Facing the green eye: a grounded model of coping with perceived envy at work

Purpose Envy is an inevitable part of organizational life, yet the complex processes by which employees respond to perceived envy remain unexplored. Given that the exploration of envied employees’ experience is a nascent field, this study employs a qualitative approach to build an integrative model of envy coping that is grounded in employees’ experiences and informed by extant coping theories. Design/methodology/approach Drawing on semi-structured interviews and diary data entries, this study utilizes grounded theory building to construct an integrative model of envy coping. Findings The findings suggest that employees' emotional, cognitive, and behavioral responses to perceived envy are intertwined along a continuum ranging from immersed to distant character. Furthermore, inferred personality differences not only influence employees' coping patterns but also shape their perceptions of contextual elements. Originality/value The research presented herein advances current theorizing in management research on the conceptual and operational development of the experience of being envied at work and provides an integrative framework for exploring coping processes in response to this perceived envy.