The present research investigates entitlement in the workplace through three related papers—a review and two empirical studies. In the first paper, I conduct a review of entitlement and offer an agenda for future research. I examine entitlement’s various historical roots, definitions and conceptualizations, measures, theoretical frameworks, antecedents, consequences, and role as a moderator. I also outline avenues for future entitlement research and advocate for research that considers the effects of perceived coworker entitlement from a state perspective. Following the research agenda of paper one, I empirically delve into the negative effects of perceived coworker entitlement in the second two papers. Specifically, in the second paper I explore how the individual can mitigate the negative effects associated with perceived coworker entitlement and in the third paper I explore how the organization can mitigate the negative effects associated with perceived coworker entitlement. In the second paper, I utilize equity theory and referent cognitions theory to examine the relationships between perceived coworker entitlement and individual outcomes including in-role behavior, organizational citizenship behavior, pay satisfaction, and counterproductive work behavior via psychological distress. I further explore the moderating role of individual difference variables including core-self evaluations, positive and negative affect, and equity sensitivity in the relationship between perceived coworker entitlement and psychological distress. Using a sample of 200 working adults, I found that core self-evaluations and equity sensitivity significantly moderate the relationship between perceived coworker entitlement and psychological distress. However, I did not find any significant mediation or moderated mediation relationships. In the third paper, I utilize fairness theory as a theoretical framework to study the relationships among perceived coworker entitlement, job satisfaction, organizational citizenship behavior, and emotional exhaustion. I further explore the moderating role of Colquitt’s (2001) four dimensions of organizational justice: distributive justice, procedural justice, interpersonal justice, and informational justice. Using the same sample of 200 working adults, I found that perceived coworker entitlement is negatively related to organizational citizenship behavior; distributive justice moderates the relationship between perceived coworker entitlement and emotional exhaustion; interpersonal justice moderates the relationship between perceived coworker entitlement and job satisfaction and emotional exhaustion; and informational justice moderates the relationship between perceived coworker entitlement and emotional exhaustion. Contributions to research, practical implications, strengths and limitations, and directions for future research are discussed. / Includes bibliography. / Dissertation (Ph.D.)--Florida Atlantic University, 2018. / FAU Electronic Theses and Dissertations Collection

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Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Texas at Austin, 2002. / Vita. Includes bibliographical references.

Thesis presented for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy (Business Science, Human Resources Management) in the Faculty of Commerce, Law and Management at the University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, June 2017 / For the past two years, South Africa has been gripped by a spate of demonstrations by university students demanding free university education. These demonstrations have been violent, and mediation efforts have not succeeded in yielding long-term results. According to the theory of rising expectations, in an economy that is improving and where the people are not oppressed, their expectations often outstrip the pace of actual change (Gale, 2008). When there is a mismatch between what people expect and what they actually get, theory suggests that rising expectations lead to civil unrest as demands for improvement continue to grow. It is the contention of this thesis that the theory of rising expectations is associated with the behaviour of the university students as they make demands for free education, better employment opportunities and more accountability from the government. Also associated with the behaviour of these university students in South Africa is generational cohort theory, which predicts that certain significant national and global events have a long-lasting impact on value systems of individual groups and social orders resulting in the formation of new generational cohorts (Smolla & Sutton, 2002). These individuals then share enduring distinctive sets of values, beliefs, and behaviours (Strauss & Howe, 2000). Furthermore, research suggests that Generation Y are materialistic, which is the value individuals place on possessions (Belk, 1985), have a high entitlement mentality, and their work values are mostly extrinsic. Entitlement has been defined as a “pervasive sense that one deserves more and is entitled to more than others” (Campbell, Bonacci, Shelton, Exline, & Bushman, 2004, p. 31). In the absence of literature that relates to the potential influence of the theory of rising expectations and generational cohort theory on the behaviour of Generation Y in South Africa, this research seeks to: (i) investigate whether Generation Y are indeed materialistic and entitled; (ii) investigate the potential influence of demographic factors on work centrality, work values, materialism, and an entitlement mentality; (iii) investigate the potential influence of work centrality, work values, and materialism on an entitlement mentality; and (iv) investigate the mediating effect of materialism on the relationship between demographic factors, work values, work centrality, and an entitlement mentality in the context of a private college and a public university in South Africa. This research employed a two-stage approach. The first stage, a quantitative study, applied a descriptive approach to validate and justify the research findings that link Generation Y with materialism and entitlement mentality. Entitlement mentality was measured using two dimensions: exploitative and nonexploitative entitlement. Based on a literature review, a model was then developed and tested in the second stage of the study using Structural Equation Modelling. Findings from Stage Two suggested that Generation Y are materialistic and highly entitled, but that their entitlement is non-exploitative. Men were found to be more materialistic than women, but women were found to be more entitled than men. However, both genders were found to have low levels of exploitative entitlement, albeit with men showing slightly higher levels of exploitative entitlement. Gender and age were also significantly associated with materialism and entitlement. However, gender and age were found not to be significantly associated with work centrality. Work centrality was found to be significantly associated with entitlement mentality. Work values, on the other hand, were found not to be significantly associated with entitlement mentality, but were significantly associated with materialism. Materialism was found to be significantly associated with entitlement mentality. On the basis of all of these results, it was concluded that the theory of rising expectations and generational cohort theory might be responsible for the entitlement mentality and materialism, which literature often associates with Generation Y. The results also suggested that for organisations to attract and retain Generation Y employees, managers need to pay attention to extrinsic aspects of the job, such as pay. / XL2018

Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI) / Although social comparison has been studied for over 60 years, little research has been done to determine the effects it has on the workplace. Moreover, the explosion of social networking sites and their potential impact on the workplace have been largely overlooked by organizational researchers. Therefore, this study will attempt to evaluate the effect social comparison, specifically through social media, has on work relevant outcomes such as one’s job satisfaction, life satisfaction, and entitlement, moderated by materialism (relevance) and job expectations (attainability) of the referent other. Participants selected from an alumni database of a large Midwestern University were asked to view a manipulated Facebook newsfeed page and then complete a brief survey (N=290). A hierarchical multiple regression was conducted to assess the hypotheses. Results, implications, and limitations are also discussed.