Competence And Motivation: Pathways To Relational Versus Collective Status

Abstract

Most social psychology and management research in the past predominantly focuses on competence as the primary pathway for status attainment. This study broadens the focus beyond competence to include motivation as another important pathway to status attainment. In doing so, this paper differentiates motivation into relationship-based motivation versus collective-based motivation. Specifically, I predict that competence, relationship-based motivation manifested by interpersonal helping, and collective-based motivation manifested by commitment to one's group will all have positive effects on status attainment. I also predict that interpersonal helping, driven by relationship-based motivation, will have a relatively stronger influence on an individual's status at an interpersonal level (i.e., relational status), while group commitment, driven by collective-based motivation, will have a relatively stronger impact on an individual's status at the group level (i.e., collective status). A two-way interaction between motivation (relationshipbased or collective-based) and competence is also proposed for status attainment at its corresponding level (relational vs. collective status). Empirical results from a survey study of 282 employees and 55 teams across multiple industries in Korea support these hypotheses. The findings of this research make theoretical and empirical contributions to research on social hierarchy by providing a fundamental distinction between interpersonal and collective dynamics.