Lacerations of the Soul: Rejection

Work-related rejections, such as missing a promotion, failing to land a job, losing a client, or having a paper rejected, are common work experiences, and for some, such disappointments could be debilitating. Extensive psychological research shows rejection sensitivity negatively affects interpersonal relationships, but how it relates to work attitudes and behaviors has not been examined, and this study is the first to apply rejection sensitivity in a work setting. Using a cross-sectional sample of 339 tenured/tenure-track business faculty, we use need-to-belong and social identity theoretical approaches to examine how work-related rejection sensitivity predicts publication performance, coping style, and professional commitment. Findings show rejection-sensitive faculty report lower publication performance (in effort and quantity) and are less likely to use positive coping strategies. Although rejection sensitivity did not predict professional commitment, rejection-sensitive faculty who reported better publication performance were higher in professional commitment than rejection-sensitive faculty who reported lower performance. Based on these findings, we hope to improve academic leaders’ understanding that some otherwise qualified faculty will be more affected by rejection than others. Taking proactive stances to ensure these faculty are prepared to deal effectively with rejection through interventions such as mentoring and training would enhance the chances that all qualified faculty will succeed in the long term