Engaging in upward and downward comparisons as a determinant of relative deprivation at work: A longitudinal study

A longitudinal study was conducted among 93 nurses to determine the role of comparing one’s performance with that of one’s colleagues in the increase versus decrease of perceived relative deprivation at work over a period of one year. Relative deprivation at T2 had increased particularly among those...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Journal of vocational behavior 2003-04, Vol.62 (2), p.370-388
Main Authors: Buunk, Bram P, Zurriaga, Rosario, Gonzalez-Roma, Vicente, Subirats, Montserrat
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Emotional Response
Job Performance
Negative Attitudes
Nurses
Peer Relationship
Relationships within organization
Relative deprivation
Social Comparison
Social comparison orientation
Work Attitudes
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Summary:A longitudinal study was conducted among 93 nurses to determine the role of comparing one’s performance with that of one’s colleagues in the increase versus decrease of perceived relative deprivation at work over a period of one year. Relative deprivation at T2 had increased particularly among those high in social comparison orientation ( Gibbons & Buunk, 1999) who at T1 (1) more frequently engaged in upward comparisons; (2) more frequently derived positive as well as negative feelings from such comparisons; and (3) more frequently derived negative feelings from downward comparison. Moreover, engaging in downward comparison also led to an increase in perceived relative deprivation at T2. This study is one of the few to find evidence for longitudinal effects of social comparison activity, and the first to find that such effects occur only for those high in social comparison orientation.
ISSN:0001-8791
1095-9084
DOI:10.1016/S0001-8791(02)00015-5