Outperforming in the workplace: Predicting employee sensitivity about being the target of a threatening upward comparison

The Sensitivity about being the Target of a Threatening Upward Comparison (STTUC) at work was investigated in a vignette study with 425 full-time employees. The perceived self-esteem of the outperformed colleague (high/low) and the relationship between the outperformer and outperformed (like/dislike) were manipulated. A positive relationship predicted more negative emotions in the outperformer (STTUC), while a negative relationship predicted more positive emotions. Low perceived self-esteem of the outperformed did not trigger STTUC but diminished positive emotions in the outperformer. The outperformer’s personality traits (sociotropy, narcissism, trait affect) were stronger predictors of STTUC and positive emotions than the relationship or perceived self-esteem of the outperformed. Our study’s predictors explained a larger percentage of variance of STTUC than of positive emotions.