A regulatory focus perspective on the relationship between forgone identity dwelling and job crafting

We investigated the relationships between employees’ forgone identity dwelling (reflections on past work identities) and their subsequent emotional and behavioral outcomes. This study was grounded in social comparison theory and cognitive motivation frameworks. Using two-wave survey data (N = 312), we empirically tested (a) how forgone identity dwelling predicts divergent emotional responses (i.e., anxiety versus hope), as moderated by psychological entitlement, and (b) how these emotions mediate distinct job-crafting behaviors (prevention-focused vs. promotion-focused). The results demonstrated that forgone identity dwelling activated two pathways: While anxiety was positively associated with prevention-focused job crafting, hope was a driver of promotion-focused job crafting. These findings highlight the dual role of identity reflection as a catalyst for individuals’ variable-driven psychological and behavioral mechanisms during identity transitions.