Understanding the Situational Antecedents of CEO Regulatory Focus

Graf-Vlachy L, Neville F, Short CE, Völkl FX (2025)


Publication Type: Journal article

Publication year: 2025

Journal

Book Volume: 62

Pages Range: 2859-2897

Journal Issue: 7

DOI: 10.1111/joms.13148

Abstract

Despite the impact of CEO regulatory focus on a wide range of organizational outcomes, most research does not consider how regulatory focus can vary based on situational factors. Taking an interactionist perspective rooted in industrial-organizational psychology, we propose that CEO regulatory focus exhibits variance driven by situational factors, namely, a CEO’s job demands. Integrating this perspective with regulatory focus theory and research on executive job demands, we theorize and test the extent to which CEO regulatory focus is influenced by relative firm performance, with stakeholder activism and CEO tenure as moderators of this relationship. Using a sample of large U.S. companies, our tests offer evidence for how situational factors cause CEO regulatory focus to vary. We conclude our work by developing a research agenda regarding situational antecedents of CEOs’ intrapersonal constructs more broadly.

Involved external institutions

How to cite

APA:

Graf-Vlachy, L., Neville, F., Short, C.E., & Völkl, F.X. (2025). Understanding the Situational Antecedents of CEO Regulatory Focus. Journal of Management Studies, 62(7), 2859-2897. https://doi.org/10.1111/joms.13148

MLA:

Graf-Vlachy, Lorenz, et al. "Understanding the Situational Antecedents of CEO Regulatory Focus." Journal of Management Studies 62.7 (2025): 2859-2897.

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