High Performers Are Covertly Victimized, Unless They’re Altruistic

April 04, 2014

Research Finding : 
High Performers Are Covertly Victimized, Unless They’re Altruistic

In a study set in a Midwestern field office of a U.S. financial services firm, high-performing employees were more likely than average workers to report that colleagues covertly victimized them through such behaviors as sabotage, withholding resources, and avoidance . 
Details of the study : 
 High performers’ average score on a 1-to-5 victimization-frequency scale (from “never” to “once a week or more”) was 3.37, with the greater the performance gap in the workgroup, the greater the victimization.
Observation : 
 The effect was most pronounced for high performers who were selfish and manipulative; those who were altruistic and cooperative suffered less victimization as their performance increased  . 

SOURCE: Is it Better to Be Average? High and Low Performance as Predictors of Employee Victimization

Research Conducted by :  a team led by Jaclyn M. Jensen of DePaul University.

Courtesy : Harvard Business Review