Psychology Commons^™

Perceived Overqualification And Task Performance:Reconciling Two Opposing Pathways, Allen Lee, Berrin Erdogan, Amy Tian, Sara Willis, Jie Cao

Business Faculty Publications and Presentations

In this study, we predict that higher levels of relative deprivation and higher levels of task mastery constitute two pathways through which perceived overqualification (POQ) has indirect and opposing effects on task performance. Further, we predict that occupational instrumentality, the degree to which the individual regards their job as a stepping tone to future career opportunities, will serve as a moderator for both pathways. Across two studies, as well as a supplementary study, we found evidence that POQ is positively associated with followers’ perceptions of both task mastery and relative deprivation. In both studies, we also found consistent evidence for …