Motivated to avoid failure? Insecure striving and secure non-striving in the workplace

Purpose This study explores striving to avoid inferiority in the workplace and its consequences for employee well-being. Striving to avoid inferiority comprises both insecure striving, where employees feel like they must succeed to be valued by others, and secure non-striving, where employees feel valued regardless of their performance. The purpose of this paper is to examine the impact of insecure striving and secure non-striving on employee well-being both at home and at work. Design/methodology/approach Online surveys were completed by 244 working adults in the USA. Analyses were performed using SPSS to test hypotheses of a moderated-mediation model. Findings Results indicate that insecure striving has a positive association with emotional exhaustion, while secure non-striving is negatively associated with emotional exhaustion. Emotional exhaustion, then, mediates the relationship between striving to avoid inferiority and work–family conflict. An additional job resource, self-regulation, was also found to moderate the indirect association between striving and work–family conflict such that the relationship was stronger when self-control was higher. Practical implications By identifying sources of motivation that are more likely to result in emotional exhaustion and work–family conflict, the results of this research should inform employee well-being interventions to address a root cause of employee burnout. Originality/value The results of this study enhance the understanding of employee well-being in the workplace by providing a deeper understanding of how striving to avoid inferiority serves as both a job demand and a job resource, substantially affecting employees’ emotional capacity, with consequences spilling over into home life. This study offers a unique contribution by offering targeted insights and understanding regarding the negative consequences of complex forms of employee motivation, such as striving to avoid inferiority.