The interactive effect of attention control and the perceptions of others' entitlement behavior on job and health outcomes

Purpose – The purpose of this research is to examine how attention control moderates the relationship between perceptions of others' entitlement behavior and employee attitudinal, behavioral, and health outcomes. Design/methodology/approach – In study 1, data were collected from 309 employees of a municipality. In the second study, the independent and dependent variables were collected two months apart (and matched) from 584 individuals working in a range of occupations and organizations. Findings – Perceived entitlement behavior was associated with increased tension and depressed mood at work and decreased satisfaction and citizenship for employees low in attention control. Research limitations/implications – The exclusive use of data collected via a survey methodology is a limitation. However, tests of multicollinearity offered no evidence of method inflation. Future research should expand the scope of conceptualization to consider both individual difference (i.e. mood, affect) and contextual (i.e. justice, equity) factors when considering the effects of the perceptions of others' entitlement behavior and attention control on work outcomes. Practical implications – By having the ability to better regulate attention, the negative effects of the entitled behavior of others are minimized. Attention control can be learned or improved, and employers should attempt to develop this ability. Managers may also find it useful to find out why some employees act entitled while others do not. Originality/value – This is the first study to examine the interrelationship between the perceptions of others' entitlement behavior and attention control in actual work settings. Hence, gaps in multiple bodies of literature (i.e. stress and wellbeing, organizational behavior, psychology, cognitive science) are addressed.