Is your close colleague friendlier with others than with you? Do not worry too much: We are more comfortable in helping someone whose job is just a bit further away from ours, according to research from The Ohio State University.
We can help those nice colleagues, according to the research, but not always wholeheartedly. The reason: we could be surpassed. Therefore,when helping someone in a slightly higher or lower position we have less risk.
Incidentally, this does not mean that most people would like to work with the new intern. If you are helping people with much higher or lower status than you at work, this is at the expense of your own productivity. Helping others costs too much time. The scientists offer the following tip:do not as the best-presented colleague for help, but someone in the ‘middle’.
The scientists did two types of experiments for the study.
First, they asked more than 250 students to imagine that they were part of a large sales team. One of their imaginary companions was about to win a contract, but needed some help.Some students were told that there was a slight difference in status; others just thought that they were helping someone who was far above or below their position. Participants with the moderate difference in status were most willing to help.
In the second, a field study of170 call center employees received a monthly report of their sales results. The investigation also annexed a ranking, thus it became clear who was better or worse. It turned out that employees preferred not to help ‘direct’ competitors, but colleagues who were just slightly with a higher or lower status than them.
Source: www.rtlz.nl