A Signal Of Opportunity Of Threat In Colleagues'Eyes?

The research investigates the link between newcomers' high-status ties and their innovation performance.Integrating the signaling theory and the conservation of resources theory,we introduce a new perspective of one's high-status ties-signaling perspective,and use this perspective to explain how newcomers' high-status ties impact their relations with the colleagues which later in turn influence the newcomers'innovation.Through a three-wave study of 201 newcomers and their direct supervisors in mixed Chinese organizations,we find that newcomers' ascribed high-status ties was negatively related to their innovation,and the effect was mediated by their poor relations with the peers.Further,we conducted supplementary experiment to examine the signaling effect of high-status ties directly,and the results showed that people tend to prefer newcomers who get on with their peers because they believe these ties convey the newcomers'agreeable personality and willingness to provide emotional support.The study highlights a new perspective for evaluating high-status ties.We offer implications for future research and practice.