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  • Journal of Organizational Behavior

My Boss' Passion Matters as Much as My Own: The Interpersonal Dynamics of Passion Are a Critical Driver of Performance Evaluations

By: Jon M. Jachimowicz, Andreas Wihler and Adam D. Galinsky
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Abstract

Companies often celebrate employees who successfully pursue their passion. Academic research suggests that these positive evaluations occur because of the passion percolating inside the employee. We propose that supervisors are also a key piece of this puzzle: Supervisors who are more successful in their own pursuit of passion place more value on passion in their performance evaluations. This produces an interpersonal dynamic whereby employees who are more successful in pursuing their passion may receive higher performance ratings when their supervisors are also more successful in pursuing their passion. We provide support for this core hypothesis across a crowd-sourced study with a heterogeneous sample (N=106 subordinate-supervisor dyads), a field study with a financial services company (N=321 subordinate-supervisor dyads), and a laboratory experiment (N=205) that offers both causal and mediating evidence. Crucially, we demonstrate that this interpersonal dynamic is specific to passion and does not apply to less observable motivations (intrinsic and extrinsic motivation). These results demonstrate that supervisors who successfully pursue their passion may overvalue passion relative to other valuable attributes, leading to potential bias. They also give a new perspective on managing upwards: Employees may further their own careers by helping their supervisors pursue their passion.

Keywords

Passion; Job Performance; Motivation; Emotions; Performance Evaluation; Interpersonal Communication

Citation

Jachimowicz, Jon M., Andreas Wihler, and Adam D. Galinsky. "My Boss' Passion Matters as Much as My Own: The Interpersonal Dynamics of Passion Are a Critical Driver of Performance Evaluations." Journal of Organizational Behavior (forthcoming). (Pre-published online August 5, 2021.)
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About The Author

Jon M. Jachimowicz

Organizational Behavior
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More from the Authors
  • The Passionate Pygmalion Effect: Passionate Employees Attain Better Outcomes in Part Because of More Preferential Treatment by Others By: Ke Wang, Erica R. Bailey and Jon M. Jachimowicz
  • Embracing Field Studies as a Tool for Learning By: Jon M. Jachimowicz
  • Inequality in Researchers' Minds: Four Guiding Questions for Studying Subjective Perceptions of Economic Inequality By: Jon M. Jachimowicz, Shai Davidai, Daniela Goya-Tocchetto, Barnabas Szaszi, Martin Day, Stephanie Tepper, L. Taylor Phillips, M. Usman Mirza, Nailya Ordabayeva and Oliver P. Hauser
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