Envy is a prevalent emotion in organizational settings, often triggered by individuals perceiving discrepancies between their situation and the more favorable conditions of their peers. This emotional response becomes especially potent when these discrepancies concern aspirations or values essential to one’s self-concept. The emergence of envy is not an isolated feeling but intertwines with the overarching dynamics of self-evaluation motives. Self-evaluation motives can lead individuals to either self-enhance or self-protect against perceived discrepancies. The perceived legitimacy of these discrepancies, a judgment often intertwined with concepts of organizational justice and the legitimation literatures, determines the nature of these responses. The perceived legitimacy of these gaps plays an important role: are these discrepancies viewed as justifiable differences based on merit and fair processes, or are the outcome of undeserved privileges? Such perceptions, in turn, shape one’s behavioral patterns. Central to this dynamic is the influence of one’s Core Self-Evaluations – innate judgments rooted in self-worth and capabilities. Building on theories of self-assessment, I theorize that envy’s motivational process shapes the diverse reactions to feelings of envy. This paper has important implications for researchers trying to understand envy’s divergent outcomes and practitioners aiming to develop effective and conducive workplace environments that counteract envy’s destructive strategies.
