| The subject of envy has received little attention in modern psychological research. In this paper, the distinction of envy and jealousy is made, and the focus is placed specifically on envy in the workplace. The present research validates a new measure of envy in the workplace which also addresses both positive and negative coping behaviors that are broken down into four distinct categories; constructive engage, constructive disengage, destructive engage and destructive disengage. The new measure showed good internal consistency reliabilities across scales. Envy was highly correlated with constructive engaging, destructive engaging and destructive disengaging coping responses. Higher scores on envy were associated with depression, paranoid ideation, personal distress and were inversely correlated with self-esteem and perspective taking. There was no correlation between job satisfaction and envy. Those who used constructive coping styles (both engaging and disengaging responses) to deal with envy-provoking situations tended to be satisfied with their job, and high in self-esteem, empathy and perspective taking. Respondents who used destructive engaging responses were more likely to be anxious, paranoid, hostile, and depressed. In addition, they were less likely to be able to take another's perspective and were low in empathic concern. Finally those who engaged in destructive disengaging coping methods were more dissatisfied with their jobs, low in self-esteem, more anxious, depressed, and hostile, had more bodily concerns, and more paranoid ideation. Overall, these finding suggest that envy can be adaptive, consistent with a functionalist perspective of emotion. This research taken together will enable companies to make better choices to improve constructive coping responses in the workplace. |
