1959: Unpacking the Dynamics of Performance, Status, and Assessed Potential Among Exceptional Employees (10459)

Amidst increased awareness of human capital as an important source of competitive advantage, many scholars have recognized that not all employees contribute equally in organizations. This has led researchers to devote increased attention to a few subsets of employees – including stars, high performers, high status individuals, and high potentials – whose contributions tend to attract disproportionate attention and investment in their employing organizations. The resulting lines of inquiry have produced research examining the work-related experiences and outcomes of these exceptional individuals, as well as the favorable and unfavorable influences they exert on their peers. At the heart of many findings on these issues is the operation of cumulative advantage, a phenomenon wherein individuals who attain an early performance- or status-based advantage advance along a path paved with greater opportunities, increased access to resources, and favorable evaluation biases that set the stage for subsequent advantages in attaining continued high performance and recognition. The purpose of this symposium is to unpack the taken-for-granted dynamics of performance, status, and assessed potential (and/or evaluations of performance) among these exceptional employees, with a focus on the distinct influences of each as they relate both to how these individuals come to arrive where they are and how they influence those around them. In turn, the discussion will involve a consideration of how these individuals, their peers, and their broader work environments are most effectively managed to enhance the benefits and minimize the costs associated with the operation of cumulative advantage.