What Goes Up Must ... Keep Going Up? Cultural Differences in Cognitive Styles Influence Evaluations of Dynamic Performance

• 成果类型: Article; Proceedings Paper
• 署名作者: Ferris, D. Lance; Reb, Jochen; Lian, Huiwen; Sim, Samantha; Ang, Dionysius
• 署名单位: Michigan State University; Michigan State University's Broad College of Business; Singapore Management University; University of Kentucky; Universidade Catolica Portuguesa; University of Leeds
• 刊物名称: JOURNAL OF APPLIED PSYCHOLOGY
• ISSN/ISSBN: 0021-9010
• DOI: 10.1037/apl0000282
• 发表日期: 2018
• 页码: 347-358
• 关键词: naive extrapolation; cognitive style; culture; dynamic performance; holistic thinking

摘要

Past research on dynamic workplace performance evaluation has taken as axiomatic that temporal performance trends produce naive extrapolation effects on performance ratings. That is, we naively assume that an individual whose performance has trended upward over time will continue to improve, and rate that individual more positively than an individual whose performance has trended downward over time-even if, on average, the 2 individuals have performed at an equivalent level. However, we argue that such naive extrapolation effects are more pronounced in Western countries than Eastern countries, owing to Eastern countries having a more holistic cognitive style. To test our hypotheses, we examined the effect of performance trend on expectations of future performance and ratings of past performance across 2 studies: Study 1 compares the magnitude of naive extrapolation effects among Singaporeans primed with either a more or less holistic cognitive style, and Study 2 examines holistic cognitive style as a mediating mechanism accounting for differences in the magnitude of naive extrapolation effects between American and Chinese raters. Across both studies, we found support for our predictions that dynamic performance trends have less impact on the ratings of more holistic thinkers. Implications for the dynamic performance and naive extrapolation literatures are discussed.