A moderated mediating model of perceived overqualification and task i-deals – roles of prove goal orientation and climate for inclusion

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to investigate the linkage between perceived overqualification and task i-deals via the mediating effect of prove goal orientation and the moderating effect of a climate for inclusion. Design/methodology/approach This study proposes and tests the mechanism of perceived overqualification in affecting task i-deals. Matched data were collected from a two-wave survey among 457 employees who work in two Chinese enterprises. The hypotheses were tested using hierarchical linear modeling and bootstrapping Findings The findings reveal that perceived overqualification has a significant positive impact on task i-deals. Prove goal orientation has a mediating role between perceived overqualification and task i-deals. Climate for inclusion moderates the relationship between prove goal orientation and task i-deals and the mediation effect of prove goal orientation, which has a moderated mediating effect. Originality/value This study reveals the influence mechanism of perceived overqualification on task i-deals from the perspective of self-verification, which not only enriches the results of being overqualified but also expands the antecedents of task i-deals. Moreover, the findings emphasize that contextual factors may strengthen the positive mediation effect of prove goal orientation.