2013). Testing strengths-based interventions: A preliminary study on the effectiveness of a program targeting curiosity, gratitude, hope, humor, and zest for enhancing life satisfaction. Journal of Happiness Studies, 14(1), 275–292. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10902-012-9331-9
Quinlan, D., Swain, N., & Vella-Brodrick, D. A. (2012). Character strengths interventions: Building on what we know for improved outcomes. Journal of Happiness Studies, 13(6), 1145–1163. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10902-011-9311-5
Quintana-Orts, C., Mérida-López, S., Chamizo-Nieto, M. T., Extremera, N., & Rey, L. (2022). Unraveling the links among cybervictimization, core self-evaluations, and suicidal ideation: A multi-study investigation. Personality and Individual Differences, 186, 111337. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.paid.2021.111337
Schweizer, K., Paechter, M., & Weidenmann, B. (2003). Blended learning as a strategy to improve collaborative task performance. Journal of Educational Media, 28(2–3), 211–224. https://doi.org/10.1080/1358165032000165699
Scott, S. G., & Bruce, R. A. (1994). Determinants of innovative behavior: A path model of individual innovation in the workplace. Academy of Management Journal, 37(3), 580–607. https://doi.org/10.5465/256701
Shoss, M. K., Witt, L. A., & Vera, D. (2012). When does adaptive performance lead to higher task performance? Journal of Organizational Behavior, 33(7), 910–924. https://doi.org/10.1002/job.780
Singh, S. K. (2019). Territoriality, task performance, and workplace deviance: Empirical evidence on role of knowledge hiding. Journal of Business Research, 97, 10–19. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbusres.2018.12.034
Tangney, J. P. (2000). Humility: Theoretical perspectives, empirical findings and directions for future research. Journal of Social and Clinical Psychology, 19(1), 70–82. https://doi.org/10.1521/jscp.2000.19.1.70
Tett, R. P., Toich, M. J., & Ozkum, S. B. (2021). Trait activation theory: A review of the literature and applications to five lines of personality dynamics research. Annual Review of Organizational Psychology and Organizational Behavior, 8, 199–233. https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev-orgpsych-012420-062228
Van Woerkom, M., & Meyers, M. C. (2015). My strengths count! Effects of a strengths-based psychological climate on positive affect and job performance. Human Resource Management, 54(1), 81–103. https://doi.org/10.1002/hrm.21623
Van Woerkom, M., Mostert, K., Els, C., Bakker, A. B., De Beer, L., & Rothmann, S. Jr. (2016). Strengths use and deficit correction in organizations: Development and validation of a questionnaire. European Journal of Work and Organizational Psychology, 25(6), 960–975. https://doi.org/10.1080/1359432X.2016.1193010
Van Woerkom, M., & Meyers, M. C. (2019). Strengthening personal growth: The effects of a strengths intervention on personal growth initiative. Journal of Occupational and Organizational Psychology, 92(1), 98–121. https://doi.org/10.1111/joop.12240
Viswesvaran, C., & Ones, D. S. (2000). Perspectives on models of job performance. International Journal of Selection and Assessment, 8(4), 216–226. https://doi.org/10.1111/1468-2389.00151
Walsh, J. P., & Charalambides, L. C. (1990). Individual and social origins of belief structure change. The Journal of Social Psychology, 130(4), 517–532. https://doi.org/10.1080/00224545.1990.9924614
Wang, D., Li, X., Zhou, M., Maguire, P., Zong, Z., & Hu, Y. (2019). Effects of abusive supervision on employees’ innovative behavior: The role of job insecurity and locus of control. Scandinavian Journal of Psychology, 60(2), 152–159. https://doi.org/10.1111/sjop.12510
Waters, L., Algoe, S. B., Dutton, J., Emmons, R., Fredrickson, B. L., Heaphy, E., Moskowitz, J. T., Neff, k., Niemiec, R., Pury, C., Steger, M. (2021). Positive psychology in a pandemic: buffering, bolstering, and building mental health. The Journal of Positive Psychology, 1–21. https://doi.org/10.1080/17439760.2021.1871945
Weiss, H. M., & Cropanzano, R. (1996). Affective Events Theory: A theoretical discussion of the structure, causes and consequences of affective experiences at work. In B. M. Staw, & L. L. Cummings (Eds.), Research in organizational behavior: An annual series of analytical essays and critical reviews (18 vol., pp. 1–74). Elsevier Science/JAI Press
White, M. A., & Waters, L. E. (2015). A case study of ‘The Good School:’Examples of the use of Peterson’s strengths-based approach with students. The Journal of Positive Psychology, 10(1), 69–76. https://doi.org/10.1080/17439760.2014.920408
Williams, L. J., Cote, J. A., & Buckley, M. R. (1989). Lack of method variance in self-reported affect and perceptions at work: reality or artifact? Journal of Applied Psychology, 74(3), 462–468. https://doi.org/10.1037/0021-9010.74.3.462
Wood, A. M., Linley, P. A., Maltby, J., Kashdan, T. B., & Hurling, R. (2011). Using personal and psychological strengths leads to increases in well-being over time: A longitudinal study and the development of the strengths use questionnaire. Personality and Individual Differences, 50(1), 15–19. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.paid.2010.08.004
Yeager, D. S., Hanselman, P., Walton, G. M., Murray, J. S., Crosnoe, R., Muller, C., Tipton, E., Schneider, B., Hulleman, C. S., Hinojosa, C. P., Paunesku, D., Romero, C., Flint, K., Roberts, A., Trott, J., Iachan, R., Buontempo, J., Yang, S. M., Carvalho, C. M., … Dweck, C. S. (2019). A national experiment reveals where a growth mindset improves achievement. Nature, 573(7774), 364–369. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41586-019-1466-y
Yuan, F., & Woodman, R. W. (2010). Innovative behavior in the workplace: The role of performance and image outcome expectations. Academy of Management Journal, 53(2), 323–342. https://doi.org/10.5465/amj.2010.49388995
Zhang, J., Bal, P. M., Akhtar, M. N., Long, L., Zhang, Y., & Ma, Z. (2019). High-performance work system and employee performance: the mediating roles of social exchange and thriving and the moderating effect of employee proactive personality. Asia Pacific Journal of Human Resources, 57(3), 369–395. https://doi.org/10.1111/1744-7941.12199
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Ethics declarations
Author Note
The authors declare that there is no conflict of interest. The authors are grateful to the employees who participated in this study. In addition, the authors also thanks Editor in Chief Richard Ferraro and the four anonymous reviewers for their excellent guidance and suggestions. This study was supported by “the State Key Program of National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant No. 72132009)”. All procedures performed in studies involving human participants were in accordance with the ethical standards of the institutional and/or national research committee and with the 1964 Helsinki declaration and its later amendments or comparable ethical standards. The data that support the findings of this study are available from HD (believedh@126.com), upon reasonable request.
Additional information
Publisher’s Note
Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Ding, H., Liu, J. Paying close attention to strengths mindset: the relationship of employee strengths mindset with job performance. Curr Psychol 42, 22758–22769 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12144-022-03400-8
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12144-022-03400-8