Abstract
An empirical analysis was conducted on the conditions under which competition can be constructive. The participants were 64 managers and 28 employees from organizations in mainland China. They were asked to describe specific incidents of competition between them and their fellow employees and rate on a 7-point Likert-type scale the conditions that they perceived affected the outcomes. The incidents could involve either a physical activity or an intellectual task or both. Results showed that the variables related to constructive competition included the fairness of the rules, the motivation to win, having an advantage that enhanced one's chances of winning, a strong positive relationship among competitors, and a history of confirming each other's competence. By controlling these factors, the constructiveness of competition may be enhanced.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 63-84 |
| Number of pages | 22 |
| Journal | The Journal of Psychology : Interdisciplinary and Applied |
| Volume | 137 |
| Issue number | 1 |
| DOIs | |
| Publication status | Published - 1 Jan 2003 |
Bibliographical note
The authors thank their research assistants, Song Wenyi, Chao Jianyuan, Huo Kaimin, and He Li from South China Normal University, for their able assistance in conducting this study.Funding
The authors also appreciate the financial support of the Research Grants Council of Hong Kong, RGC grant project no: LC890/96H, to Dean Tjosvold.
Keywords
- Competition
- Constructive competition
- Cooperation
- Social interdependence