Employees’ psychological ownership and self-efficacy as mediators between performance appraisal purpose and proactive behavior

We analyzed the impact of performance appraisal purpose on employees’ proactive behavior, and explored the roles of psychological ownership and self-efficacy as mediators in this relationship. We conducted a survey with 512 employees of enterprises in 4 cities in China. The results of analysis of the data collected showed that an evaluative performance appraisal had a negative influence on the employees’ proactive behavior whereas a developmental performance appraisal had a positive influence. Psychological ownership and self-efficacy were found to have an intermediary role between performance appraisal purpose and the employees’ proactive behavior. Self-efficacy had a significant positive effect on psychological ownership. Implications of these results for theory and management practice are discussed.