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Extending a helping hand: How receiving gratitude makes a difference in employee performance during a crisis

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  • Ni, Dan
  • Jiwen Song, Lynda
  • Zheng, Xiaoming
  • Zhu, Jinlong
  • Zhang, Mengyi
  • Xu, Lingxiao

Abstract

Although organizational crises, particularly the COVID-19 pandemic, are shocks for employees, their expression of gratitude can be viewed as a silver lining. Drawing on social exchange theory and the social functions of emotion perspective, we develop a model that elucidates why and when benefactors who receive gratitude expression can perform better in the COVID-19 crisis. We propose that receiving gratitude expression as a potential consequence of providing crisis-related help to coworkers enhances one’s crisis self-efficacy and perceived social impact, which, in turn, positively relates to adaptation to a crisis, task performance, and helping behaviors toward leaders. The perceived novelty of the COVID-19 crisis strengthens the positive effect of receiving gratitude expression on crisis self-efficacy, and the perceived criticality of the crisis strengthens the positive effect of receiving gratitude expression on perceived social impact. A scenario-based experiment and five-wave field survey with Eastern and Western employees generally support our hypotheses.

Suggested Citation

  • Ni, Dan & Jiwen Song, Lynda & Zheng, Xiaoming & Zhu, Jinlong & Zhang, Mengyi & Xu, Lingxiao, 2022. "Extending a helping hand: How receiving gratitude makes a difference in employee performance during a crisis," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 149(C), pages 967-982.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:jbrese:v:149:y:2022:i:c:p:967-982
    DOI: 10.1016/j.jbusres.2022.05.055
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Surachartkumtonkun, Jiraporn & Ngo, Liem Viet & Shao, Wei, 2023. "The crisis cloud's silver linings: The effects of hope and gratitude on employee burnout and engagement," Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, Elsevier, vol. 74(C).
    2. Ni, Dan & Zheng, Xiaoming & Lin, Jiaxin, 2025. "Do employees benefit from engaging in status-striving strategies? The roles of leader hostility and leader trust in employees," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 192(C).

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