Antecedents, outcomes, and mechanisms of employee and leader proactivity

Project summary

As organisations grow increasingly turbulent and unpredictable, the topic of proactivity at work has become of great interest and importance for scholars, practitioners, and government. It is essential to explore how, why, and when employees and leaders are motivated to engage in proactive behaviours to initiate changes within their organisations.

Although proactivity has primarily conceptualized as an individual behaviour, in reality individuals can be proactive in many different ways and across multiple levels of an organisation. We begin to concern with understanding about the processes and dynamics that underpin proactivity at all levels within organisations ⸻ individual, group, and organisation.

Research on proactivity contributes in making important changes to the success of contemporary organisations and society. This project is based on an existing body of work by Professor Chen and his colleagues. The outcomes of their researches have appeared in top-tier academic journals (please see the related publications below).

• Understand reasons for and outcomes of employees’ and leaders’ proactive behaviours.
• Develop a dynamic model to examine the influence of employees’ and leaders’ proactive behaviours on individual, group, and organisation outcomes.
• Explore a multilevel model of interactive processes between employees’ and leaders’ proactive behaviours.

Entry requirements

Applicants will need either a first class or upper second class honours degree in relevant subjects including business, psychology, criminology, and sociology or have appropriate and equivalent lived experience.

International students may also need to meet our English language requirements. Find out more about our entry requirements for international students.

Project specific requirements must align with the University’s standard requirements

How to apply

Please contact Professor Ziguang Chen ( z.g-chen@derby.ac.uk ) in the first instance.

The University has four starting points each year for MPhil/PhD programmes (September, January, March and June). Applications should be made at least three months before you would want to start your programme. Please note that if you require a visa additional time will be required.

Funding

Self-funded by student. There is a range of options that may be available to you to help you fund your PhD.

Supervisor

Ziguang is a Professor of Organisational Behaviour and Human Resource Management, a member of the University Professorial Council and Internal Review Panel of ESRC grants at the University of Derby, UK.

References

We are looking for ambitious and talented students to join our dedicated research community where we will support you on your own research journey through to graduation. These pages give you all the i...

If you decide to design your own PhD project, you will need to write a research proposal that will form part of your application. Before applying, you should review the critical literature in your sub...

Find out what the tuition fees are for PhDs and MPhils at Derby, as well as what sources of funding there are to help pay for them.

• Chen, Z., Huo, Y., Lam, W., Luke, R. C.-T., & Qureshi, I. (in press) How Perceptions of Others’ Work and Impression Management Motives Affect LMX Development: A Six-Wave Latent Change Score Model. Journal of Occupational and Organizational Psychology
• Lan, J., Huo, Y., Cai, Z., Wong, C. S., Chen, Z., & Lam, W. (2020) Uncovering the impact of triadic relationships within a team on job performance: an application of balance theory in predicting feedback‐seeking behaviour. Journal of Occupational and Organizational Psychology, 93(3): 654-686. https://doi.org/10.1111/joop.12310
• Huo, Y., Chen, Z., Lam, W., & Wood, S. A. (2019) Standing in My Customer’s Shoes: Effects of Customer-Oriented Perspective Taking on Proactive Service Performance. Journal of Occupational and Organizational Psychology, 92: 255-280. http://doi.org/10.1111/joop.12247
• Lam, W., Huo, Y., & Chen, Z. (2018) Who Is Fit to Serve? Person–Job/Organization Fit, Emotional Labor, and Customer Service Performance. Human Resource Management, 57: 483-497. http://doi.org/10.1002/hrm.21871
• Liu, W., Tangirala, S., Lam, W., Chen, Z., Jia, R.T., & Huang, X. (2015) How and When Peers' Positive Mood Influence Employees' Voice. Journal of Applied Psychology, 100: 976-989. https://doi.org/10.1037/a0038066
• Huo, Y., Lam, W., & Chen, Z. (2012) Am I the Only One This Supervisor Is Laughing at? Effects of Aggressive Humor on Employee Stress and Addictive Behaviors. Personnel Psychology, 65: 859-885.
• Chen, Z., Lam, W., & Zhong, J. A. (2012) Effects of Perceptions on LMX and Work Performance: Effects of Supervisors' Perception of Subordinates' Emotional Intelligence and Subordinates' Perception of Trust in the Supervisor on LMX and, Consequently Performance. Asia Pacific Journal of Management, 29(3): 597-616. DOI 10.1007/s10490-010-9210-z
• Sue-Chan, C., Chen, Z., & Lam, W. (2011) LMX, Coaching Attributions, and Employee Performance. Group and Organization Management, 36(4): 466-498. DOI 10.1177/1059601111408896
• Zhong, J. A., Lam, W., & Chen, Z. (2011) Relationship between Leader-Member Exchange and Organizational Citizenship Behaviors: Examining the Moderating Role of Empowerment. Asia Pacific Journal of Management, 28: 609-626. DOI 10.1007/s10490-009-9163-2
• Lam, W., Chen, Z. (the corresponding author), & Takeuchi, N. (2009) Perceived Human Resource Management Practices and Intention to Leave of Employees: The Moderating Role of Organizational Citizenship Behavior. International Journal of Human Resource Management, 20 (11), 2250-2270
• Chen, Z., Lam, W., & Zhong, J. A. (2007) Leader-Member Exchange and Member Performance: A New Look at Individual-Level Negative Feedback-Seeking Behavior and Team-Level Empowerment Climate, Journal of Applied Psychology, 92 (1), 202-212
• Chen, Z., Takeuchi, N., & Wakabayashi, M. (2005) Managerial Skill Utilization: Work Environment, Gender, and Training Incentive, International Journal of Human Resource Management, 16(5), 787-809
• Chen, Z., Wakabayashi, M., & Takeuchi, N. (2004) A Comparative Study of Organizational Context Factors for Managerial Career Progress: Focusing on Chinese State-owned, Sino-foreign Joint Venture, and Japanese Corporations, International Journal of Human Resource Management, 15(4/5), 750-774

Research areas