Employees’ Social Self-Efficacy and Work Outcomes: Testing the Mediating Role of Social Status

This study examined the beneficial role of social self-efficacy (SSE) in relation to the important workplace outcomes of job satisfaction and task performance. We proposed and tested a model in which social status functioned as a mediator of the above relationships. Participants were 172 employees from diverse industries in China, who self-reported their SSE and job satisfaction. Each participant had three coworkers who provided peer ratings of his or her social status and task performance. Results based on structural equation modeling indicated that SSE positively related to social status, which in turn positively related to both job satisfaction and task performance. Consistent with our prediction, social status was found to mediate the above relationships. Implications for career development practices were discussed.