When Showing Off Helps: Exhibitionism and Helping Behavior at Work

What is it about?

This study examines how a personal resource—exhibitionism, or the desire to attract attention—relates to employees’ willingness to help their peers. Drawing on Conservation of Resources (COR) theory, it argues that attention-seeking can motivate individuals to invest effort in cooperative behaviors that enhance visibility and self-worth. The model further proposes that this link is reinforced by four contextual resources: informational and procedural justice, job satisfaction, and organizational commitment, which together create a climate where recognition-seeking supports helping behavior. Using two-wave survey data from banking employees in Guinea-Bissau, the study finds that exhibitionism positively predicts voluntary peer helping. This link strengthens when employees perceive clear communication (informational justice) and fair procedures (procedural justice). Likewise, those satisfied with their jobs and emotionally attached to their employer are more likely to channel their desire for attention into proactive, cooperative behaviors that benefit others. The findings demonstrate that personality traits often viewed as self-serving can become prosocial when nurtured in fair and supportive environments. When organizations ensure justice, satisfaction, and commitment, employees who seek visibility channel this drive into constructive engagement rather than self-promotion. Recognizing and cultivating these dynamics enables leaders to convert individual ambition into a shared resource that strengthens collaboration, morale, and organizational cohesion.

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Photo by Kristina spremo on Unsplash

Photo by Kristina spremo on Unsplash

Why is it important?

This research is unique in linking exhibitionism—a rarely examined personal trait—to helping behavior through four contextual moderators: informational justice, procedural justice, job satisfaction, and organizational commitment. It advances COR theory by showing how personal and contextual factors jointly promote prosocial outcomes. By integrating personality dynamics with organizational fairness and affective resources, the study offers valuable insights for both scholars and practitioners. The study is also timely in the context of Guinea-Bissau’s banking sector, where competition and visibility are intensifying. As organizations strive to engage diverse personalities and foster cooperation, understanding how self-oriented motives can be redirected toward collaboration becomes essential. By revealing how fairness, satisfaction, and emotional bonds transform ambition into shared success, this research highlights how institutions in emerging economies can build resilient and inclusive work cultures.